As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2012

AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF – (ALFA)

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

THE ALPHACLONE ALTERNATIVE ALPHA FUND

 

SUMMARY SECTION

Investment Objective

The AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the price and yield, before fees and expenses, of the AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (the “Shares”).  This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.

 

*	The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Plan pursuant to which payments of up to [0.25%] of average daily net assets may be made, however, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has determined that no such payments will be made through the next twelve (12) months of operation.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual 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.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year: $97

3 Years: $303

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares (“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.  Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund uses a “passive” or “indexing” investment approach to track the AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index (the “Index”).  The Index is composed of U.S. equity securities selected based on a proprietary hedge fund position replication methodology developed by AlphaClone, LLC (the “Index Provider”).  The methodology ranks issuers favored as investments by hedge funds and institutional investors based on the efficacy of replicating their publicly disclosed positions and selects equities from those managers with the highest ranking.  Index constituents are equal weighted but have an overlap bias (i.e., holdings with twice the number of holders have twice the weight).  The Index can vary from being 100% long to up to 50% short, also known as “market hedged,” based on market volatility targets defined by the methodology.  The Index, and therefore the Fund, may take a defensive position and become market hedged ( i.e. , short) if one or more broad-based market indices close below their respective 200 day moving average at the end of any month.  Short positions are used to hedge long positions and to seek positive returns.  The Fund will either realize a profit or incur a loss from a short position, depending on whether the value of the underlying stock decreases or increases, respectively, between the time when it is sold and when the Fund replaces the borrowed security.

 

 

 

The Fund is managed by Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) under the supervision of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”).  The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Index, which include, but are not limited to, common and preferred equity securities, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and master limited partnerships (“MLPs”).  The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities not included in the Index, but which the Sub-Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index, or in financial instruments that provide long or short exposure to the Index.  These financial instruments include, but are not limited to: exchange-traded options on securities, indices and futures contracts and short positions.  On a day-to-day basis, the Fund also may hold short-term debt instruments that have terms-to-maturity of less than 397 days and exhibit high quality credit profiles, including U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements.

 

The Sub-Adviser uses a “representative sampling” approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.  “Representative sampling” is a passive indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of component securities of the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.  In general, if the Fund is performing as designed, the return of the Index will dictate the return for the Fund.  The Fund seeks to be fully invested at all times and Fund will concentrate its investment in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated.  The Index is rebalanced quarterly.  As of May 18, 2012, the market capitalization range of the securities in the Index was $115 million to $496 billion.

 

The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser.  The Index is calculated and administered by Structured Solutions AG, which is independent of the Fund, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser.  Structured Solutions AG and the Index Provider determine the components and the relative weightings of the securities in the Index subject to the Index rules and published information regarding the Index.

 

Principal Investment Risks

As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund.  The following risks   could affect the value of your investment   in the Fund:

·

Derivatives Investment Risk: The Fund may invest in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, security or interest rate.  The return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with the return of its underlying reference asset.  Derivatives are subject to a number of risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk.  Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities.  As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

 

·

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 result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments.  In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

·

Equity Securities Risk:  Investments in publicly issued equity securities, including common stocks, in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time.  Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

·	Market Risk:   The prices of the securities in which the Fund invests may decline for a number of reasons including in response to economic developments and perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers.

 

·

MLP Risk:  Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock.  Holders of the units of MLPs have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership.  There are also certain tax risks associated with an investment in units of MLPs.  In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a MLP, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments.

 

·

Non-Diversification Risk:  The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a larger percentage of its assets in securities of a few issuers or a single issuer than that of a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be disproportionately impacted by the performance of relatively few securities.

 

·

Passive Investment Risk:  The Fund is not actively managed and neither the Adviser nor Sub-Adviser would sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology.

 

·

REIT Risk:  REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants.  Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects.  In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.

 

·	Shorting Risk:  The Fund may engage in short sales designed to earn the Fund a profit from the decline in the price of particular securities.  However, there is a risk that the Fund will experience a loss as a result of engaging in such short sales.

 

·	Tracking Error Risk:  The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of the Index.  Because the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, it may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.

 

Performance

The Fund is newly organized and has not yet commenced operations; therefore, performance information is not yet available.  In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section.  Performance information also will be available on the Fund’s website at http://alphaclonefunds.com or by calling the Fund toll free at 1-800-617-0004.

 

 

Investment Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

Index Management Solutions, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, Chief Investment Officer for IMS, has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund.  Ms. Krisko has managed the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem shares only to Authorized Participants (typically, broker-dealers) in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of assets (securities and/or cash) in large blocks, known as “Creation Units,” each of which is generally comprised of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time.  Retail investors may only purchase and sell Fund shares on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer.  Because the shares trade at market prices rather than net asset value, shares may trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value (discount).

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination of both), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.  These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.  Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

INDEX/TRADEMARK LICENSES/DISCLAIMERS

 

The Index Provider is AlphaClone, LLC.  AlphaClone is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates.  The Adviser has entered into a licensing agreement with AlphaClone, LLC pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Index.  The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Index to the Fund at no charge.

The Index is calculated by Structured Solutions AG.  Structured Solutions is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

The Shares of the Fund will be listed on the Exchange.  As such, the Shares will trade based on market prices rather than NAV, and my trade at a price greater than or less than NAV.  Unlike conventional mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable securities.  Rather, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV only with authorized participants (“APs”) and only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.”  A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares.  Creation Units of the Fund are issued and redeemed for a basket of securities and/or cash.

Principal Investment Objective, Strategies and Risks

Objective

 

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and the Index it tracks may be changed without shareholder approval.  The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to changing its investment objective or Index.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Sub-Adviser uses a number of investment techniques in an effort to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.  The Fund seeks to track the performance of the Index, and to do this, the Sub-Adviser uses statistical and quantitative analysis to determine the investments the Fund makes and the techniques it employs.  In general, if the Fund is performing as designed, the return of the Index will dictate the return for that Fund.  The Fund does not invest in hedge funds, but rather the Fund invests in issuers that are favored investments of hedge funds and institutional investors.

The Fund expects a correlation over time of 0.95 or better between its performance and the performance the Index.  A correlation of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation.  Although the Sub-Adviser attempts to minimize any tracking error, certain factors may cause the Fund’s investment results to vary from its objective.  In seeking its investment objective, the Fund generally may hold a representative sample of the securities in its benchmark index.  The sampling of securities that is held by the Fund is intended to maintain high correlation with, and similar aggregate characteristics ( e.g. , market capitalization and industry weightings) to, the Index.  The Fund also may invest in securities that are not included in the Index or may overweight or underweight certain components of the Index.

 

 

Additionally, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in financial instruments that provide long or short exposure to the Index.  These financial instruments include: futures contracts; options on securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; swap agreements; forward contracts; short positions; reverse repurchase agreements; ETFs and other financial instruments.  Certain Fund assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries.

With respect to the Index, the most recent rebalance date was February 27, 2012, and as of March 28, 2012: the average market capitalization of the Index was $46.18 billion; the Index is not concentrated (i.e., invests 25% or more of net assets) in any industry; the largest components of the Index are primarily domestic equity securities; and there are 82 constituents in the Index.

AlphaClone has the technical ability to construct and conduct backtests for various “follow” strategies which make investment decisions based on and after hedge funds and institutional investors have publicly disclosed their holdings.  The Index Provider’s replication methodology constructs equity portfolios derived from those holdings.  The Index includes holdings which are disclosed publicly by managers with the highest “clone score,” a proprietary scoring method that measures the efficacy of following a manager based on their public disclosures.  AlphaClone’s clone score for each manager is based on the monthly returns in excess of a broad market index and a fixed hurdle rate exhibited by the manager’s follow strategies over time.  Clone scores are recalculated bi-annually.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

An investment in the Fund entails risks.  The Fund could lose money, or its performance could trail that of other investment alternatives.  The following provides additional information about certain of the principal risks discussed in the Fund’s “Summary Information” section.  It is important that investors closely review and understand these risks before making an investment in the Fund.

 

Derivatives Investment Risk.   The Fund may invest in certain derivatives.  Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as a security, index or interest rate. Derivatives include options on securities, indices and futures contracts.  The Fund may purchase and write exchange-traded put and call options.  A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period.  A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period.  Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option.  Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk.  They also involve the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, or that the counterparty to a derivative contract might default on its obligations.  Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities.  As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

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 result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments.  In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

 

Equity Securities Risk.   The Fund invests in equity securities, which are subject to changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or the general stock market fluctuations that affect all issues.  Investments in equity securities may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes.

Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risks that can affect the value of its Shares, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably.  These risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.  The Fund will typically would lose value when the Index declines.

MLP Risk.   An investment in MLP units involves risks that differ from a similar investment in equity securities, such as common stock, of a corporation.  Holders of MLP units have the rights typically afforded to limited partners in a limited partnership.  Holders of MLP units are subject to certain risks inherent in the structure of MLPs, including (i) tax risks (described further below), (ii) the limited ability to elect or remove management or the general partner or managing member (iii) limited voting rights, except with respect to extraordinary transactions, and (iv) conflicts of interest between the general partner or managing member and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the limited partners or members, on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments or corporate opportunities.  General partners typically have limited fiduciary duties to an MLP, which could allow a general partner to favor its own interests over the MLP’s interests.  In addition, general partners of MLPs often have limited call rights that may require unitholders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.  MLPs may issue additional common units without unitholder approval, which would dilute the interests of existing unitholders, including the Fund’s ownership interest.

MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow).  Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including cash flow growth, cash generating power and distribution coverage.

Tax Risks.   The Fund intends to limit its direct investment in MLP equity securities to 25% of the Fund’s total assets.  Much of the benefit the Fund derives from its investment in equity securities of MLPs is a result of MLPs generally being treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level.  Rather, each partner of a partnership, in computing its U.S. federal income tax liability, will include its allocable share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses.  A change in current tax law, or a change in the business of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income.  The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP and causing any such distributions received by the Fund to be taxed as dividend income to the extent of the MLP’s current or accumulated earnings and profits.  Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the after-tax return to the Fund with respect to its investment in such MLPs would be materially reduced, which could cause a substantial decline in the value of the common stock.

 

 

The Fund may make investments in derivatives instruments which may not generate qualifying income and, thus, may compromise the Fund’s ability to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.  If the Fund invests in such instruments directly, it intends to restrict its income from such derivative instruments that do not generate qualifying income to a maximum of 10% of its gross income (when combined with its other investments that produce non-qualifying income), to ensure its continued ability to qualify as a regulated investment company. The tax treatment of certain derivative instruments may be affected by future regulatory or legislative changes that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains and distributions.

Passive Investment Risk.   The Fund is not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to the Index.  The Fund invests in securities included in, or representative of securities included in, the Index, regardless of their investment merits.  The Fund does not take defensive positions under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of the Fund.

REIT Risk.   Some of the risks of equity, mortgage and hybrid REITs are that their performance depends on how well the REIT’s properties or mortgage portfolios are managed.  An equity REIT holds equity positions in real estate and provides its shareholders with income from the leasing of its properties and capital gains from any sale of properties.  Accordingly, equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the underlying property owned.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, the failure to collect rents, increased competition from other properties or poor management.  A REIT’s performance also depends on the company’s ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows.  A mortgage REIT specializes in lending money to developers of properties and passes any interest income earned to its shareholders.  Accordingly, mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended.  In addition, the Fund will generally be subject to risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate value or fluctuations in rental income caused by a variety of factors, including, among other things, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and other operating costs, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities and changes in supply and demand for properties.

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

 

 

Tracking Error Risk. Imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio of securities and those in the Index, rounding of prices, changes to the Index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Index.  This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or unusual market conditions.  Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs certain fees and expenses related to creating and maintaining a portfolio of securities, while the Index does not.  Because the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, the Fund may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

 

A complete 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”) and on the Fund’s website at http://alphaclonefunds.com.

MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (”ETC” or the “Adviser”), serves as the investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and each of its separate investment portfolios called “Funds.”  The Trust is overseen by a Board of Trustees (the “Board”).  ETC also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate.  For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays ETC a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.95% of its average daily net assets, subject to a $25,000 minimum annual fee.  Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for interest, 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, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Adviser, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee it receives.

The Adviser has provided investment advisory services to individual and institutional accounts since 2009.  The Adviser is an Oklahoma limited liability company and is located at 2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013.

The basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended September 30, 2012.

 

Sub-Adviser

 

The Adviser has retained Index Management Solutions, LLC (“Sub-Adviser”) to serve as sub-adviser.  The Sub-Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC and is located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. 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 the Adviser and the Board.

 

The Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and chooses the Fund’s portfolio investments and places orders to buy and sell the Fund’s portfolio investments.  For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s Investment Sub-Advisory agreement will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended September 30, 2012.

Portfolio Manager

The Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategies and researching and reviewing investment strategies.  A Portfolio Manager’s authority has appropriate limitations for risk management and compliance purposes.  The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is Denise M. Krisko, CFA.

Ms. Krisko is responsible for the investment decisions for the Fund.  Ms. Krisko became the Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser in 2009 and has over eighteen years of investment experience.  Previously, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management.  She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors since August of 2005.  Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation.  She graduated with a BS from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her MBA from Villanova University.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Manager manages and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares.

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.”

Most investors will buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers.  Shares of the Fund 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 shares.  There is no minimum investment.  Although Shares are generally purchased and sold in “round lots” of 50,000 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller “oddlots” at no per-share price differential.

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.

The Fund’s Exchange trading or “ticker” symbol is “ALFA.”

Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units of 50,000 Shares.  Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.

 

 

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 of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.

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

Share Trading Prices on the Exchange

Trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV.  Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.  In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of each Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor.  The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.  The basket of Deposit Securities does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio held by the Fund at a particular point in time and the IIV based on that basket may not represent the best possible valuation of the Fund’s portfolio.  Therefore, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV, which is computed only once a day, typically at the end of the business day.  The IIV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in Deposit Securities.  The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and makes no representation or warranty to its accuracy.

Frequent Purchases and Redemption 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 imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effective trades.  In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

 

 

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of Shares is calculated as of the 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 (“Business Day.”)  The NAV 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 such 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 by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).

Fair Value Pricing

The Board 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) when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) when 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, the Adviser or Sub-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.  The Adviser or Sub-Adviser makes fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures.  Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders at least annually.  The Fund is authorized to declare and pay capital gain distributions in Shares of the Fund or 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

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

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when: (i) the Fund makes distributions; (ii) you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange; and (iii) you purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

 

Taxes on Distributions

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary 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 you have owned your Fund Shares.  Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year over net short-term capital losses) that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains.  Long-term capital gain rates have been temporarily reduced – in general, to 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets – for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” are taxed to individuals at rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Fund level.

Beginning in 2013, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund Shares).

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 taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid for your Shares).

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, beginning in 2013, a 30% U.S. withholding tax will be imposed on dividends and proceeds of sales paid to foreign shareholders if certain disclosure requirements are not satisfied.

The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder owns Fund 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 Shares are Sold on the Exchange

Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares on the Exchange generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.  The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

An AP who exchanges equity securities for Creation Units generally recognizes 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 exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, along with any cash paid.  A person who exchanges Creation Units for equity 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 market value of the securities received, along with any cash received.  The Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.  Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

 

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

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 “Taxes” in the SAI.

DISTRIBUTION PLAN

The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  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 615 East Michigan Street, 4 th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

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, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 1.00% 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 Fund, 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 the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

 

Information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above ( i.e., at a premium) or below ( i.e., at a discount) the net asset value of the Fund during the past calendar year can be found at http://alphaclonefunds.com.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus and therefore does not have financial or performance information included in this Prospectus.  Please note that certain financial information about the Fund is included under the caption “Financial Statements” in the SAI.

 

 

 

 

Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C

Edmond, Oklahoma 73013

Sub-Adviser

Index Management Solutions, LLC

One Commerce Square

2005 Market Street, Suite 2020

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Index Provider

AlphaClone, LLC

One Market Street

Spear Tower, 36 th Floor

San Francisco, California 94105

Distributor

Quasar Distributors, LLC

615 East Michigan Street, 4 th Floor

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Custodian

U.S. Bank National Association

Custody Operations

1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Transfer Agent

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.

800 Westpoint Parkway, Suite 1100

Westlake, Ohio 44145-1524

Legal Counsel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP

1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

 

THE ALPHACLONE ALTERNATIVE ALPHA ETF

 

Investors may find more information about the Fund in the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information.  A current SAI 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: The Fund’s reports will provide additional information on the Fund’s investment holdings, performance data and a letter discussing the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during that period.

 

You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Fund by contacting the Fund at:

The AlphaClone Funds

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

1-800-617-0004

 

 

You may review and copy information including the Fund’s reports and SAI at the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling (202) 551-8090.  Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are also available:

 

 

 

 

(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-22668)

 

 

AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF

 

A Series of ETF Series Solutions

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

1-800-617-0004

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc. ︱ Ticker Symbol: ALFA

Investment Adviser:

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

Investment Trading Sub-Adviser:

Index Management Solutions, LLC

Index Provider:

AlphaClone, LLC

May 25, 2012

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated May 25, 2012, as may be revised (the “Prospectus”), of the AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF (the “Fund”), a series of ETF Series Solutions (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 contacting the Fund at the address or telephone number above or by visiting the Fund’s website at http://alphaclonefunds.com.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

 

The Trust is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series.  This SAI relates to one series: AlphaClone Alternative Alpha Fund (the “Fund”).  The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 9, 2012.  The Trust is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 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”).  Exchange Traded Concepts (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.  Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Trading Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.  The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index (the “Index”).

 

The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value 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 its 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.  The Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices.  These prices may differ from the Shares’ net asset values.  The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, principally for cash.  A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time.  Creation units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 Shares.

 

 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 market 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.  In addition to the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee, an additional transaction fee of up to five times the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee may apply.

 

ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION

 

  AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index

 

Index Weighting & Methodology.   The objective of the AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index is to track the performance of U.S. exchange-traded equity securities selected based on a proprietary hedge fund position replication methodology.  The methodology ranks hedge funds and institutional investors based on the efficacy of replicating their publicly disclosed positions and selects equities from those managers with the highest ranking.  Eligible constituents are derived from the public disclosures of hedge funds and institutional investors in its universe.  Constituents are selected from those managers that have the highest “Clone Score,” a proprietary measure that measures the efficacy over time of investment strategies that follow a specific manager’s holdings.  The Index provider’s “clone score” for each manager is based on the monthly returns in excess of a broad market index and a fixed hurdle rate exhibited by the manager’s follow strategies over time.  Institutional investors that do not provide enough publicly available information to determine a clone score are not ranked and are not included in the Index.  Clone Scores are recalculated bi-annually and incorporate factors such as the persistence in excess returns over time when following different combinations of a manager’s disclosed positions.

 

 

The AlphaClone Hedge Fund Long/Short Index was created and is maintained by AlphaClone, LLC and is calculated by Structured Solutions AG (“Structured Solutions”).

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND

RELATED RISKS

 

The Fund’s investment objectives 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.

NON-DIVERSIFICATION

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act.  A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer.  This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund.  The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Index and, therefore, those securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio.  This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject the Fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies.  Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the market value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In particular, as the Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in the Index.

 

Although the Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a “regulated investment company” for purposes of the Code, and to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders.  Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may severely limit the investment flexibility of the Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet its investment objectives.  To qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund must be diversified ( e.g. , may not invest more than 5% of its assets in the securities of any one issuer nor acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer) with respect to 50% of its assets.  With respect to the remaining 50% of its assets, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount in any one issuer, subject to certain limitations.  See “Federal Income Taxes” in this SAI.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS

 

The following are descriptions of the 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.

 

EQUITY SECURITIES

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock.  Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

 

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 varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

 

Convertible Securities - Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the Fund’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” ( i.e. , its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).

 

Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.

 

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.

 

 

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) – MLPs  are limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded.  MLP units are registered with the SEC and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market.  MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects.  Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners.  Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership.

The risks of investing in an MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation.  For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations.  Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded investors in an MLP than afforded investors in a corporation.  Additional risks involved with investing in an MLP are those associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or oil and gas industries.

Risks of Investing in Equity Securities:

 

General Risks of Investing in Stocks - While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership.  Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations.  Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.

 

Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices.  The value of a company’s stock may fall because of:

 

§	Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services;

 

§	Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and

 

§	Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.

 

Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.

 

Small- and Medium-Sized Companies - Investors in small- and 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 small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth.  The securities of small- and 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 small and 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.

 

When-Issued Securities – A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have 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 market 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.

 

DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS

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 market value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to an underlying Index.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (“REITS”)

 

A 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 and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes.  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 distribute annually 95% or more of its otherwise taxable income 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; 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 tax free pass-through of income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.  The above factors may also 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

 

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 securities, 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.

 

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.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship.  Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”).  Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets.  This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership.  On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years.  As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

 

 

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U.S. Treasury Obligations.   U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

·

Receipts.   Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank.  The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts.  The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury.  Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

·

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities.   STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons.  Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal.  The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes.  Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically.  Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

·

U.S. Government Agencies.   Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.  Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities or to the value of the Fund’s Shares.

BORROWING

The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes.  Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage.  Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity.  Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case.  Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds.  Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.  The Fund intends to use leverage during periods when the Sub-Adviser believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

 

 

The Fund may also borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous.  Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement.  Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned.  The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned.  The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities.  Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments ( i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral.  The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Sub-Adviser.

The Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from the Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

 

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk ( i.e. , the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS

 

In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund 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 Sub-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 Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the 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.

 

 

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.  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 the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of the 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 or as may at some future time be permitted by an exemptive order 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 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

 

EXCHANGE-TRADED OPTIONS

 

The Fund may utilize exchange-traded options contracts.  The Fund will segregate cash and/or appropriate liquid assets if required to do so by SEC or Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regulation or interpretation.

 

The Fund may purchase and sell put and call options that trade on an exchange.  Such options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation.  Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk.  Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.

 

The Fund may use exchange-traded options, together with positions in cash and money market instruments, to simulate full investment in its underlying Index. Exchange-traded options contracts are not currently available for all components of the Index. Under such circumstances, the Sub-Adviser may seek to utilize other instruments that it believes to be correlated to the Index components or a subset of the components.

 

To the extent the Fund uses options, it will do so in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”).  The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that the Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

 

Restrictions on the Use of Options.   The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving options thereon to the extent allowed by the CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund’s policies.

 

Short Sales. The Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.”  A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short.  A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own.  To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer.  The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement.  The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund.  Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan.  To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold.  The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund may: (a) segregate cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

 

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

 

The Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of options contracts, options on futures contracts, warrants and any other investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment, the Fund will provide appropriate disclosure.

 

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS

 

A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus.  The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

GENERAL

 

Investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of shares). Securities are susceptible to general 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.

 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be 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.

 

RISKS OF OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS

 

Positions in options may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market therefore. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close an options position. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

The Fund will minimize the risk that it will be unable to close out an options contract by only entering into options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.

 

 

The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies is potentially unlimited. The Fund does not plan to use options contracts, when available, in this manner. The Fund intends to utilize options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to that which is comparable to what they would have incurred through direct investment in securities.

 

There is the risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the option.

 

TAX RISKS

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares of the Fund 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 of the Fund.

 

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.

 

 

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 these 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.

Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets in the stocks of a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its underlying Index concentrates in the stocks of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

2.	Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

3.	Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

4.	Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

 

5.	Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.

1.	The Fund will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

 

2.	The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending), in the component securities of the Fund’s Index.

 

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 limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously.

 

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

Concentration . The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

Borrowing . The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).

Senior Securities . Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness.  The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

Lending . Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.  The Fund’s current investment policy on lending is as follows:  a fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in its SAI.

Underwriting . Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

Real Estate . The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.  The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).

 

 

Commodities .  The Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under the “SUMMARY INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASING AND SELLING SHARES, TAXES AND FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION” and “BUYING AND SELLING THE FUND.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

 

Shares of the Fund will be listed for trading and will trade throughout the day on NYSE Arca.

 

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of such Fund's Shares. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (ii) the value of the Fund’s Underlying Index no longer is calculated or available; or (iii) 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.

 

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the 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.

 

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, NYSE Arca or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor.  The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Fund Management.”

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Trustees.  The Board 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.

 

 

Like most mutual funds, 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 Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have 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 various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur.  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 Trustees’ 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 provides 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 accountants, 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 receives information about those services at its regular meetings.  In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreements with the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser   and the Sub-Adviser to review such services.  Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser and the 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 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 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, the Chief Compliance Officer, the 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 Trustees 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 four members of the Board of Trustees, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“independent Trustees”).  Mr. Eric W. Falkeis serves as Chairman of the Board.  The Trust does not have a lead independent trustee.  The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (75 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 Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for 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 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 Fund 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 Fund management.

 

The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Nominating Committees.  The Audit Committee and Nominating Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of independent Trustees.

Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

 

(1)

The Trust is comprised of numerous portfolios managed by unaffiliated investment advisers.  The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the Fund, except that, with respect only to Mr. Stevens and this table, the term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that have a common investment adviser.  The Fund does not hold itself out as related to any other series within the Trust for investment purposes.

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 their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Stevens should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in his roles with registered broker-dealer and investment management firms, as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of another mutual fund trust since 2009.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Beckman should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial investment management industry experience through his prior service as a business assurance (audit) partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for over 15 years.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Massart should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial industry experience, including 18 years working with high net worth individuals, families, trusts and retirement accounts to make strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions, evaluate and select investment managers and manage client relationships, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of another mutual fund trust since 2011.  He is currently the Chief Investment Strategist and lead member of the investment management committee of the SEC registered investment advisory firm he co-founded.  Previously, he served as Managing Director of Strong Private Client and as a Manager of Wells Fargo Investments, LLC.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Rush should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial industry experience, including serving in several different senior executive roles at various global financial services firms, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of another mutual fund trust since 2011.  He most recently served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and several other affiliated entities and served as the Treasurer for Baird Funds.  He also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Fidelity Investments’ four broker-dealers and has substantial experience with mutual fund and investment advisory organizations and related businesses, including Vice President and Head of Compliance for Fidelity Investments, a Vice President at Credit Suisse First Boston, a Manager with Goldman Sachs, & Co. and a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche.  Mr. Rush has been determined to qualify as an Audit Committee Financial Expert for the Trust.

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:

 

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. Each independent Trustee currently serves as members of the Audit Committee.  

 

 

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.

Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. 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).  The QLCC meets as necessary.

The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF – (zdiv)

The Zacks MLP ETF  – (zmlp)

May 25, 2012

The funds offered in this prospectus (each, a “Fund”) are listed and trade, or will trade, on the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC.

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

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Zacks Sustainable Dividend Index.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (the “Shares”).  This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.

 

*	The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Plan pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets may be made, however, the Board has determined that no such payments will be made through the next twelve (12) months of operation.

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual 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.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year: $72

3 Years: $224

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.  Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund employs a “passive management” investment strategy to track the Zacks Sustainable Dividend Index (the “Index”).  The Fund generally will use a replication strategy to track the performance of the Index and the correlation target sought by the Fund, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings in the Index.  However, the Fund may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances where it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index.  The Index is comprised of approximately 100 U.S. listed common stocks selected, based on investment and other criteria, from a universe of the 1,500 largest listed equity companies (based on market capitalization) that pay dividends at least annually.  The universe of companies eligible for inclusion in the Index is comprised of all U.S. stocks listed on domestic exchanges, including American depositary receipts (“ADRs”) and master limited partnerships (“MLPs”).  The universe is then narrowed and ranked using a proprietary, quantitative rules-based methodology developed by Zacks Investment Research, Inc. (“Zacks” or the “Index Provider”).

The Index Provider employs a proprietary quantitative rules-based methodology that assesses various factors, including the likelihood of a dividend payment in the next 30 days, yield, liquidity, company growth, relative value, payout ratio, and other factors, and is sorted from highest to lowest.  The methodology seeks to identify those companies that offer the greatest yield potential.  The Index is split into two equal sub-indices of approximately 50 stocks each.  The 50 constituents of each sub-index are chosen and are weighted based on liquidity and yield.  At the rebalance date, the two sub-indices alternate which will be rebalanced so that each sub-index is held for a period of 61 days.  Both sub-indices are determined using the same proprietary methodology.  At the time of the rebalance, all stocks that have paid a dividend in the last 30 days or are included in the non-rebalanced sub-index are eliminated for the next 30 days from the investable universe.  Excluding such stocks allows the Index to include only stocks that have an upcoming quarterly scheduled dividend ( i.e. , a scheduled dividend within the next 60 days of inclusion in the Index).  Each month, one of the two sub-indices will be rebalanced and thus will result in an alternating monthly rebalance schedule between the two sub-indices.  Rebalancing of the sub-indices’ allocation is restored to 50/50 on an annual basis.    The Index consisted of 100 companies as of May 25, 2012.

The Fund is managed by Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) under the supervision of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”).  Under normal circumstances, at least 90% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index.  The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, such as repurchase agreements or money market instruments, or other instruments the Sub-Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index.  In general, if the Fund is performing as designed, the return of the Index will dictate the return for the Fund.  The Fund pursues its investment objective regardless of the market conditions and does not take defensive positions.  The Fund seeks to be fully invested at all times and will concentrate ( i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) its investment in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is so concentrated.

The Index is calculated and administered by   NYSE Euronext U.S. Index Group, which is independent of the Fund, its investment adviser, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”), the Investment Sub-Adviser and Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Trading Sub-Adviser”).  The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser.  The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index and relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.

 

Principal Investment Risks

As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund.  The following risks   could affect the value of your investment   in the Fund:

·

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 result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments.  In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

·

Equity Securities Risk:   Investments in publicly issued equity securities, including common stocks, in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time.  Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

·

Financial Sector Risk: The Fund expects that the Index, and therefore the Fund, will at times concentrate in the financial sector of the market. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaulted, price competition, and the availability and cost of capital.

 

·	Investment Risk:   As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk.  Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment over any period of time.

 

·	Market Risk:   The prices of the securities in which the Fund invests may decline for a number of reasons, including in response to economic developments and perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers.

 

·

MLP Risk:   Investments in common units of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stock.  Holders of MLP units are subject to certain risks inherent in the structure of MLPs, including (i) tax risks, (ii) risk related to limited control of management or the general partner or managing member, (iii) limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, except with respect to extraordinary transactions, (iv) conflicts of interest between the general partner or managing member and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the limited partners or members, on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments or corporate opportunities, and (v) cash flow risks.  MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow).  Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including cash flow growth, cash generating power and distribution coverage.  The Fund intends to limit its direct investment in MLP equity securities to 25% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

·

Non-Diversification Risk :  The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a larger percentage of its assets in securities of a few issuers or a single issuer than that of a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be disproportionately impacted by the performance of relatively few securities.

 

 

·	Passive Investment Risk:   The Fund is not actively managed and neither the Adviser nor Sub-Adviser attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of the Fund.

 

·

Portfolio Turnover Risk: The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading in connection with the monthly rebalancing of the Index, and therefore the Fund’s investments.  A portfolio turnover rate of 200%, for example, is equivalent to the Fund buying and selling all of its securities two times during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate (for example, over 100%) may result in higher brokerage costs and may result in taxable capital gains distributions to the Fund’s shareholders. However, utilizing the creation and redemption in-kind mechanism, the Fund will seek to eliminate capital gains to the extent possible.

 

·

Replication Management Risk:   An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. However, because the Fund is not “actively” managed, unless a specific security is removed from the Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. Therefore, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.

 

·

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other than NAV:   Although it is expected that the market price of the Shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV when purchased and sold in the secondary market, there may be times when the market price of the Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount).  This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

 

·

Utilities Sector Risk: The Fund expects that the Index, and therefore the Fund, will at times concentrate in the utilities sector of the market.  Risks of investing in this sector of the market include, but are not limited to, changing commodity prices, government regulation stipulating rates charged by utilities, interest rate sensitivity, and the cost of providing the specific utility service.

 

Performance

The Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of investment operations and therefore does not have any performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund’s returns based on net assets and comparing the Fund’s performance to a broad-based securities market index as well as the Index. Performance information also will be available on the Fund’s website at http://zacksfunds.com or by calling the Fund toll free at 1-800-617-0004.

Investment Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

Index Management Solutions, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

  Denise M. Krisko, CFA, has been a portfolio manager since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem shares only to Authorized Participants (typically, broker-dealers) in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of assets (securities and/or cash) in large blocks, known as Creation Units, each of which is generally comprised of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time.  Retail investors may only purchase and sell Fund Shares on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer.  Because the Shares trade at market prices rather than net asset value, Shares may trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value (discount).

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and related services.  These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.  Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

The Zacks MLP ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Zacks MLP Index.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (the “Shares”).  This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.

 

*	The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Plan pursuant to which payments of up to [0.25%] of average daily net assets may be made, however, the Board has determined that no such payments will be made through the next twelve (12) months of operation.

 

**	Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Since the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, a tax expense of 0.00% has been assumed since it cannot be predicted whether the Fund will incur a benefit or liability in the future.

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual 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.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year: $77

3 Years: $240

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.  Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund employs a “passive management” investment strategy to track the Zacks MLP Index (the “Index”).  The Fund generally will use a replication strategy to track the performance of the Index and the correlation target sought by the Fund, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings in the Index.  However, the Fund may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances where it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index.  The Index is comprised of approximately 25-50 stocks selected, based on investment and other criteria, from a universe of master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) listed on domestic exchanges.  The MLPs are selected using a proprietary, quantitative rules-based methodology developed by Zacks Investment Research, Inc. (“Zacks” or the “Index Provider”).  The constituent selection methodology was developed by Zacks as an effective, quantitative approach to identifying those companies that offer the greatest yield potential.

The Index Provider utilizes multi-factor proprietary selection rules to identify MLPs that offer the greatest yield by assessing various factors, including yield, liquidity, relative value, and other factors.  Each company is then sorted from highest to lowest.

MLPs considered for inclusion in the Index generally, at the time of selection, pay a dividend and are listed on at least one domestic stock exchange.  Zacks further narrows the universe by ranking each potential constituent based on a variety of factors including yield, liquidity and relative value.  The 25 highest ranking constituents are then chosen and are equally weighted so that each makes up 4% of the Index.  The Index is rebalanced at least quarterly or as more often required to assure timely stock selections.

MLPs are publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources. By confining their operations to these specific activities, their interests, or units, are able to trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation.  Of the 25 partnerships eligible for inclusion in the Index, approximately 20 trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and the rest trade on the NASDAQ.  An MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners (or in the case of MLPs organized as limited liability companies, a managing member and members). The general partner or managing member typically controls the operations and management of the MLP and has an ownership stake in the MLP. The limited partners or members, through their ownership of limited partner or member interests, provide capital to the entity, are intended to have no role in the operation and management of the entity and receive cash distributions. The Fund will be a limited partner (or a member) in the MLPs in which it invests.  The MLPs themselves generally do not pay United States federal income taxes. Thus, unlike investors in corporate securities, direct MLP investors are generally not subject to double taxation ( i.e. , corporate level tax and tax on corporate dividends).  To qualify as an MLP and to not be taxed as a corporation, a partnership must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”).  These qualifying sources include natural resource-based activities such as the processing, transportation and storage of mineral or natural resources.

The Fund is managed by Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) under the supervision of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”). Under normal circumstances, at least 90% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index.  The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, such as repurchase agreements or money market instruments, or other instruments the Sub-Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index.

 

The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.

Principal Investment Risks

·

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 result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments.  In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

·

Energy Sector Risk:   Many MLPs operate within the energy sector. Therefore, a substantial portion of the MLPs in which the Fund invests may be engaged in the energy sector of the economy. As a result, a downturn in the energy sector of the economy, adverse political, legislative or regulatory developments or other events could have a larger impact on the Fund than on an investment company that does not invest a substantial portion of its assets in the energy sector. At times, the performance of securities of companies in the energy sector may lag the performance of other sectors or the broader market as a whole. In addition, there are several specific risks associated with investments in the energy sector, including the following: government regulation; fluctuations in the prices of energy commodities; depletion of commodity reserves; reductions in supply and/or demand; extreme weather or natural disasters; lack of cash flows; rising interest rates; and threats of terrorist attacks.  MLPs operating in the energy sector are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve.

·	Investment Risk :  As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk.  Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment over any period of time.

·

Liquidity Risk:   Although MLPs trade on exchanges, certain MLP securities may trade less frequently than those of larger companies due to their smaller capitalizations.  At times, due to limited trading volumes of certain MLPs, the prices of such MLPs may display abrupt or erratic movements.  Moreover, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices.  The Fund’s investment in securities that are less actively traded or over time experience decreased trading volume may restrict its ability to take advantage of other market opportunities or to dispose of securities at a fair price at the times when the Adviser believes it is desirable to do so. This also may affect adversely the Fund’s ability to make dividend distributions.

·	Market Risk:   The prices of the securities in which the Fund invests may decline for a number of reasons including in response to economic developments and perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers.

·

MLP Risk:   Investments in common units of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stock.  Holders of MLP units are subject to certain risks inherent in the structure of MLPs, including (i) tax risks, (ii) risk related to limited control of management or the general partner or managing member, (iii) limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, except with respect to extraordinary transactions, (iv) conflicts of interest between the general partner or managing member and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the limited partners or members, on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments or corporate opportunities, and (v) cash flow risks.   MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including cash flow growth, cash generating power and distribution coverage.

 

·

MLP Tax Risk :  Much of the benefit the Fund derives from its investment in securities of MLPs is a result of MLPs generally being treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.   Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law, or a change in the business of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  As a result, the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP would be reduced and the after-tax return to the Fund with respect to its investment in such MLPs would be materially reduced.  Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction in the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income.

·

Tax Status of the Fund :  The Fund is treated as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes.  Under current law, the Fund is not eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments primarily in MLPs. Accordingly, the Fund is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the graduated rates applicable to corporations (currently at a maximum rate of 35%) as well as state and local income taxes.  The Fund expects that a portion of the distributions it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax-deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. However, the amount of taxes currently paid by the Fund will vary depending on the amount of income and gains derived from investments and/or sales of MLP interests and such taxes will reduce your return from an investment in the Fund.

·

Deferred Tax Risk :  Cash distributions from an MLP to the Fund that exceed the Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income are considered a tax-deferred return of capital that will reduce the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the securities of the MLP. These reductions in the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP securities will increase the amount of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) recognized by the Fund on a subsequent sale of the securities.  The Fund will accrue deferred income taxes for any future tax liability associated with (i) that portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital and for any net operating gains, as well as (ii) capital appreciation of its investments.  The Fund’s accrued deferred tax liability will be reflected each day in the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”).  Increases in deferred tax liability will decrease NAV.  Conversely, decreases in deferred tax liability will increase NAV.  The Fund generally computes deferred income taxes based on the federal tax rate applicable to corporations, currently 35% and an assumed rate attributable to state taxes.  A change in the federal tax rate applicable to corporations and, consequently, any change in the deferred tax liability of the Fund, may have a significant impact on the NAV of the Fund.  The Fund’s current and deferred tax liability, if any, will depend upon the Fund’s net investment income gains and losses and realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments and therefore may vary greatly from year to year depending on the nature of the Fund’s investments, the performance of these investments and general market conditions.  The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by the MLPs, which may not be timely, to estimate deferred tax liability for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining NAV. From time to time, the Adviser may modify the estimates or assumptions regarding the Fund’s deferred tax liability as new information becomes available.  The Fund estimates regarding its deferred tax liability are made in good faith; however, the daily estimate of the Fund’s deferred tax liability used to calculate the Fund’s NAV could vary dramatically from the Fund’s actual tax liability.  Actual income taxed, if any, will be incurred over many years depending on if, and when, investment gains and losses are realized, the then current basis of the Fund’s assets and other factors.  Upon the sale of an MLP security, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes. As a result, the determination of the Fund’s actual tax liability may have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV.

 

In the event the Fund is in a net deferred tax asset position, the Fund will evaluate all available information and consider the criterion established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes (formerly Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109) in order to properly assess whether it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will be realized or whether a valuation allowance is required.

 

·

Returns of Capital Distributions From the Fund Reduce the Tax Basis of Fund Shares :  A portion of the Fund’s distributions are expected to be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes. Returns of capital distribution are not taxable income to you but reduce your tax basis in your Fund Shares. Such a reduction in tax basis will generally result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of Fund Shares.  Shareholders who periodically receive the payment of dividends or other distributions consisting of a return of capital may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits from the Fund when, in fact, they are not.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of distributions is from the net profits of the Fund.

·

Tax-Favored Treatment of Qualified Dividends Is Scheduled to Expire :  Distributions by the Fund will be treated as dividends for tax purposes to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Under current federal income tax law, if applicable holding period requirements are met, qualified dividend income received by individuals and other non corporate shareholders is taxed at long-term capital gain rates, which currently reach a maximum of 15%. However, the favorable tax treatment applicable to qualified dividends is scheduled to expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012 and, unless further Congressional action is taken, dividend income will thereafter be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to ordinary income (which rates are scheduled to increase at that time to a maximum rate of 39.6%).

·

Potential Substantial After-Tax Tracking Error From Index Performance.   As discussed above, the Fund will be subject to taxation on its taxable income.  The NAV of Fund Shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities.  The Index, however, is calculated without any deductions for taxes.  As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated. See also, “Additional Risk Information—Tracking Error Risk.”

·

Non-Diversification Risk :  The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a larger percentage of its assets in securities of a few issuers or a single issuer than that of a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be disproportionately impacted by the performance of relatively few securities.

·	Passive Investment Risk:   The Fund is not actively managed and neither the Adviser nor Sub-Adviser attempt to take defensive positions in under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of the Fund.

·

Shares of the Fund may Trade at Prices other than NAV:   Although it is expected that the market price of the Shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV when purchased and sold in the secondary market, there may be times when the market price of the Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount).  This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

·

Tracking Error Risk:   The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of the Index.  Because the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, it may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.  In addition, the Fund will be subject to taxation on its taxable income. The NAV of Fund Shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. The Index, however, is calculated without any deductions for taxes. As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated.

 

Performance

The Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of investment operations and therefore does not have any performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund’s returns based on net assets and comparing the Fund’s performance to a broad-based securities market index as well as the Index. Performance information also will be available on the Fund’s website at http://zacksfunds.com   or by calling the Fund toll free at 1-800-617-0004.

Investment Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

Index Management Solutions, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, has been a portfolio manager since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares only to Authorized Participants (typically, broker-dealers) in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of assets (securities and/or cash) in large blocks, known as Creation Units, each of which is generally comprised of 50,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time.  Creation units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 Shares.  Retail investors may only purchase and sell Fund Shares on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer.  Because the Shares trade at market prices rather than net asset value, Shares may trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value (discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s taxable distributions will generally be taxed as ordinary income.  A portion of the Fund’s distributions is also expected to be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.  Return of capital distributions are not taxable to you, but reduce your tax basis in your Fund Shares.  Such a reduction in tax basis will generally result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of Fund Shares.  Shareholders who periodically receive the payment of dividends or other distributions consisting of a return of capital may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits from the Fund when, in fact, they are not.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of the distributions is from the net profits of the Fund.

 

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and related services.  These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.  Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

 

Principal Investment Objective, Strategies and Risks

Objective

 

Each Fund’s investment objective and the Index it tracks may be changed without shareholder approval.

Strategies

 

In general, if a Fund is performing as designed, the return of its benchmark Index will dictate the return for that Fund.  Each Fund pursues its investment objective regardless of market conditions and does not take defensive positions.

A Fund generally will invest in all of the securities comprising its Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index in those weightings. In those circumstances, the Fund may purchase a sample of the securities in the Index in proportions expected by the Sub-Adviser to replicate generally the performance of the Index as a whole. There may also be instances in which the Sub-Adviser may choose to overweight another security in the Index or purchase (or sell) securities not in the Index which the Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more Index components in seeking to accurately track the Index.

A Fund may invest directly in one or more underlying securities represented by depositary receipts included in the Index under the following limited circumstances: (a) when market conditions result in the underlying security providing improved liquidity relative to the depositary receipt; (b) when a depositary receipt is trading at a significantly different price than its underlying security; or (c) the timing of trade executions is improved due to the local market in which an underlying security is traded being open at different times than the market in which the security’s corresponding depositary receipt is traded.

 

A Fund may sell securities that are represented in its Index or purchase securities that are not yet represented in the Index in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Index.

 

Each Fund seeks a correlation over time of 0.95 or better between its performance and the performance its benchmark Index.  A correlation of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation.  Although the Sub-Adviser attempts to minimize any tracking error, certain factors may cause a Fund’s investment results to vary from its objective.  In seeking its investment objective, a Fund generally may hold a representative sample of the securities in its benchmark Index.  The sampling of securities that is held by a Fund is intended to maintain high correlation with, and similar aggregate characteristics ( e.g. , market capitalization and industry weightings) to, its benchmark Index.  In addition, from time to time, securities are added to or removed from an Index. The Adviser may sell securities that are represented in an Index, or purchase securities that are not yet represented in the Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Index.  In seeking to track its Index, each Fund also may invest in securities that are not included in its benchmark Index or may overweight or underweight certain components of the Index.

As described in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), the Funds have adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of their assets in investments suggested by their names, measured at the time of investment. A Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to any material change in this 80% investment policy.  For purposes of this policy, the term “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) may change a Fund’s investment strategy, Index and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated. A Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to changing its investment objective or Index.

 

 

Additional Strategies Information for The Zacks MLP ETF

MLPs are publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources.  By confining their operations to these specific activities, their interests, or units, are able to trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation. MLPs’ disclosures are regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and MLPs must file Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs, and notices of material changes like any publicly traded corporation. MLPs also must comply with certain requirements applicable to public companies under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. To qualify as an MLP and to not be taxed as a corporation, a partnership must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Code. These qualifying sources include natural resource-based activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources.  An MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners (or in the case of MLPs organized as limited liability companies, a managing member and members). The general partner or managing member typically controls the operations and management of the MLP and has an ownership stake in the MLP. The limited partners or members, through their ownership of limited partner or member interests, provide capital to the entity, are intended to have no role in the operation and management of the entity and receive cash distributions. The MLPs themselves generally do not pay United States federal income taxes. Thus, unlike investors in corporate securities, direct MLP investors are generally not subject to double taxation (i.e., corporate level tax and tax on corporate dividends). Currently, most MLPs operate in the energy and/or natural resources sectors.

General partner or managing member interests receive cash distributions, typically in an amount of up to 2% of available cash, which is contractually defined in the partnership or limited liability company agreement. In addition, holders of general partner or managing member interests typically receive incentive distribution rights (“IDRs”), which provide them with an increasing share of the entity’s aggregate cash distributions upon the payment of per common unit distributions that exceed specified threshold levels above the minimum quarterly distribution. Due to the IDRs, general partners of MLPs have higher distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs, but quarterly incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than the decline rate in quarterly distributions to common and subordinated unit holders in the event of a reduction in the MLP’s quarterly distribution.  In addition, some MLPs permit the holder of IDRs to reset, under specified circumstances, the incentive distribution levels and receive compensation in exchange for the distribution rights given up in the reset.

 

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 certain of the principal risks discussed in each Fund’s “Summary Information” section.  It is important that investors closely review and understand these risks before making an investment in a Fund.

 

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 result in a Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments.  In such circumstances, a Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

 

Equity Securities Risk.   Each Fund invests in equity securities, which are subject to changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or the general stock market fluctuations that affect all issues.  Investments in equity securities may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes.

Financial Sector Risk.   The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the financial sector (to the extent the Index invests in such sector) and therefore the performance of the Fund will be impacted by events affecting this sector. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaulted, price competition, and the availability and cost of capital funds and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Recently, this sector has been significantly impacted by bankruptcies and consolidations of major financial firms. These events have had, and may continue to have, a significant negative impact on the valuation and stock price of companies in this sector and have increased the volatility of investments in this sector.

Market Risk. Each Fund is subject to market risks that can affect the value of its Shares, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably.  These risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.  A Fund will typically lose value when its benchmark Index declines.

Passive Investment Risk.   The Funds are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to their benchmark Indexes.  Each Fund invests in securities included in, or representative of securities included in, its benchmark Index, regardless of their investment merits.  The Funds do not take defensive positions under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of a Fund.

Tracking Error Risk. Imperfect correlation between a Fund’s portfolio of securities and those in its benchmark Index, rounding of prices, changes to the Index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of a Fund’s performance from that of its benchmark Index.  This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or unusual market conditions.  Tracking error also may result because a Fund incurs certain fees and expenses related to creating and maintaining a portfolio of securities, while its benchmark Index does not.  Because each Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, a Fund may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.

 

Utilities Sector Risk.   The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the utilities sector (to the extent the Index invests in such sector) and therefore the performance of the Fund will be impacted by events affecting this sector Utilities sector is subject to a number of risks, including decreases in the demand for utility company products and services, increased competition resulting from deregulation, and rising energy costs. The utilities sector also is typically sensitive to changes in interest rates. Any of these events could cause the utilities sector to underperform other sectors or the market as a whole and, thus, adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.

Additional Risk Information for The Zacks MLP ETF

An investment in MLP units involves risks that differ from a similar investment in equity securities, such as common stock, of a corporation.  Holders of MLP units have the rights typically afforded to limited partners in a limited partnership.  Holders of MLP units are subject to certain risks inherent in the structure of MLPs, including (i) tax risks (described further below), (ii) the limited ability to elect or remove management or the general partner or managing member (iii) limited voting rights, except with respect to extraordinary transactions, and (iv) conflicts of interest between the general partner or managing member and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the limited partners or members, on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments or corporate opportunities.  General partners typically have limited fiduciary duties to an MLP, which could allow a general partner to favor its own interests over the MLP’s interests.  In addition, general partners of MLPs often have limited call rights that may require unitholders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.  MLPs may issue additional common units without unitholder approval, which would dilute the interests of existing unitholders, including the Fund’s ownership interest.

 

MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including cash flow growth, cash generating power and distribution coverage.

The Fund derives a significant portion of its cash flow from investments in securities of MLPs.  Therefore, the amount of cash that the Fund will have available to pay or distribute will depend on the ability of the MLPs that the Fund owns to make distributions to their partners and the tax character of those distributions.  Neither the Fund, the Adviser nor the Sub-Adviser has control over the actions of underlying MLPs.  The amount of cash that each individual MLP can distribute to its partners will depend on the amount of cash it generates from operations, which will vary from quarter to quarter depending on factors affecting the energy infrastructure market generally and on factors affecting the particular business lines of the MLP.  Available cash will also depend on the MLPs’ level of operating costs (including incentive distributions to the general partner), level of capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisition costs (if any), fluctuations in working capital needs and other factors.  The Fund’s investments may not distribute the expected or anticipated levels of cash, resulting in the risk that the Fund may not have the ability to make cash distributions as investors expect from MLP-focused investments.

MLP Tax Risk .  The benefit you are expected to derive from the Fund’s investment in MLPs depends largely on the MLPs being treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes.  As a partnership, an MLP has no federal income tax liability at the entity level.  If, as a result of a change in current law or a change in an MLP’s underlying business mix, an MLP were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the MLP would be obligated to pay federal income tax on its income at the corporate tax rate (currently at a maximum rate of 35%).  If an MLP were classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the amount of cash available for distribution would be reduced and part or all of the distributions the Fund receives might be taxed entirely as dividend income.  Therefore, treatment of one or more MLPs as a corporation for federal income tax purposes could affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective and would reduce the amount of cash available to pay or distribute to you.

The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.  For example, Congress has been evaluating proposals that could materially impact publicly traded partnerships, but to date has not taken action on any of them.  Any modification to the federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively.  Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in MLPs and therefore the value of your investment in the Fund.  In addition, there have been proposals to reduce or eliminate tax incentives widely used by oil, gas and coal companies, and the imposition of new fees on certain energy producers.  The elimination of such tax incentives and imposition of such fees could adversely affect MLPs and other natural resources sector companies in which the Fund invests and/or the natural resources sector generally.

 

 

The Fund will be a limited partner in the MLPs in which it invests. As a result, it will be allocated a pro rata share of income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses from those MLPs. Historically, a significant portion of income from such MLPs has been offset by tax deductions. The Fund will incur a current tax liability on that portion of an MLP’s income and gains that is not offset by tax deductions and losses. The percentage of an MLP’s income and gains which is offset by tax deductions and losses will fluctuate over time for various reasons. A significant slowdown in acquisition activity by MLPs in the Index could result in a reduction of accelerated depreciation generated by new acquisitions, which may result in increased current income tax liability to the Fund.

Energy Sector Risks.   Many MLPs operate within the energy sector. Therefore, a substantial portion of the MLPs in which the Fund invests may be engaged in the energy sector of the economy. To the extent the Index includes securities of issuers in the energy sector; the Fund will invest in companies in such sector. As such, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the energy sector.  At times, the performance of companies in the energy sector may lag the performance of other sectors or the broader market as a whole. In addition, there are several specific risks associated with investments in the energy sector, including, but not limited to, the following:

·

Regulatory Risk .  The energy sector is highly regulated. MLPs operating in the energy sector are subject to significant regulation of nearly every aspect of their operations by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Such regulation can change rapidly or over time in both scope and intensity. For example, a particular by-product or process, including hydraulic fracturing, may be declared hazardous—sometimes retroactively—by a regulatory agency and unexpectedly increase production costs. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may materially adversely affect the financial performance of MLPs operating in the energy sector.  There is an inherent risk that MLPs may incur material environmental costs and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle, including substantial liabilities for environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage, and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations.

·

Commodity Price Risk .  MLPs operating in the energy sector may be affected by fluctuations in the prices of energy commodities, including, for example, natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and coal, in the short- and long-term. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices would impact directly companies that own such energy commodities and could impact indirectly companies that engage in transportation, storage, processing, distribution or marketing of such energy commodities. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices can result from changes in general economic conditions or political circumstances (especially of key energy producing and consuming countries); market conditions; weather patterns; domestic production levels; volume of imports; energy conservation; domestic and foreign governmental regulation; international politics; policies of OPEC; taxation; tariffs; and the availability and costs of local, intrastate and interstate transportation methods.  The energy sector as a whole may also be impacted by the perception that the performance of energy sector companies is directly linked to commodity prices. High commodity prices may drive further energy conservation efforts, and a slowing economy may adversely impact energy consumption, which may adversely affect the performance of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector. Recent economic and market events have fueled concerns regarding potential liquidations of commodity futures and options positions.

 

 

·

Depletion Risk .  MLPs engaged in the exploration, development, management or production of energy commodities face the risk that commodity reserves are depleted over time, with the potential associated effect of causing the market value of the MLP to decline over time. Such companies seek to increase their reserves through expansion of their current businesses, acquisitions, further development of their existing sources of energy commodities, exploration of new sources of energy commodities or by entering into long-term contracts for additional reserves; however, there are risks associated with each of these potential strategies. If such companies fail to acquire additional reserves in a cost-effective manner and at a rate at least equal to the rate at which their existing reserves decline, their financial performance may suffer. Additionally, failure to replenish reserves could reduce the amount and affect the tax characterization of the distributions paid by such companies.

·

Supply and Demand Risk . MLPs operating in the energy sector could be adversely affected by reductions in the supply of or demand for energy commodities. The volume of production of energy commodities and the volume of energy commodities available for transportation, storage, processing or distribution could be affected by a variety of factors, including depletion of resources; depressed commodity prices; catastrophic events; labor relations; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; equipment malfunctions and maintenance difficulties; import volumes; international politics, policies of OPEC; and increased competition from alternative energy sources. Alternatively, a decline in demand for energy commodities could result from factors such as adverse economic conditions (especially in key energy-consuming countries); increased taxation; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; increased fuel economy; increased energy conservation or use of alternative energy sources; legislation intended to promote the use of alternative energy sources; or increased commodity prices.

·

Weather Risks . Weather conditions and the seasonality of weather patterns play a role in the cash flows of certain MLPs operating in the energy sector.  MLPs in the propane industry; for example, rely on the winter heating season to generate almost all of their cash flow. In an unusually warm winter season, propane MLPs experience decreased demand for their product.  Although most MLPs can reasonably predict seasonal weather demand based on normal weather patterns, extreme weather conditions, such as the hurricanes that severely damaged cities along the U.S. Gulf Coast in recent years, demonstrate that no amount of preparation can protect an MLP from the unpredictability of the weather.  The damage done by extreme weather also may serve to increase insurance premiums for energy assets owned by MLPs, could significantly increase the volatility in the supply of energy-related commodities and could adversely affect such companies’ financial condition and ability to pay distributions to shareholders.

·

Acquisition Risk .  The abilities of MLPs operating in the energy sector to grow and to increase cash distributions to unitholders can be highly dependent on their ability to make acquisitions that result in an increase in cash flows. In the event that MLPs are unable to make such accretive acquisitions because they are unable to identify attractive acquisition candidates and negotiate acceptable purchase contracts, because they are unable to raise financing for such acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, or because they are outbid by competitors, their future growth and ability to raise distributions will be limited. Furthermore, even if MLPs do consummate acquisitions that they believe will be accretive, the acquisitions may instead result in a decrease in cash flow.  Any acquisition involves risks, including, among other things: mistaken assumptions about revenues and costs, including synergies; the assumption of unknown liabilities; limitations on rights to indemnity from the seller; the diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns; unforeseen difficulties operating in new product or geographic areas; and customer or key employee losses at the acquired businesses.

 

 

·

Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates could adversely impact the financial performance and/or the present value of cash flow of MLPs operating in the energy sector by increasing their costs of capital.  This may reduce their ability to execute acquisitions or expansion projects in a cost-effective manner.  MLP valuations are based on numerous factors, including sector and business fundamentals, management expertise, and expectations of future operating results.  However, MLP yields are also susceptible in the short-term to fluctuations in interest rates and the prices of MLP securities may decline when interest rates rise.

·

Catastrophic Event Risk. MLPs operating in the energy sector are subject to many dangers inherent in the production, exploration, management, transportation, processing and distribution of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products and other hydrocarbons.  These dangers include leaks, fires, explosions, damage to facilities and equipment resulting from natural disasters, inadvertent damage to facilities and equipment (such as those suffered by BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in 2010) and terrorist acts. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has issued warnings that energy assets, specifically U.S. pipeline infrastructure, may be targeted in future terrorist attacks. These dangers give rise to risks of substantial losses as a result of loss or destruction of reserves; damage to or destruction of property, facilities and equipment; pollution and environmental damage; and personal injury or loss of life.  Any occurrence of such catastrophic events could bring about a limitation, suspension or discontinuation of the operations of certain assets owned by such MLP. MLPs operating in the energy sector may not be fully insured against all risks inherent in their business operations and, therefore, accidents and catastrophic events could adversely affect such companies’ financial condition and ability to pay distributions to shareholders. We expect that increased governmental regulation to mitigate such catastrophic risk such as the recent oil spills referred to above, could increase insurance premiums and other operating costs for MLPs.

Industry Specific Risks .  MLPs operating in the energy sector are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve.

 

·

Midstream . Midstream MLPs that provide crude oil, refined product and natural gas services are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which may be impacted by a wide range of factors including fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, increasing operating expenses and economic conditions, among others.  Further, MLPs that operate gathering and processing assets are subject to natural declines in the production of the oil and gas fields they serve. In addition, some gathering and processing contracts subject the owner of such assets to direct commodity price risk.

 

·

Exploration and Production . Exploration and production MLPs produce energy resources, including natural gas and crude oil.  Exploration and production MLPs that own oil and gas reserves are particularly vulnerable to declines in the demand for and prices of crude oil and natural gas. Reductions in prices for crude oil and natural gas can cause a given reservoir to become uneconomic for continued production earlier than it would if prices were higher, resulting in the plugging and abandonment of, and cessation of production from, that reservoir. In addition, lower commodity prices not only reduce revenues but also can result in substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data, the accuracy of assumptions regarding future commodity prices and future exploration and development costs and engineering and geological interpretations and judgments. Different reserve engineers may make different estimates of reserve quantities and related revenue based on the same data. Actual oil and gas prices, development expenditures and operating expenses will vary from those assumed in reserve estimates, and these variances may be significant. Any significant variance from the assumptions used could result in the actual quantity of reserves and future net cash flow being materially different from those estimated in reserve reports. In addition, results of drilling, testing and production and changes in prices after the date of reserve estimates may result in downward revisions to such estimates. Substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates could have a material adverse effect on a given exploration and production company’s financial position and results of operations. In addition, due to natural declines in reserves and production, exploration and production companies must economically find or acquire and develop additional reserves in order to maintain and grow their revenues and distributions.  Exploration and production MLPs seek to reduce cash flow volatility associated with commodity prices by executing multi-year hedging strategies that fix the price of gas and oil produced.  There can be no assurance that the hedging strategies currently employed by theses MLPs are currently effective or will remain effective.

 

 

·

Marine Shipping .  Marine shipping MLPs are primarily marine transporters of natural gas, crude oil or refined petroleum products.  Marine shipping companies are exposed to many of the same risks as other energy companies.  In addition, the highly cyclical nature of the marine transportation industry may lead to volatile changes in charter rates and vessel values, which may adversely affect the revenues, profitability and cash flows of such companies. Fluctuations in charter rates result from changes in the supply and demand for vessel capacity and changes in the supply and demand for certain energy commodities.  Changes in demand for transportation of commodities over longer distances and supply of vessels to carry those commodities may materially affect revenues, profitability and cash flows.  The value of marine transportation vessels may fluctuate and could adversely affect the value of shipping company securities in the Fund’s portfolio.  Declining marine transportation values could affect the ability of shipping companies to raise cash by limiting their ability to refinance their vessels, thereby adversely impacting such company’s liquidity.  Shipping company vessels are at risk of damage or loss because of events such as mechanical failure, collision, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, cargo loss and bad weather. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries, including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy, terrorism, labor strikes, boycotts and government requisitioning of vessels.  These sorts of events could interfere with shipping lanes and result in market disruptions and a significant reduction in cash flow for the shipping companies.

 

·

Propane. Propane MLPs are distributors or propane to homeowners for space and water heating.  MLPs with propane assets are subject to earnings variability based upon weather conditions in the markets they serve, fluctuating commodity prices, customer conservation and increased use of alternative fuels, increased governmental or environmental regulation, and accidents or catastrophic events, among others.

 

·

Natural Resource . MLPs with coal, timber, fertilizer and other mineral assets are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve, which will be impacted by a wide range of domestic and foreign factors including fluctuating commodity prices, the level of their customers’ coal stockpiles, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, declines in production, mining accidents or catastrophic events, health claims and economic conditions, among others. In light of increased state and federal regulation, it has been increasingly difficult to obtain and maintain the permits necessary to mine coal. Further, such permits, if obtained, have increasingly contained more stringent, and more difficult and costly to comply with, provisions relating to environmental protection.

 

 

Deferred Tax Risk.   To the extent the Fund accrues a net deferred tax asset, consideration will be given as to whether or not a valuation allowance is required. The need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets will be assessed periodically by the Fund based on the criterion established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes (formerly Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109) (“ASC Topic 740”) that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.  In the assessment for a valuation allowance, consideration will be given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax asset. This assessment will consider, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability (which are highly dependent on future MLP cash distributions), the duration of statutory carryforward periods and the associated risk that operating loss carryforwards may expire unused.  If a valuation allowance is required to reduce the deferred tax asset in the future, it could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations in the period it is recorded.  To the extent the Fund accrues a net deferred tax asset in the future, such deferred tax assets may constitute a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s NAV. Any valuation allowance required against such deferred tax assets or future adjustments to a valuation allowance may reduce the Fund’s deferred tax assets and could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations in the period the valuation allowance is recorded or adjusted.

 

Tracking Error Risk . Imperfect correlation between a Fund’s portfolio of securities and those in its benchmark Index, rounding of prices, changes to the Index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of a Fund’s performance from that of its benchmark Index.  This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or unusual market conditions.  Tracking error also may result because a Fund incurs certain fees and expenses related to creating and maintaining a portfolio of securities, while its benchmark Index does not.  Because each Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, a Fund may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.  In addition, the Fund will be subject to taxation on its taxable income.  The NAV of Fund Shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. The Index, however, is calculated without any deductions for taxes except to the extent of withholding taxes on distributions of foreign securities as addressed in the Index methodology. As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

 

A complete description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) and on the Funds’ website at http://zacksfunds.com .

MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and each of its separate investment portfolios called “Funds.”  The Trust is overseen by a Board of Trustees (the “Board”).  ETC also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate.  For the services it provides to the Funds, each Fund pays ETC a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.70% on the average daily net assets of The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF Fund and 0.75% on the average daily net assets of The Zacks MLP ETF, subject to a $25,000 minimum annual fee for each Fund.  Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Funds except for interest, 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, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

The Adviser, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee it receives.

 

 

ETC has provided investment advisory services to individual and institutional accounts since 2009.  The Adviser is an Oklahoma limited liability company and is located at 2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013.

The basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Advisory Agreement will be available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended November 30, 2012.

Sub-Adviser

The Adviser has retained Index Management Solutions, LLC (“Sub-Adviser”)to serve as sub-adviser to the Funds.  The Sub-Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC and is located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.  The Sub-Adviser manages each Fund’s assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of the Adviser.

The Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and chooses the Fund’s portfolio investments and places orders to buy and sell the Fund’s portfolio investments.  For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Sub-Advisory agreement will be available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended November 30, 2012.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategies and researching and reviewing investment strategies.  A Portfolio Manager’s authority has appropriate limitations for risk management and compliance purposes.  The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds is Denise M. Krisko, CFA.

Ms. Krisko is responsible for the investment decisions for the Funds.  Ms. Krisko became the Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser in 2009 and has over eighteen years of investment experience.  Previously, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management.  She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors since August of 2005.  Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation.  She graduated with a BS from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her MBA from Villanova University.

The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and each Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.”

 

 

Most investors will buy and sell Shares of a Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers.  Shares of each Fund are listed for trading on the secondary market on a national securities exchange (“Listing Exchange”), such as NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”), and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares.  There is no minimum investment.  Although Shares are generally purchased and sold in “round lots” generally made up of at least 50,000 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller “oddlots” at no per-share price differential.

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.

Each Fund trades on NASDAQ under the trading (also known as “ticker”) symbol listed below:

Only authorized participants (“APs”) may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV per Share in Creation Units generally made up of at least of 50,000 Shares.  Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.

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 of each Fund and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.

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

 

 

Share Trading Prices on the Listing Exchange

Trading prices of Shares on the Listing Exchange may differ from a Fund’s daily NAV.  Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.  In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of each Fund, the Listing Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor.  The basket of securities and/or cash required to be deposited by an AP in exchange for a Creation Unit (the “Deposit Securities”) does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio held by a Fund at a particular point in time and the IIV based on that basket may not represent the best possible valuation of the Fund’s portfolio.  Therefore, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of a Fund’s NAV, which is computed only once a day, typically at the end of the business day.  The IIV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in Deposit Securities.  The Funds are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and make no representation or warranty to its accuracy.

Frequent Purchases and Redemption 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 exchange-traded fund 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 impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effective trades.  In addition, the Funds and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of Shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Listing Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the NYSE is open for business (“Business Day.”)  The NAV is calculated by dividing a Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, each 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 such 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 by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).

Fair Value Pricing

The Board 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) when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) when 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, the Adviser or Sub-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.  The Adviser or Sub-Adviser makes fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures.  Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

 

 

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF intends to distribute its net investment income to shareholders quarterly, and will distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, annually.  The Fund is authorized to declare and pay capital gain distributions in Shares of the Fund or in cash.   The Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a regulated investment company and to avoid certain excise taxes.   Distributions made by the Fund 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.

The Zacks MLP ETF will make distributions as dividends at least annually, but is not required to make distributions like The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF is required to make.  The Fund is authorized to declare and pay distributions in Shares of the Fund or in cash.  Distributions made by the Fund 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

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

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when: (i) a Fund makes distributions; (ii) you sell your Shares listed on the Listing Exchange; and (iii) you purchase or redeem Creation Units.

Tax Consideration for The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF

The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually.  The dividends and distributions investors receive may be subject to federal, state, and local taxation, depending on the investor’s tax situation. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary 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 you have owned your Fund shares.  Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year over net short-term capital losses) that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Long-term capital gain rates have been temporarily reduced – in general, to 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets – for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.  For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013, distributions of investment income designated by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” are taxed to individuals at rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Fund level.

 

 

Each sale of Fund shares may be a taxable event.  The gain or loss on the sale of Fund shares generally will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for 12 months or less or long-term capital gain or loss, if you held the shares for longer.

 

Beginning in 2013, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares).

 

If the Fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders.  A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

 

A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares reduces the net asset value of the shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the shareholder. If the net asset value of shares were reduced below the shareholder's cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends or distributions would be a return of investment though taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions.

 

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 taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid for your shares).

 

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, beginning in 2013, a 30% U.S. withholding tax will be imposed on dividends and proceeds of sales paid to foreign shareholders if certain disclosure requirements are not satisfied.

 

The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder owns Fund 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.

 

Tax Considerations for The Zacks MLP ETF

The Fund is taxed as a regular corporation for federal income tax purposes and as such is obligated to pay federal and applicable state and foreign corporate taxes on its taxable income. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes. Under current law, the Fund is not eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments primarily in MLPs invested in energy assets. As a result, the Fund will be obligated to pay federal and state taxes on its taxable income as opposed to most other investment companies which are not so obligated.

 

 

As discussed below, the Fund expects that a portion of the distribution it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax-deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. However, the amount of taxes currently paid by the Fund will vary depending on the amount of income and gains derived from investments and/or sales of MLP interests and such taxes will reduce your return from an investment in the Fund.

The Fund invests its assets primarily in MLPs, which generally are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partner in the MLPs, the Fund must report its allocable share of the MLPs’ taxable income in computing its taxable income, regardless of the extent (if any) to which the MLPs make distributions. Based upon the Adviser’s review of the historic results of the types of MLPs in which the Fund invests, the Adviser expects that the cash flow received by the Fund with respect to its MLP investments will generally exceed the taxable income allocated to the Fund (and this excess generally will not be currently taxable to the Fund but, rather, will result in a reduction of the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in each MLP as described in the following paragraph). This is the result of a variety of factors, including significant noncash deductions, such as accelerated depreciation. There is no assurance that the Adviser’s expectation regarding the tax character of MLP distributions will be realized. If this expectation is not realized, there may be greater tax expense borne by the Fund and less cash available to distribute to you or to pay to expenses.

The Fund will also be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular graduated corporate tax rates on any gain recognized by the applicable Fund on any sale of equity securities of an MLP.  The Fund may recognize gain as a result of the redemption of Creation Units as discussed below.  Cash distributions from an MLP to the Fund that exceed such Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income will reduce the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the equity securities of the MLP. These reductions in such Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP equity securities will  increase the amount of any taxable gain (or decrease the amount of any tax loss) recognized by the Fund on a subsequent sale of the securities.

The Fund will accrue deferred income taxes for any future tax liability associated with (i) that portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital as well as (ii) capital appreciation of its investments. The Fund’s accrued deferred tax liability will be reflected each day in the Fund’s NAV.  Increases in deferred tax liability will decrease NAV.  Conversely, decreases in deferred tax liability will increase NAV.  The Fund generally computes deferred income taxes based on the federal tax rate applicable to corporations, currently 35% and an assumed rate attributable to state taxes.  A change in the federal tax rate applicable to corporations and, consequently, any change in the deferred tax liability of the Fund, may have a significant impact on the NAV of the Fund.  The Fund’s current and deferred tax liability, if any, will depend upon the Fund’s net investment income gains and losses and realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments and therefore may vary greatly from year to year depending on the nature of the Fund’s investments, the performance of these investments and general market conditions.  The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by the MLPs, which is not necessarily timely, to estimate deferred tax liability for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining the NAV. From time to time, the Investment Sub-Adviser will modify the estimates or assumptions regarding the Fund’s deferred tax liability as new information becomes available. The Fund estimates regarding its deferred tax liability are made in good faith; however, the daily estimate of the Fund’s deferred tax liability used to calculate the Fund’s NAV could vary dramatically from the Fund’s actual tax liability.  Actual income taxed, if any, will be incurred over many years depending on if, and when, investment gains and losses are realized, the then current basis of the Fund’s assets and other factors.  Upon the sale of an MLP security, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes.

 

 

Distributions made to you by the Fund (other than distributions in redemption of shares subject to Section 302(b) of the Code) will generally constitute dividends to the extent of your allocable share of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as calculated for federal income tax purposes. Generally, a corporation’s earnings and profits are computed based upon taxable income, with certain specified adjustments. As explained above, based upon the historic performance of the types of MLPs in which the Fund intends to invest, the Adviser anticipates that the distributed cash from the MLPs generally will exceed the Fund’s Share of the MLPs’ taxable income. Consequently, the Adviser anticipates that only a portion of the Fund’s distributions will be treated as dividend income to you. To the extent that distributions to you exceed your allocable share of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, your tax basis in the Fund’s Shares with respect to which the distribution is made will be reduced, which will increase the amount of any taxable gain (or decrease the amount of any tax loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such shares. To the extent you hold such shares as a capital asset and have no further basis in the shares to offset the distribution, you will report the excess as capital gain.

Distributions treated as dividends under the foregoing rules generally will be taxable as ordinary income to you but may be treated as “qualified dividend income.” Under current federal income tax law, qualified dividend income received by individuals and other non corporate shareholders is taxed at long-term capital gain rates, which currently reach a maximum of 15% (scheduled to increase to 20% for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2013). However, the favorable tax treatment applicable to qualified dividends is set to expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012 and, thus, qualifying dividend income will thereafter be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to ordinary income (which rates are scheduled to   increase at that time to a maximum rate of 39.6%), unless further Congressional action is taken. For a dividend to constitute qualified dividend income, the shareholder generally must hold the shares paying the dividend for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date, although a longer period may apply if the shareholder engages in certain risk reduction transactions with respect to the common stock.

Beginning in 2013, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares).

Dividends paid by the Fund are expected to be eligible for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders under Section 243 of the Code. However, corporate shareholders should be aware that certain limitations apply to the availability of the dividends received deduction, including rules which limit the deduction in cases where (i) certain holding period requirements are not met, (ii) the corporate shareholder is obligated (e.g., pursuant to a short sale) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, or (iii) the corporate shareholder’s investment in shares of a particular Fund is financed with indebtedness. Corporate shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of these limitations to their particular situations.

Capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares on the Listing Exchange generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.  The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, dividends paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies.  In addition, beginning in 2013, a 30% U.S. withholding tax will be imposed on dividends and proceeds of sales paid to foreign shareholders if certain disclosure requirements are not satisfied.

 

 

Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units for both The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF and The Zacks MLP ETF

An AP who exchanges equity securities for Creation Units generally recognizes 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 exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, along with any cash paid.  A person who exchanges Creation Units for equity 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 market value of the securities received, along with any cash received.  The Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.  Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in a 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 “Taxes” in the SAI.

Distribution

The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, , a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Distributor distributes Creation Units for each Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares.  The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of a Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by a Fund.  The Distributor’s principal address is 615 East Michigan Street, 4 th Floor, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

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 any Fund, 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 a Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

INDEX PROVIDER DISCLAIMER

ZACKS INVESTMENT RESEARCH, INC. (“ZACKS”) SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS RELATED TO THE FUNDS OR UNDERLYING INDICES.  ZACKS MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE INVESTMENT ADVISER, DISTRIBUTOR OR OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF THE UNDERLYING INDICES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN.  ZACKS MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDS OR TO UNDERLYING INDICES OR TO ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN.  WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ZACKS HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUNDS OR THE UNDERLYING INDICES, EVEN IF ZACKS IS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

 

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

 

Information regarding how often the Shares of each Fund traded on the Listing Exchange at a price above ( i.e., at a premium) or below ( i.e., at a discount) the net asset value of the Fund during the past calendar year can be found at http://zacksfunds.com.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus and therefore do not have financial information.

 

 

 

 

Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C

Edmond, Oklahoma 73013

Sub-Adviser

Index Management Solutions, LLC

One Commerce Square

2005 Market Street, Suite 2020

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Index Provider

Zacks Investment Research, Inc.

111 North Canal Street, Suite 1101

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Distributor

Quasar Distributors, LLC

615 East Michigan Street, 4 th Floor

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Custodian

U.S. Bank National Association

Custody Operations

1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Transfer Agent

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.

800 Westpoint Parkway, Suite 1100

Westlake, Ohio 44145-1524

Legal Counsel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP

1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

THE ZACKS SUSTAINABLE DIVIDEND ETF AND THE ZACKS MLP ETF

 

Investors may find more information about the Funds in the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The Funds’ SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of each Fund and certain other additional information.  A current SAI 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: The Funds’ reports, when available, will provide additional information on each Fund’s investment holdings, performance data and a letter discussing the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during that period.

 

You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Funds by contacting each Fund at:

The Zacks ETFs

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

1-800-617-0004

 

You may review and copy information, including the Funds’ reports and SAI, at the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, NE Washington, DC 20549-1520. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling (202) 551-8090.  Shareholder reports and other information about the Funds are also available:

 

 

 

 

(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-22668)

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST	1
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION	1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS	3
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS	3
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS	13
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS	14
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING	16
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST	17
OWNERSHIP OF SHARES	22
CODES OF ETHICS	23
PROXY VOTING POLICIES	23
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER	24
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER	26
THE DISTRIBUTOR	27
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT	27
LEGAL COUNSEL	28
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM	28
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES	28
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES	28
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY	29
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS	29
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE	31
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM	31
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES	32
PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS	32
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE	40
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS	41
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES	42
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	52
APPENDIX A	A-1

Name, Address, and Age	Position(s) 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 Five Years
Interested Trustee
J. Garrett Stevens 2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C Edmond, OK 73013 Born: 1979	Trustee	Indefinite Term; s ince 2012	T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 to 2011 -Investment Advisor; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 to 2011 – Chief  Executive Officer and Secretary; Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2009 to Present – Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager	4	Interested Trustee, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (7 portfolios)
Independent Trustees
Ronald T. Beckman 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1947	Trustee	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Retired; formerly Audit Partner specializing in investment management, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ( 1972 to 2004)	2	None
David A. Massart 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1967	Trustee	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Co-Founder and Chief Investment Strategist, Next Generation Wealth Management, Inc. (2005-present).	2	Independent Trustee, Managed Portfolio Solutions (4 portfolios).
Leonard M. Rush, CPA 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1946	Trustee	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Chief Financial Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, (2000-2011).	2	Independent Trustee, Managed Portfolio Solutions (4 portfolios).

  Principal Officers of the Trust

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business.  As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their dates of birth, their business address and their principal occupations during the past five years are as follows:

 

Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Eric W. Falkeis (1) 615 E. Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1973	Chairman and President	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (and other positions), U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC since 1997.
Patrick J. Rudnick 615 E. Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1973	Treasurer	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, since 2006; formerly, Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (1999-2006).
Christopher H. Lewis 150 Broadway, Suite 302 New York, NY 10038 Born:  1970	Chief Compliance Officer	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Director, Alaric Compliance Services, LLC, 2009 – present; Partner, Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP, 2004-2008.

 

 

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Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Jeanine M. Bajczyk, Esq. 615 E. Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 Born: 1965	Secretary	Indefinite Term; since 2012	Senior Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (May 2006 to present); Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (May 2005 to May 2006); Senior Counsel, Strong Financial Corporation (January 2002 to April 2005).

 

(1)    Though Mr. Falkeis is the Chairman of the Trust, he is not a Trustee and has no voting authority.

 

OWNERSHIP OF SHARES

 

 

The Funds are required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of the Funds and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completely 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 1934 Act.

As of the date of this SAI, no Trustee owns shares of any Funds.

Board Compensation.   No officer, director or employee of the Adviser receives any compensation from the Funds for acting as a Trustee or officer of the Trust.  The following table shows the estimated compensation to be earned by each Trustee for the Funds’ fiscal year ending November 30, 2012:

 

Name	Estimated Aggregate Compensation From Each Fund	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of the Fund’s Expenses	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement	Estimated Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees (1)
Interested Trustees
J. Garrett Stevens	$0	n/a	n/a	$0
Independent Trustees
Ronald T. Beckman	$4,000	n/a	n/a	$8,000
David A. Massart	$4,000	n/a	n/a	$8,000
Leonard M. Rush, CPA	$4,000	n/a	n/a	$8,000

(1)    There are currently three portfolios comprising the Trust.  For the Funds’ fiscal year ended November 20, 2012, Trustees’ fees are estimated in the amount of $36,000.

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.  Because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, the Funds did not have control persons or principal shareholders and the Trustees and officers did not own shares of the Funds.

 

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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 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 Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, 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 Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board of Trustees’ oversight, who has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Sub-Adviser.  In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Funds’ and their shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The  Sub-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, while the CCO is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies.  The Proxy Voting Policies have been adopted by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Sub-Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Funds.

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 Sub-Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Sub-Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.

 

In voting to elect board nominees for uncontested seats, the following factors will be taken into account: (i) whether majority of the company’s directors are independent; (ii) whether key board committees are entirely composed of independent directors; (iii) excessive board memberships and professional time commitments to effectively serve the company’s board; and (iv) the attendance record of incumbent directors at board and committee meetings.

 Equity compensation plans will also be reviewed on a case-by-case basis based upon their specific features. For example, stock option plans will be evaluated using criteria such as: (i) whether the plan is performance-based; (ii) dilution to existing shareholders; (iii) the cost of the plan; (iv) whether discounted options are allowed under the plan; (v) whether the plan authorizes the repricing of options or reload options without shareholder approval; and (vi) the equity overhang of all plans.  Similarly, employee stock purchase plans generally will be supported under the guidelines upon consideration of factors such as (i) whether the plan sets forth adequate limits on share issuance; (ii) whether participation limits are defined; and (iii) whether discounts to employees exceed a threshold amount.

 

 

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The Proxy Voting Policies provide for review and vote on shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. In accordance with this approach, these guidelines support a shareholder proposal upon the compelling showing that it has a substantial economic impact on shareholder value. As such, proposals that request that the company report on environmental, labor or human rights issues are only supported when such concerns pose a substantial risk to shareholder value.

With regard to voting proxies of foreign companies, the Sub-Adviser may weigh the cost of voting, and potential inability to sell the securities (which may occur during the voting process), against the benefit of voting the proxies to determine whether or not to vote.

 

When available, information on how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12 month period will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-617-0004 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC” or the “Adviser”), an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and ETC (the “Advisory Agreement”) dated May 23, 2012.  The Adviser is majority owned by Yorkville ETF Holdings LLC.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust.  ETC provides an investment program for the Funds. The Adviser also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration and all other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate.  The Funds pay ETC a unified management fee based on a percentage of each Fund’s net assets as shown below, subject to a $25,000 minimum annual fee:

 

Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF	0.70%
Zacks MLP ETF	0.75%

ETC has agreed to pay all expenses of the Fund, except for: (i) brokerage expenses, security movement charges, and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions; (ii) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith; (iii) extraordinary expenses; (iv) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; and (viii) the advisory fee payable to ETC.

 

The Adviser, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Fund, provided such fees are legitimate and not excessive, may make payments to broker-dealers and other financial institutions for their expenses in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, and otherwise currently pay all distribution costs for Fund shares.

 

The Advisory Agreement was initially approved by the Trustees (including all non-interested Trustees) and the Adviser, as sole shareholder of each Fund in compliance with the 1940 Act.  The Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years after the date of its approval.  Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to each Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Advisory Agreement, ETC may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

 

 

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The Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of each Fund, or by ETC, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for a Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange.  The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

No advisory fees are provided for the Funds because they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that 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, 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 Funds, and the Adviser have retained Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser) serves as sub-adviser to the Funds pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement with the Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) dated May 23, 2012.  The Sub-Adviser, with offices at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, was established in 2009 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC.

The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of each 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 a Fund’s index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.  For the services it provides to the Funds, the Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Funds to the Adviser.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement was initially approved by the Trustees (including all non-interested Trustees) and the Adviser, as sole shareholder of each Fund in compliance with the 1940 Act.  The Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years after the date of its approval.  Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to each Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.  If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Advisory Agreement, ETC may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

 

 

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The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Advisor 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.

No sub-advisory fees are provided for the Funds because they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

This section includes information about the Funds’ portfolio manager, including information about other accounts she manages, the dollar range of shares she owns and how she is compensated.

 

COMPENSATION

 

Denise M. Krisko, CFA is the portfolio manager of the Funds.  Ms. Krisko receives a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on profitability, growth in assets, and long-term investment performance.  Key staff members of the Sub-Adviser are eligible to participate in a deferred compensation plan due to their high level of accountability and upon demonstrating a successful long-term performance track record.  The value of the award increases during a vesting period based upon the profitability of the firm.  Voluntary contributions may be made to a defined contribution plan.

 

SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

The Funds are required to show the dollar range of the portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of each Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.  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.  Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own Shares of the Funds.

 

OTHER ACCOUNTS

 

In addition to the Funds, the portfolio manager manages the following other accounts as of April 30, 2012:

Portfolio Manager	Accounts	Total Number of Accounts	Total Assets	Total Number of Accounts with Performance Based Fees	Total Assets of Accounts with Performance Based Fees
Denise M. Krisko, CFA	Registered Investment Companies	7	$520 million	N/A	$0
	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	$0	N/A	$0
	Other Accounts	2	$359 million	N/A	$0

 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

The portfolio managers’ management of “other accounts” is not expected to give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Funds’ investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other.  The Sub-Adviser does not expect there to be any conflicts arising from the management of other accounts.  No account has a performance based fee.

 

 

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THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

The Trust and   Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated May 16, 2012 (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust’s shares and distributes the shares of each Fund.  Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. Each Creation Unit is generally comprised of 50,000] shares, though this may change from time to time.  Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 shares. The Distributor will not distribute shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit.  The principal business address of the Distributor is 615 East Michigan Street, 4 th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of the shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of 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 Creation 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 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 Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and 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.

THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“USBFS”), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Funds’ transfer agent, administrator and index receipt agent.

 

Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement  and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and USBFS dated May 16, 2012, USBFS 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, USBFS 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 Fund shares.  As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays USBFS a fee based on the first $75 million of a Fund’s total average daily net assets of 0.10% on net assets, on the next $250 million of a Fund’s total average daily net assets a fee of 0.08% on net assets, and on the balance of a Fund’s total average daily net assets a fee of 0.05% on net assets, with a minimum annual fee of approximately $64,000.   USBFS also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.

 

 

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Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank N.A. serves as the custodian of a Fund’s assets.  The custodian holds and administers the assets in a Fund’s portfolios.  Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on a Fund’s total average daily net assets of 1.00% and certain settlement charges.  The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

No administrative and management services fees or custodian fees are shown for the Funds because they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20004, serves as legal counsel for the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd., 800 Westpoint Pkwy., Ste. 1100, Westlake, OH 44145-1524 , serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The Trust's Board of Trustees 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 the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the In-Kind Redemption Basket, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the NASDAQ via the NSCC.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund.  Each share of a fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that 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 of the Trust 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.  The Funds’ 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 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.

 

 

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Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate each Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if any 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 TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

 

The 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, investment 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 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 each 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 a 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 a Fund’s 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.

 

 

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The Sub-Adviser does not currently use the Funds’ assets for, or participate in, any third party soft dollar arrangements, although it may receive 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.

 

The Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Funds for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Funds.  The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

 

The Funds may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

 

The Funds had not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI and therefore did not pay brokerage commissions during the past fiscal year.

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates.  The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 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 Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

 

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealer.”  Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year.  “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio  transactions;  (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares.  Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the Funds do not hold any securities of “regular broker dealers” to report.

 

 

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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

 

DTC acts as securities depositary for the shares. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for shares.

 

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the "DTC's Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

 

Beneficial ownership of shares 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 herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares.  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.

 

 

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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 a Fund's shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to a 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 NASDAQ.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

The Funds had not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI and therefore no person owned of record beneficially 5% or more of any shares of the Fund.

 

PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

 

The Trust issues and sells shares of each Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of each Fund's shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NASDAQ, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the NASDAQ is open for business.

 

FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a 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 relevant Fund’s benchmark 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, a 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 any Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable.  If the Cash Component is a positive number ( i.e. , the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number ( i.e. , the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable.  Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 

 

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Each Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the NASDAQ (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 a Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a 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 a Fund Deposit for each Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Investment 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 a Fund’s Index.

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash ( i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and 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 relevant 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 a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e. , a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.  Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes.  The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

 

 

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All orders to purchase shares directly from a 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 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 a 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 NASDAQ closes earlier than normal, a 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 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. With respect to a 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 subcustody agent for (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 subcustodian of such 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 subcustodian.  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 a 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 a Fund is generally the third 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 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 a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

 

 

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The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form) 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 herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed.  When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, 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 third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, as discussed in Appendix A, the Funds reserve the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.  The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

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 net asset value of the 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 market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account.  The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 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 marked to 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 market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the 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 set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

 

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ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a 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 the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) 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 purchase ( i.e. , creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a creation transaction fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction.  The Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience.  The standard fixed creation transaction fee for The Zacks Sustainable Dividend Fund will be $250 and for The Zacks MLP Fund will be $125.  In addition, a variable fee will be charged on all cash transactions or substitutes for Creation Units of up to a maximum of 2% as a percentage of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction. The variable charge may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases incurred by the Fund, primarily designed to cover expenses related to broker commissions.  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 securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust.

 

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS.  There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because each Fund's shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution" of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, s 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.

 

 

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Dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with a Fund's shares as part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.

REDEMPTION. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A 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 in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to each Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the NASDAQ (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of each 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 a 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 net asset value of the 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 set forth below.  In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the 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 redemption transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a fixed redemption transaction fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus, as may be revised from time to time.  The redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request.  The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for The Zacks Sustainable Dividend Fund will be $250 and for The Zacks MLP Fund will be $125.  In addition, a variable fee will be charged on all cash transactions or substitutes for Creation Units of up to a maximum of 2% as a percentage of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction.  The variable charge may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) incurred by the Fund, primarily designed to cover expenses related to broker commissions.  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.

 

 

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PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 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.

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 three business days of the trade date.

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES.  In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant 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 three 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 three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. Appendix A identifies the instances where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, in respect of the Fund, the Trust will make delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in Appendix A to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds. 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.

 

 

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If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities).  A 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 net asset value. A 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 net asset value.

 

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and each 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 in order to receive Fund Securities.

 

Because the portfolio securities of a Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the NASDAQ is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of such Fund, or to purchase or sell shares of such Fund on the NASDAQ, on days when the NAV of such 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 a Fund (1) for any period during which the NASDAQ is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the NASDAQ 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.

REQUIRED EARLY ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form, the Funds may require orders to be placed up to one or more business days prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, in order to receive the trade date’s net asset value.  Orders to purchase shares of a Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed will not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular business day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the order form.

 

 

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Net asset value per Share for the Funds is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a 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 net asset value. The net asset value of each Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that such exchange 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 a Fund’s net asset value per Share, a 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 net asset value per share.  The Sub-Adviser 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. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

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.  The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF intends to distribute its net investment income to shareholders quarterly, and will distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, annually.  The Fund is authorized to declare and pay capital gain distributions in Shares of the Fund or in cash.  The Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), to avoid the imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code or to improve index tracking.  As discussed below, distributions made by the Fund 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.

 

The Zacks MLP ETF will make distributions as dividends at least annually, but, in contrast to The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF, is not required to make distributions to maintain its status as a Subchapter C corporation.  The Fund is authorized to declare and pay distributions in Shares of the Fund or in cash. As discussed below, distributions made by the Fund 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.

 

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 a 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 in order 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 same Fund at NAV per share.  Distributions reinvested in additional shares of a Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

 

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FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

 

The following is only a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus.  No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or their 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 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, or local taxes.

 

Congress passed the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act on December 22, 2010 (the “RIC Mod Act”) which makes certain beneficial changes for RICs and their shareholders, some of which are referenced below.  In general, the RIC Mod Act contains simplification provisions effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, which are aimed at preventing disqualification of a RIC for “inadvertent” failures of the asset diversification and/or qualifying income tests. Additionally, the RIC Mod Act allows capital losses to be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss, exempts certain RICs from the preferential dividend rule, and repealed the 60-day designation requirement for certain types of income and gains.

 

The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF

 

Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Status .  The Zacks Sustainable Dividend ETF will seek to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code.  Provided that for each tax year the Fund: (i) meets the requirements to be treated as a RIC (as discussed below); and (ii) distributes at least 90% of the Fund’s net investment income for such year (including, for this purpose, the excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses), the Fund itself will not be subject to federal income taxes to the extent the Fund’s net investment income and the Fund’s net realized capital gains, if any, are distributed to the Fund’s shareholders. One of several requirements for RIC qualification is that the Fund must receive at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s investments in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market 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 these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets are invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or 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 partnership (the “Asset Test”).

 

 

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If the Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income or diversification requirements 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 requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time.  In the event of a failure by the Fund to qualify as a RIC, and the relief provisions are not available, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent such distributions are derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute dividends that would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income and would be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and as qualified dividend income for individual shareholders, subject to certain limitations.  This treatment would also apply to any portion of the distributions that might have been treated in the shareholder’s hands as long-term capital gains, as discussed below, had the Fund qualified as a RIC.  In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.  The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund 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 RIC Mod Act provides that for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, 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. 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.

 

The RIC Mod Act also changed the treatment of capital loss carryovers for RICs. The new rules are similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals are made applicable to RICs and provide that such losses are carried over by the Fund indefinitely. Thus, if the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Certain transition rules require post-enactment capital losses (i.e., capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010) to be utilized first, which, depending on the circumstances for the Fund, may result in the expiration of unused pre-enactment losses.  In addition, 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.

 

The Fund will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year 98% of its ordinary income for the year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts.  The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions, or deemed distributions, to avoid imposition of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated.

 

 

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The Fund intends to distribute substantially all its net investment income quarterly and net realized capital gains to shareholders annually. The distribution of net investment income and net realized capital gains will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder elects to receive these distributions in cash or in additional Shares. All or a portion of the net investment income distributions may be treated as qualified dividend income (which is currently eligible for a reduced maximum rate to individuals of 15% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets)) to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income.  Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations ( i.e. , foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States).  Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT or an ETF taxed as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC.  It is expected that dividends received from investments in REIT will be generally taxable as ordinary income.

 

In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s Shares.  Distributions reported to Fund shareholders as long-term capital gains shall be taxable as such (which is currently taxable to individuals at a maximum rate of 15%), regardless of how long the shareholder has owned the Shares.  The Fund’s shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund.  Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

 

Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% tax rate (as well as the lower tax rates applicable to individuals in lower tax brackets) on qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.

 

Recent legislation effective beginning in 2013 provides that U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a new 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Shares of the Fund).

 

Shareholders who have not held Fund Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may designate and distribute, as ordinary income or capital gain, a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income earned during the period of investment in the Fund.

 

If a Fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same 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 reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

 

Distributions declared in December but paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December. Following year-end, a portion of the dividends paid by REITs may be re-characterized for tax purposes as capital gains and/or return of capital. To the extent this occurs, distributions paid by the Fund during the year also will be reclassified to reflect these REIT re-characterizations. In order to appropriately re-characterize the distributions paid by REITs and report accurate tax information to you, the Fund must gather year-end tax information issued by each REIT owned by the Fund during the calendar year. Therefore, the Fund will file a 30 day extension with the Internal Revenue Service that extends the deadline for the Fund to issue Form 1099-DIV to shareholders.

 

 

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A sale or exchange of Shares of the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss.  In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than 12 months.  Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will 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, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares.  All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical Shares of the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

Foreign Investments . Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year more than 50% of the Fund’s assets consist of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code.  In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes.  A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions . Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time the Fund accrues income or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on the disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on the disposition of certain other instruments, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. The gains and losses may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund’s investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income.

 

Options, Swaps and Other Complex Securities .  The Fund may invest in complex securities such as equity options, index options, repurchase agreements, foreign currency contracts, hedges and swaps, and futures contracts.  These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules.  These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses.  In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed by the Fund.  The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income it may earn from investing in foreign securities, which may reduce the return on such investments.

 

With respect to investments in zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the Fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period.  Because the Fund distributes all of its net investment income to its shareholders, the Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Advisor would not have chosen to sell such securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.

 

 

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Foreign Shareholders .  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 net investment income and short-term capital gains.  Gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Code’s definition of “resident alien” or (2) is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. For taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2012, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest related dividend” or “short-term capital gain dividend” which if received by a nonresident alien individual or foreign entity generally would be exempt from the 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are satisfied.  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.

 

The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as “FIRPTA gain”. The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of “FIRPTA gain” by a RIC if all of the following requirements are met: (i) the RIC is classified as a “qualified investment entity” (a “qualified investment entity” includes a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RIC's assets consists of interests in REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations); and (ii) you are a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of a class of Fund Shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution. If these conditions are met, Fund distributions to you are treated as gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”), causing the distribution to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35%, and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. Also, such gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. Even if a non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a class of the Fund’s shares, Fund distributions to you that are attributable to gain from the sale or disposition of a USRPI will be taxable as ordinary dividends subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty rate.  For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends and proceeds from the sale of Fund shares received by Fund shareholders who own their shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied.

 

In order for a foreign investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

 

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Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in real REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) or (ii) Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors.

 

The Zacks MLP ETF

 

The Fund is taxed as a regular corporation under Subchapter C of the Code for federal income tax purposes and as such is obligated to pay federal and applicable state and foreign corporate taxes on its taxable income. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes. Under current law, the Fund is not eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments primarily in MLPs invested in energy assets. As a result, the Fund will be obligated to pay federal and state taxes on its taxable income as opposed to most other investment companies which are not so obligated.

 

As discussed below, the Fund expects that a portion of the distribution it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax-deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. However, the amount of taxes currently paid by the Fund will vary depending on the amount of income and gains derived from investments and/or sales of MLP interests and such taxes will reduce your return from an investment in the Fund.

 

The Fund invests its assets primarily in MLPs, which generally are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partner in the MLPs, the fund must report its allocable share of the MLPs’ taxable income in computing its taxable income, regardless of the extent (if any) to which the MLPs make distributions. Based upon the Adviser’s review of the historic results of the types of MLPs in which the Fund invests, the Adviser expects that the cash flow received by the fund with respect to its MLP investments will generally exceed the taxable income allocated to the Fund (and this excess generally will not be currently taxable to the Fund but, rather, will result in a reduction of the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in each MLP as described in the following paragraph). This is the result of a variety of factors, including significant non-cash deductions, such as accelerated depreciation. There is no assurance that the Adviser’s expectation regarding the tax character of MLP distributions will be realized. If this expectation is not realized, there may be greater tax expense borne by the Fund and less cash available to distribute to you or to pay to expenses.

 

The Fund will also be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular graduated corporate tax rates on any gain recognized by the applicable Fund on any sale of equity securities of an MLP. Cash distributions from an MLP to the Fund that exceed such Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income will reduce the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the equity securities of the MLP. These reductions in such Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP equity securities will increase the amount of any taxable gain (or decrease the amount of any tax loss) recognized by the Fund on a subsequent sale of the securities.

 

The Fund will accrue deferred income taxes for any future tax liability associated with (i) that portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital and (ii) capital appreciation of its investments. Upon the sale of MLP security, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes, and an adjustment to the deferred income tax liability will be made at such time to reflect the actual taxes paid. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by the MLPs which is not necessarily timely, to estimate deferred tax liability for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining the NAV.  From time to time, the Adviser will modify the estimates or assumptions regarding the Fund’s deferred tax liability as new information becomes available. The Fund will generally compute deferred income taxes based on the federal income tax rate applicable to corporations currently 35% and an assumed rate attributable to state taxes.

 

 

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Distributions made to you by the Fund (other than distributions in redemption of shares subject to Section 302(b) of the Code) will generally constitute dividends to the extent of your allocable share of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as calculated for federal income tax purposes. Generally, a corporation’s earnings and profits are computed based upon taxable income, with certain specified adjustments.  Based upon the historic performance of the types of MLPs in which the Fund intend to invest, the Adviser anticipates that the distributed cash from the MLPs generally will exceed the Fund’s Share of the MLPs’ taxable income. Consequently, the Adviser anticipates that only a portion of the Fund’s distributions will be treated as dividend income to you. To the extent that distributions to you exceed your allocable share of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, your tax basis in the Fund’s Shares with respect to which the distribution is made will be reduced, which will increase the amount of any taxable gain (or decrease the amount of any tax loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such shares. To the extent you hold such shares as a capital asset and have no further basis in the shares to offset the distribution, you will report the excess as capital gain.

 

Distributions treated as dividends under the foregoing rules generally will be taxable as ordinary income to you but may be treated as “qualified dividend income.” Under current federal income tax law, qualified dividend income received by individuals and other non corporate shareholders is taxed at long-term capital gain rates, which currently reach a maximum of 15% (scheduled to increase to 20% for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2013). However, the favorable tax treatment applicable to qualified dividends is set to expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012 and, thus, qualifying dividend income will thereafter be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to ordinary income (which rates are scheduled to   increase at that time to a maximum rate of 39.6%), unless further Congressional action is taken. For a dividend to constitute qualified dividend income, the shareholder generally must hold the shares paying the dividend for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date, although a longer period may apply if the shareholder engages in certain risk reduction transactions with respect to the common stock.

 

Deferred income taxes reflect (1) taxes on unrealized gains/(losses) which are attributable to the difference between the fair market value and tax basis of the Fund’s investments and (2) the tax benefit of accumulated capital or net operating losses. The Fund will accrue a net deferred tax liability if its future tax liability on its unrealized gains exceeds the tax benefit of its accumulated capital or net operating losses, if any.  The Fund does not currently intend to accrue a net deferred tax asset.  However, the Fund may in the future determine to accrue a net deferred tax asset if the Fund’s future tax liability on unrealized gains is less than the tax benefit of the Fund’s accumulated capital or net operating losses or if the Fund has net unrealized losses on its investments.

 

To the extent we have a net deferred tax asset, consideration is given as to whether or not a valuation allowance is required. The need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is assessed periodically based on the criteria established by the Statement of Financial Standards, Accounting for Income Taxes (ASC 740) that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In our assessment for a valuation allowance, consideration is given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax asset. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability (which are highly dependent on future MLP cash distributions), the duration of statutory carryforward periods and the associated risk that capital or net operating loss carryforwards may expire unused.  If a valuation allowance is required to reduce the deferred tax asset in the future, it could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations in the period it is recorded.

 

 

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A sale or exchange of shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

Foreign Investments .  Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. Foreign taxes paid by the Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt Shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt Shareholders, provided the tax-exempt Shareholders does not incur liability to purchase the Shares of the Fund.

 

Foreign Shareholders. Foreign Shareholders, including Shareholders who are nonresident alien individuals, may be subject to U.S. withholding tax on certain distributions at a rate of 30% or such lower rates as may be prescribed by any applicable treaty.  For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends and proceeds from the sale of Fund Shares received by Fund shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied.

 

A beneficial holder of Shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

Tax Considerations Applicable to Both Funds

 

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 Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

 

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Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

 

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

 

Back-Up Withholding .  The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends paid to certain shareholders who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the Internal Revenue Service 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). Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.

 

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends and proceeds from the sale of Fund Shares received by Fund shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied.

 

A beneficial holder of Shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations . Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement. 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 advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Other Issues .  The Fund may be subject to tax or taxes in certain states where MLPs do business.  Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

 

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, no financial statements are available for the Funds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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APPENDIX A

 

Each Fund generally intends to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis of “T” plus three business days.  Each Fund may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than T plus three in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates, or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within three business days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement period.

 

 The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days in certain circumstances.

 

 The holidays applicable to the Funds during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Funds. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” ( e.g. , days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

 

The dates of the Regular Holidays in calendar year 2012 are:

 

New Year’s Day	January 2, 2012 (observed)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day	January 16, 2012
Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day)	February 20, 2012
Good Friday	April 6, 2012
Memorial Day	May 28, 2012
Independence Day *	July 4, 2012 *
Labor Day	September 3, 2012
Columbus Day	October 8, 2012
Veterans Day	November 12, 2012
Thanksgiving Day *	November 22, 2012 *
Christmas Day *	December 25, 2012 *

* The NYSE, NYSE AMEX and NASDAQ will close trading early (at 1:00 PM ET) on Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Friday, November 23, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving) and Monday, December 24, 2012.

 

 

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