Filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019
1933 Act Registration File No. 333-201530
1940 Act File No. 811-23024

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549
 
FORM N-1A
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
 
 
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
   
 
 
Post-Effective Amendment No.
43
 
 
 
 
and/or
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
 
 
Amendment No.
45
 
 
 
 
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

PACER FUNDS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
500 Chesterfield Parkway
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
 (Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
 
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code:  (610) 644-8100
 
Joe M. Thomson, Chairman and President
Pacer Funds Trust
500 Chesterfield Parkway
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

With Copies to:

John Grady
DLA Piper LLP
One Liberty Place
1650 Market Street, Suite 4900
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

As soon as practical after the effective date of this Registration Statement
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

 
 
immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
 
 
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
 
 
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
 
 
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
 
 
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
 
 
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
 

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

April 30, 2019

 

PTIN Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
TRND Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
BUL Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
  each listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc.
 
HERD Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
ECOW Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF
  each listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The Funds offered through this Prospectus are not money market funds and do not seek to maintain a fixed or stable NAV of $1.00 per share.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of the Funds’ shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the Funds’ reports from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. Please contact your financial intermediary to elect to receive shareholder reports and other Fund communications electronically.

 

You may elect to receive all future Fund reports in paper free of charge. Please contact your financial intermediary to inform them that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of Fund shareholder reports and for details about whether your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with your financial intermediary.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: ARE NOT FDIC INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED


Table of Con tents

 

Pacer Trendpilot® International ETF 3
   
Pacer Trendpilot® Fund of Funds ETF 9
   
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF 15
   
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF 19
   
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF 24
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS 30
   
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY INFORMATION 39
   
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL RISK INFORMATION 40
   
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION 40
   
MANAGEMENT 40
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES 41
   
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION 43
   
DISTRIBUTION 45
   
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION 45
   
ADDITIONAL NOTICES 45
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 47

Pa cer Trendpilot ® International ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer Trendpilot International Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

 

  Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.65%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses* 0.00 %
 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

* Estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$66 $208

 

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 of the Fund

The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed and maintained by Index Design Group, an affiliate of Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).

 

The Index

The Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to implement a systematic trend-following strategy that directs exposure (i) 100% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index, (ii) 50% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, or (iii) 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, depending on the relative performance of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index and its 200-business day historical simple moving average (the “200-day moving average”). The calculation of the 200-day moving average for the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is based on the total return version of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Local Currency Index and reflects the reinvestment of dividends paid by the securities in the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index. The Index is expected to be predominantly invested in the components of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index over most short- and long-term periods and is only expected to invest in 3-Month US Treasury bills from time to time in response to adverse market conditions as defined by the “50/50 Indicator” and “T-Bill Indicator” below.

 

The S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is a rules-based, float-adjusted, market capitalization-weighted index comprised of large-capitalization stocks providing coverage of the developed markets excluding the United States. The S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is a subset of the S&P Global BMI, a comprehensive, rules-based index measuring global stock market performance.

 

The Index, and consequently the Fund, may stay in any of its three possible positions for an extended period of time. As described below, the Index will change its position based on the following indicators, and each change will become effective on the second business day after the indicator for the change is triggered.

 

As of April 23, 2019, the Index had 650 constituents and had significant exposure to companies in Japan and Western Europe.

 

Equity Indicator . When the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index closes above its 200-day moving average for five consecutive business days (the “Equity Indicator”), the exposure of the Index will be 100% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index, effective on the second business day following the date of the Equity Indicator.

 

Once the Equity Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Index will next change to either be 50% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if the 50/50 Indicator (described below) is triggered or 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if both the 50/50 Indicator and the T-Bill Indicator (described below) are triggered simultaneously, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator(s).

 

50/50 Indicator. When the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index closes below its 200-day moving average for five consecutive business days (the “50/50 Indicator”), the exposure of the Index will be 50% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, effective on the second business day following the date of the 50/50 Indicator. Following the effectiveness of the 50/50 Indicator, the exposure of the Index may be greater than or less than 50% with respect to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index and 3-Month US Treasury bills depending on their respective performance until either the Equity Indicator or T-Bill Indicator (described below) is triggered.

 

Once the 50/50 Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Index will next change to either be 100% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index if the Equity Indicator is triggered or 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if the T-Bill Indicator (described below) is triggered, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator.

 

T-Bill Indicator. When the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index ’s 200-day moving average closes lower than its value from five business days earlier (the “T-Bill Indicator”), the exposure of the Index will be 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, effective on the second business day following the date of the T-Bill Indicator.

 

For example, if today is Wednesday and the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index ’s 200-day moving average closes lower than it did on the fifth preceding business day (Wednesday of the preceding week), the T-Bill Indicator is triggered. Unlike the operation of the Equity Indicator and 50/50 Indicator, the closing values on the days in between today and the fifth preceding business day do not affect whether the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered; rather, the T-Bill Indicator simply compares today’s closing value to the closing value five business days earlier. However, the Index will not move directly from 100% exposure to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index to 100% exposure to 3-Month US Treasury bills unless the 50/50 Indicator was simultaneously triggered following the most recent triggering of the Equity Indicator.

 

Once the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Index will next change to be 100% to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index if the Equity Indicator is triggered, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator. Once the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered, the Index will not return to its 50/50 position unless the Equity Indicator is first triggered, followed by the 50/50 Indicator being triggered.

 

The Index aims to mitigate, to some extent, the volatility of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index by tracking 3-Month US Treasury bills (instead of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index) when the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is in a negative trend.

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index and investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of such component securities ( e.g. , depositary receipts). The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better. The Fund’s assets may include investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in the Index.

 

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.”

 

n Calculation Methodology Risk. The Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, the Index Provider, or the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.

 

n Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund’s assets may include investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies, such as the euro, or in securities or other assets that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

n Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.

 

n Fixed Income Risk. The value of the Fund’s direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. The value of the Fund’s direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities may be affected by the inability of issuers to repay principal and interest or illiquidity in debt securities markets.

 

n Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

n Geographic Concentration Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Japan. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low for an extended period of time and it may remain low in the future. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japanese securities.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Western Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU. Funds that invest in Europe may have significant exposure to the euro and events affecting the euro. Recent market events affecting several of the EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide.

 

Additionally, investments in the UK and other European countries may be significantly impacted by the decision of the UK to leave the EU (known as “Brexit”). Brexit has introduced significant uncertainty and may have a negative impact on the economy and currency of the UK and European countries, including increased market volatility and illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth.

 

n Government Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government. There can be no guarantee that the United States will be able to meet its payment obligations with respect to such securities. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

 

n High Portfolio Turnover Risk . A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

n Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

 

n Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies trade in smaller volumes and are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies.

 

n New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Fund shares.

 

n Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in 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.

 

n Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV . As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, 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, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.

 

n Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, when the Fund uses a representative sampling approach, the Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in the Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets ( i.e. , the value of the Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

 

n Trend Lag Risk. At least six consecutive trading days will elapse after the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index first drops below its historical 200-day simple moving average (or conversely, first moves above such average) before the Index will switch from tracking the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index to 3-Month US Treasury bills (or conversely, from 3-Month US Treasury bills to the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index ). As a result, if the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is in an overall positive trend, the Index and consequently the Fund may be adversely affected by a downward trend and/or volatility in the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index for up to six consecutive trading days (or conversely, if the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is in an overall negative trend, the Index and consequently the Fund may not benefit from an upward trend and/or volatility in the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index for up to six consecutive trading days). Accordingly, the methodology employed by the Index does not eliminate exposure to downward trends and/or volatility in the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index or provide immediate exposure to upward trends and/or volatility in the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index.

 

Fund Performance

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-877-337-0500.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc., and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash that the Fund specifies each day.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

P acer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds Index (the “Index” or the “Fund of Funds Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

 

  Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.15%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses* 0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses* 0.63 %
 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.78%

* Estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$80 $249

 

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 of the Fund

The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed and maintained by Index Design Group, an affiliate of Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).

 

The Index

The Fund of Funds Index uses an objective, rules-based approach to construct a portfolio that, as of each quarterly rebalance, is composed of the ETFs listed in the following table, each advised by the Adviser (collectively, the “Trendpilot ETFs”). Each of the Trendpilot ETFs is an index-based ETF that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the underlying index listed in the following table (collectively, the “Trendpilot Indexes”). Each Trendpilot Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to implement a systematic trend-following strategy that directs exposure (i) 100% to the “Equity Component” specified in the table below, (ii) 50% to the applicable Equity Component and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, or (iii) 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, depending on the relative performance of the Equity Component and its 200-business day historical simple moving average (the “200-day moving average”). The calculation of the 200-day moving average for each Equity Component is based on the total return version of such Equity Component and reflects the reinvestment of dividends paid by the securities in such Equity Component.

 

Weight
Trendpilot ETF
Trendpilot Index
Equity Component
20%
Pacer Trendpilot ® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap Index
S&P 500 ® Index
20%
Pacer Trendpilot ® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap Index
S&P MidCap 400 ® Index
20%
Pacer Trendpilot ® 100 ETF
Pacer NASDAQ-100 Trendpilot Index
NASDAQ-100 ® Index
40%
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot International Index
S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index

 

The Trendpilot Indexes

Each Trendpilot Index uses a systematic trend following strategy that directs the Trendpilot Index’s exposure to either the applicable Equity Component, 50% to the applicable Equity Component and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, or 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills and may stay in any of its three possible positions for an extended period of time. As described below, each Trendpilot Index will change its position based on the following indicators, and each change will become effective on the second business day after the indicator for the change is triggered.

 

Equity Indicator . When the applicable Equity Component closes above its 200-day moving average for five consecutive business days (the “Equity Indicator”), the exposure of the applicable Trendpilot Index will be 100% to the Equity Component, effective on the second business following the date of the Equity Indicator.

 

Once the Equity Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Trendpilot Index will next change to either be 50% to the Equity Component and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if the 50/50 Indicator (described below) is triggered or 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if both the 50/50 Indicator and the T-Bill Indicator (described below) are triggered simultaneously, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator(s).

 

50/50 Indicator. When the applicable Equity Component closes below its 200-day moving average for five consecutive business days (the “50/50 Indicator”), the exposure of the Trendpilot Index will be 50% to the Equity Component and 50% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, effective on the second business day following the date of the 50/50 Indicator. Following the effectiveness of the 50/50 Indicator, the exposure of the Trendpilot Index may be greater than or less than 50% with respect to the Equity Component and 3-Month US Treasury bills depending on their respective performance until either the Equity Indicator or T-Bill Indicator (described below) is triggered.

 

Once the 50/50 Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Trendpilot Index will next change to either be 100% to the Equity Component if the Equity Indicator is triggered or 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills if the T-Bill Indicator (described below) is triggered, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator.

 

T-Bill Indicator. When the applicable Equity Component’s 200-day moving average closes lower than its value from five business days earlier (the “T-Bill Indicator”), the exposure of the Trendpilot Index will be 100% to 3-Month US Treasury bills, effective on the second business day following the date of the T-Bill Indicator.

 

For example, if today is Wednesday and the applicable Equity Component ’s 200-day moving average closes lower than it did on the fifth preceding business day (Wednesday of the preceding week), the T-Bill Indicator is triggered. Unlike the operation of the Equity Indicator and 50/50 Indicator, the closing values on the days in between today and the fifth preceding business day do not affect whether the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered; rather, the T-Bill Indicator simply compares today’s closing value to the closing value five business days earlier. However, the Trendpilot Index will not move directly from 100% exposure to the Equity Component to 100% exposure to 3-Month US Treasury bills unless the 50/50 Indicator was simultaneously triggered following the most recent triggering of the Equity Indicator.

 

Once the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered, the exposure of the Trendpilot Index will next change to be 100% to the Equity Component if the Equity Indicator is triggered, effective on the second business day following the date of the indicator. Once the T-Bill Indicator has been triggered, the Trendpilot Index will not return to its 50/50 position unless the Equity Indicator is first triggered, followed by the 50/50 Indicator being triggered.

 

The Index aims to mitigate, to some extent, the volatility of the Equity Component by tracking 3-Month US Treasury bills (instead of the Equity Component ) when the applicable Equity Component is in a negative trend. Because the Equity Indicator, 50/50 Indicator, and T-Bill Indicator (collectively, the “Exposure Indicators”) for each Trendpilot Index operate independent of the Exposure Indicators for each other Trendpilot Index, the Fund of Funds Index may reflect equity exposure each Trendpilot ETF, for each Trendpilot ETF, or a mix of equity 3-Month US Treasury bill exposures for short or long periods of time. When the 50/50 Indicator or T-Bill Indicator has been triggered for a particular Trendpilot ETF, the Fund of Funds Index will have reduced or no exposure, respectively, to the applicable Trendpilot ETF’s Equity Component.

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Fund of Funds Index ( i.e. , the Trendpilot ETFs). The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Fund of Funds Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in the Index.

 

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.”

 

n Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund’s assets may include exposure to investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities or other assets that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

n Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.

 

n Fixed Income Risk. The value of the Fund’s direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. The value of the Fund’s direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities may be affected by the inability of issuers to repay principal and interest or illiquidity in debt securities markets.

 

n Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

n Government Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government. There can be no guarantee that the United States will be able to meet its payment obligations with respect to such securities. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

 

n High Portfolio Turnover Risk . At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

n Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

 

n Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies trade in smaller volumes and are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies.

 

n New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Fund shares.

 

n Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Other Investment Companies Risk . The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.

 

n Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in 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.

 

n Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV . As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, 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, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.

 

n Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, when the Fund uses a representative sampling approach, the Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in the Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets ( i.e. , the value of the Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

 

n Trend Lag Risk. At least six consecutive trading days will elapse after the applicable Equity Component first drops below its historical 200-day simple moving average (or conversely, first moves above such average) before a Trendpilot Index will switch from tracking the Equity Component to 3-Month US Treasury bills (or conversely, from 3-Month US Treasury bills to the Equity Component). As a result, if the Equity Component is in an overall positive trend, the Trendpilot Index and consequently the Fund of Funds Index and the Fund may be adversely affected by a downward trend and/or volatility in the Equity Component for up to six consecutive trading days (or conversely, if the Equity Component is in an overall negative trend, the Trendpilot Index and consequently the Fund of Funds Index and the Fund may not benefit from an upward trend and/or volatility in the Equity Component for up to six consecutive trading days). Accordingly, the methodology employed by each Trendpilot Index does not eliminate exposure to downward trends and/or volatility in the Equity Component and does not provide immediate exposure to upward trends and/or volatility in the Equity Component.

 

Fund Performance

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-877-337-0500.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc., and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash that the Fund specifies each day.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

Pa cer US Cash Cows Growth ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

 

  Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.60%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses* 0.00 %
 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.60%

* Estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$61 $192

 

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 of the Fund

The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed and maintained by Index Design Group, an affiliate of Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).

 

The Index

The Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to mid- and large-capitalization U.S. companies with high free cash flow yields. Companies with high free cash flow yields are commonly referred to as “cash cows”.

 
The initial Index universe is derived from the component companies of the S&P 900 ® Pure Growth Index. The initial universe of companies is screened based on their average projected free cash flows and earnings (if available) over each of the next two fiscal years. Companies for which information on their projected free cash flows or earnings is not available will remain in the Index universe. Companies with negative average projected free cash flows or earnings are removed from the Index universe. Additionally, financial companies, other than real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), are excluded from the Index universe.
 
Free Cash Flow (FCF): A company’s cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures.

Enterprise Value (EV): A company’s market capitalization plus its debt and minus its cash and cash equivalents.

Free Cash Flow Yield: FCF / EV

The remaining companies are ranked by their free cash flow yield for the trailing twelve month period. The equity securities of the 50 companies with the highest free cash flow yield are included in the Index. As of April 23, 2019, the Index had significant exposure to companies in the information technology, industrials, health care, and energy sectors.

 

At the time of each rebalance of the Index, the companies included in the Index are weighted in proportion to their current market capitalization, and weightings are capped at 5% of the weight of the Index for any individual company. Weight above the 5% limitation is redistributed among the other Index constituents in proportion to their weights. As of April 23, 2019, the Index had a market capitalization range of $1.2 billion to $250.8 billion. The Index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly as of the close of business on the 3 nd Friday of March, June, September, and December based on data as of the 2 nd Friday of the applicable rebalance month.

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index . The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in the Index.

 

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund.”

 

n Concentration Risk. If the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries, the Fund’s investments may be concentrated accordingly. In such event, the value of the Fund’s shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries. In addition, at times, an industry or group of industries in which the Fund is concentrated may be out of favor and underperform other industries or groups of industries.

 

n Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.

 

n High Portfolio Turnover Risk . At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

n Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

 

n Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies trade in smaller volumes and are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies.

 

n New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Fund shares.

 

n Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in 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.

 

n Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

 


o Energy Sector Risk . The Fund may invest in companies in the energy sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The value of securities issued by companies in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, government regulations, energy conservation efforts and potential civil liabilities.

 


o Health Care Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the health care sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Companies in the health care sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services.

 


o Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the industrials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply of and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors.

 


o Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

 

n Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV . As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, 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, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

 

n Style Risk. The Fund’s emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, when the Fund uses a representative sampling approach, the Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in the Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index.

 

Fund Performance

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-877-337-0500.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc., and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash that the Fund specifies each day.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds Index (the “Index” or the “Fund of Funds Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

 

 Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.15%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses* 0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses* 0.59 %
 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.74%

* Estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$66 $208

 

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 of the Fund

The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed and maintained by Index Design Group, an affiliate of Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).

 

The Index

The Fund of Funds Index uses an objective, rules-based approach to construct a portfolio that, as of each quarterly rebalance, is composed of the ETFs listed in the following table, each advised by the Adviser (collectively, the “Cash Cows ETFs”). Each of the Cash Cows ETFs is an index-based ETF that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the applicable underlying index listed in the following table (collectively, the “Cash Cows Indexes”). Each Cash Cows Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to companies with high free cash flow yields (commonly referred to as “cash cows”) selected from the applicable “Equity Universe” as indicated in the following table.

 

Weight
Cash Cows ETF
Cash Cows Index
Equity Universe
20%
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index
Russell 1000 Index
20%
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index
FTSE Developed Large Cap Index
20%
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index
S&P Small Cap 600® Index
20%
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index
S&P 900 ® Pure Growth Index
20%
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 Index
FTSE Developed ex US Index


The Cash Cows Indexes

Each Cash Cows Index is derived from the component companies of the applicable Equity Universe. The companies in the applicable Equity Universe are screened based on their average projected free cash flows and earnings (if available) over each of the next two fiscal years. Companies for which information on their projected free cash flows or earnings is not available remain eligible for inclusion in the applicable Cash Cows Index. Companies with negative average projected free cash flows or earnings are not eligible for inclusion in the applicable Cash Cows Index. Additionally, financial companies, other than real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), are not eligible for inclusion in the applicable Cash Cows Index. For the Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF, companies with a market capitalization of less than $3 billion are also excluded.

 
Free Cash Flow (FCF): A company’s cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures.

Enterprise Value (EV): A company’s market capitalization plus its debt and minus its cash and cash equivalents.

Free Cash Flow Yield: FCF / EV

For each Cash Cows Index, the remaining eligible companies are ranked by their free cash flow yield for the trailing twelve-month period. The equity securities of the 100 applicable companies with the highest free cash flow yield are included in the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index, Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 Index, and Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index. The equity securities of the 50 applicable companies with the highest free cash flow yield are included in the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index. For the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index, the equity securities of the 300 applicable companies with the highest free cash flow yield are selected and then narrowed to the 100 companies with the highest dividend yield.

 

Each of the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index, Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index, and Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly, and each of the Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 Index and Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually.

 

At the time of each rebalance and reconstitution, companies in the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index, Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index, and Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 Index are weighted in proportion to their trailing twelve month free cash flow, companies in the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index are weighted based on the aggregate amount of dividends distributed by each company for the trailing twelve-month period, and companies in the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index are market capitalization weighted. Companies in each Cash Cows Index are limited at the time of each rebalance and reconstitution to a maximum of 2% weight for any individual company (5% with respect to the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index).

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

 

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in (i) the component securities of the Fund of Funds Index ( i.e. , the Cash Cows ETFs) or (ii) the underlying holdings of one or more Cash Cows ETFs in the same approximate weight as such holdings are assigned in the applicable Cash Cows ETF, adjusted to reflect the weight of such Cash Cows ETF in the Fund of Funds Index. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Fund of Funds Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in the Index.

 

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund.”

 

n Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund’s assets may include exposure to investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities or other assets that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

n Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.

 

n Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

n High Portfolio Turnover Risk . At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

n Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

 

n Mid- and Small-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies trade in smaller volumes and are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies.

 

n New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Fund shares.

 

n Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Other Investment Companies Risk . The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.

 

n Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in 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.

 

n Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

 

n Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV . As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, 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, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

 

n Style Risk. The Fund’s emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, when the Fund uses a representative sampling approach, the Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in the Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets ( i.e. , the value of the Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

 

Fund Performance

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-877-337-0500.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash that the Fund specifies each day.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

Pacer Emerg ing Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF

 

Investment Objective

The Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

 

  Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.70%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses* 0.00 %
 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.70%

* Estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$72 $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 of the Fund

The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed by Index Design Group, an affiliate of Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).

 

The Index

The Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to large and mid-capitalization companies in emerging markets with high free cash flow yields. Companies with high free cash flow yields are commonly referred to as “cash cows”.

 
The initial index universe is derived from the component companies of the FTSE Emerging Markets Index. The Fund defines emerging markets countries as those countries included in the FTSE Emerging Markets Index. As of April 23, 2019, the Index had significant exposure to companies in China, Russia, Taiwan, and Brazil. The initial universe of companies is screened based on their average projected free cash flows and earnings (if available) over each of the next two fiscal years. Companies with no forward year estimates available for free cash flows or earnings will remain in the Index universe. Companies with negative average projected free cash flows or earnings are removed from the Index universe. Additionally, financial companies, other than real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion, and companies whose average daily trading value (“ADTV”) for the prior 90 days does not exceed $5 million are excluded from the Index universe.
 
Free Cash Flow (FCF): A company’s cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures.

Enterprise Value (EV): A company’s market capitalization plus its debt and minus its cash and cash equivalents.

Free Cash Flow Yield: FCF / EV

 

The remaining companies are ranked by their free cash flow yield for the trailing twelve-month period. The equity securities of the 100 companies with the highest free cash flow yield (the “Top 100 Companies”) are included in the Index, subject to the exceptions described below.

 

At the time of each rebalance of the Index, the companies included in the Index are weighted in proportion to their trailing twelve-month free cash flow, and weightings are capped at 2% of the weight of the Index for any individual company. Additionally, the Index is limited to a maximum of twenty companies from any individual country and any sector. As of April 23, 2019, the Index had significant exposure to companies in the energy, materials, and information technology sectors. If the Top 100 Companies include more than 20 companies from an individual country or sector (the “Exposure Limit”), the Index will exclude the companies with the lowest free cash flow yield from each country and/or sector needed to meet the Exposure Limit and will include companies outside the Top 100 Companies based on their free cash flow yield until the Index includes 100 companies and satisfies the Exposure Limit. As of March 29, 2019, the companies included in the Index had a market capitalization of $29 million to $261.7 billion. The Index is reconstituted and rebalanced semi-annually as of the close of business on the 3 rd Friday of June and December based on data as of the 1 st Friday of the applicable rebalance month.

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index and investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of such component securities ( e.g. , depositary receipts). The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index, but may, when the Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund, use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole.

 

The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, other investment companies, as well as securities and other instruments not included in the Index but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index.

 

The Fund will be considered non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.”

 

n Concentration Risk. If the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries, the Fund’s investments may be concentrated accordingly. In such event, the value of the Fund’s shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries. In addition, at times, an industry or group of industries in which the Fund is concentrated may be out of favor and underperform other industries or groups of industries.

 

n Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund’s assets may include exposure to investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities or other assets that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

n Emerging Markets Risk.  The Fund may invest in companies organized in emerging market nations. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 

n Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.

 

n Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

n Geographic Concentration Risk.  To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. Because the Index is a subset of the FTSE Emerging Markets Index, the geographic concentrations of the Index, and consequently the Fund, may be different than those of the broader FTSE Emerging Markets Index.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Brazil.  Investments in securities of Brazilian companies are subject to regulatory and economic interventions that the Brazilian government has frequently exercised in the past, including the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports. Investments are also subject to certain restrictions on foreign investment as provided by Brazilian law. The Brazilian economy has historically been subject to high rates of inflation and a high level of debt, all of which may stifle economic growth. Despite rapid development in recent years, Brazil still suffers from high levels of corruption, crime and income disparity. There is the possibility that such conditions may lead to social unrest and political upheaval in the future, which may have adverse effects on the Fund's investments.

 


o Risks Related to Investing China. Investing in securities of Chinese companies involves additional risks, including, but not limited to: the economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others; the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership; and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, previously the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Russia.   Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. As a result of recent events involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and entities. Additional broader sanctions may be imposed in the future. These sanctions may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities and could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Taiwan.   Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market. Taiwan's economy is export-oriented, so it depends on an open world trade regime and remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the world economy. Rising labor costs and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to countries with cheaper work forces, and continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan is also subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as typhoons and tsunamis, which could negatively affect the Fund.

 

n High Portfolio Turnover Risk . At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

n Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

 

n Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies trade in smaller volumes and are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies.

 

n Small-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies.

 

n New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Fund shares.

 

n Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

n Other Investment Companies Risk . The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.

 

n Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in 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.

 

n Sector Risk.  To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

 


o Energy Sector Risk . The Fund may invest in companies in the energy sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The value of securities issued by companies in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, government regulations, energy conservation efforts and potential civil liabilities.

 


o Materials Sector Risk.   The Fund may invest in companies in the materials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Many companies in this sector are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, the exchange value of the dollar, import controls, and worldwide competition. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. This sector may also be affected by economic cycles, interest rates, resource availability, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.

 


o Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

 

n Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV . As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, 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, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.

 

n Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, when the Fund uses a representative sampling approach, the Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in the Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets ( i.e. , the value of the Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

 

Fund Performance

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-877-337-0500.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash that the Fund specifies each day.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries.

If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

AD DITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

 

Additional Information About Each Fund’s Investment Objective

Each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon written notice to shareholders.

 

Additional Information About Each Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies

Each Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of related industries to approximately the same extent that the Fund’s underlying index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) are not considered to be issued by members of any industry. The components of each Fund’s underlying index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries, may change over time.

 

Additional Information About Each Index

Index Calculation and Trademark Ownership. Each Index is owned by Index Design Group (“IDG”), an affiliate of the Adviser, and is calculated by a third-party calculation agent (each, a “Calculation Agent”) that is not affiliated with the Funds, IDG, the Adviser or the Funds’ distributor , as indicated in the table below . IDG owns all intellectual property rights to the “TRENDPILOT” mark, and any use of any such rights must be with the consent of IDG. NASDAQ OMX and Pacer Advisors, Inc. jointly own the Pacer Nasdaq 100 Trendpilot Index.

Index

Calculation Agent

Pacer Trendpilot International Index

S&P Opco, LLC

Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds Index

S&P Opco, LLC

Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index

S&P Opco, LLC

Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds Index

Solactive AG

Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 Index

FTSE Russell


Simple Moving Average Calculation. The 200-day moving average for an index can be calculated by adding the closing price of the index for each of the 200 most recent business days and dividing the resulting sum by 200.

 

S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index . The S&P Developed Ex-U.S. LargeCap Index is a rules-based, float-adjusted, market capitalization-weighted index comprised of large-capitalization stocks providing coverage of the developed markets excluding the United States.


FTSE Developed ex US Index . The FTSE Developed ex US Index is a rules-based, float-adjusted, market capitalization-weighted index comprised of large- and mid-capitalization stocks providing coverage of the developed markets in twenty-four non-U.S. countries—mostly companies in Japan, the United Kingdom and France (which made up approximately 22.10%, 15.22% and 9.07%, respectively, of the FTSE Developed ex US Index’s market capitalization as of March 29, 2019).

 

FTSE Developed Large Cap Index.   The FTSE Developed Large Cap Index is made up of common stocks of large capitalization companies located in twenty-two countries—mostly companies in the U.S., Japan, and the United Kingdom (which made up approximately 57.71%, 9.15%, and 6.49%, respectively, of the FTSE Developed Large Cap Index’s market capitalization as of June 30, 2018). Other countries represented in the Index include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

 

FTSE Emerging Markets Index. The FTSE Emerging Markets Index is made up of common stocks of large and mid-capitalization companies located in twenty-three countries—mostly companies in China, Taiwan, and India (which made up approximately 34.55%, 12.62% and 11.81%, respectively, of the FTSE Emerging Markets Index’s market capitalization as of March 29, 2019).

 

NASDAQ-100 Index ® . The NASDAQ-100 Index ® was developed by NASDAQ OMX and is calculated, maintained and published by NASDAQ OMX.

 

The NASDAQ-100 Index ® includes 100 of the largest non-financial securities listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization. The NASDAQ-100 Index ® comprises securities of companies across major industry groups, including computer, biotechnology, healthcare, telecommunications and transportation. However, it does not contain securities of financial companies, including investment companies. Index eligibility is limited to specific security types only. The security types eligible for the NASDAQ-100 Index ® include common stocks, ordinary shares, American Depositary Receipts, and tracking stocks.

 

As of March 29, 2019, the three largest components of the NASDAQ-100 Index ® were Microsoft Corporation (10.24%), Apple Inc. (10.14%), and Amazon.com Inc. (9.90%) and the three largest sectors represented in the index were Information Technology (53.80%), Consumer Services (24.68%), and Health Care (8.67%).

 

The NASDAQ-100 ® Index SM is the exclusive property of NASDAQ OMX and has been licensed for use by the Adviser in connection with the NASDAQ-100 ® Trendpilot Index. NASDAQ ® , OMX ® , NASDAQ OMX ® , NASDAQ-100 ® , NASDAQ-100 Index ® are registered trademarks and service marks of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. and NASDAQ OMX shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the NASDAQ-100 ® Trendpilot Index. NASDAQ OMX AND ITS AFFILIATES AND SUBSIDIARIES MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE PACER NASDAQ-100 ® TRENDPILOT ETF.

 

Russell 1000 ®  Index.  The Russell 1000 ®  Index measures the performance of the approximately 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 ®  Index, which is composed of the approximately 3,000 largest publicly-traded companies in the U.S. The Russell 1000 ®  Index is generally expected to represent more than 90% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 ®  Index and the overall market capitalization of publicly-traded U.S. equity securities. As of March 29, 2019, the average weighted market capitalization of companies in the Russell 1000 ®  Index was $210.049 billion. To be included in the Russell 1000 ®  Index, a company must not be structured as a royalty trust, limited liability company, registered investment company (including closed-end funds, mutual funds, and ETFs), blank-check company, special-purpose acquisition company, or limited partnership.

 

S&P 500 ® Index. The S&P 500 ® Index measures the performance of approximately 500 leading companies in the United States representing approximately 80% of the total U.S. market capitalization. As of March 29, 2019, the average market capitalization of companies in the S&P 500 ®  Index was $49.03 billion.

 

S&P MidCap 400 ® Index. The S&P MidCap ® 400 Index measures the performance of approximately 400 mid-sized companies in the United States. As of March 29, 2019, the average market capitalization of companies in the S&P MidCap 400 ®  Index was $4.40 billion.

 

S&P Small Cap 600 ®  Index.     The S&P Small Cap 600 ®  Index measures the performance of approximately 600 small-size companies in the United States. As of March 29, 2019, the average market capitalization of companies in the S&P Small Cap 600 ®  Index was $1.31 billion.

 

S&P 900 ® Pure Growth Index. The S&P 900 ® Pure Growth Index measures the performance of growth stocks using three factors: sales growth, the ratio of earnings change to price, and momentum. The constituents of the index are drawn from the S&P 900, which combines the S&P 500 ® and S&P MidCap 400 ® . As of March 29, 2019, the average market capitalization of companies in the S&P 900 ® Pure Growth Index was $39.41 billion.

 

3-Month US Treasury Bills. The US Treasury issues Treasury bills, including 3-Month US Treasury bills, at a discount at public auctions, typically on a weekly basis. Two types of bids are accepted. With a competitive bid, the bidder specifies the discount rate it will accept. With a non-competitive bid, the bidder agrees to accept the discount rate set at auction. At the close of an auction, the US Treasury accepts all non-competitive bids that comply with the auction rules, and then accepts competitive bids in ascending order in terms of their discount rates (from lowest to highest) until the quantity of accepted bids reaches the offering amount. All bidders, competitive and non- competitive, will receive the same discount rate or yield at the highest accepted bid. This highest accepted bid is the auction high rate. Each of the Trendpilot Indices references the most recent auction high rate for 3-Month US Treasury bills as reported by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and displayed on Bloomberg page “USB3MTA Index” in calculating any of the Trendpilot Indices.

 

Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds

 

This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each of the Fund Summaries. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Funds, regardless of the order in which they appear. The factors below apply to each Fund as indicated in the following table; additional information about each such risk and how it impacts each Fund that is subject thereto is set forth below the chart. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the applicable Fund’s performance and trading prices.

 

 
Pacer
Trendpilot ®
International
ETF
Pacer
Trendpilot
®
Fund of
Funds ETF
Pacer US
Cash Cows
Growth ETF
Pacer Cash
Cows Fund of
Funds ETF
Pacer
Emerging
Markets Cash
Cows 100
ETF
Calculation Methodology Risk
X        
 
  Pacer
Trendpilot ®
International
ETF
Pacer
Trendpilot ®
Fund of
Funds ETF
Pacer US
Cash Cows
Growth ETF
Pacer Cash
Cows Fund of
Funds ETF
Pacer
Emerging
Markets Cash
Cows 100
ETF
Concentration Risk
        X
Currency Exchange Rate Risk
X X   X X
Emerging Markets Risk
        X
Equity Market Risk
X X X X X
Fixed Income Risk
X X      
Foreign Securities Risk
X X   X X
Geographic Concentration Risk
X       X
— Risks Related to Investing in Brazil
        X
— Risks Related to Investing in China
        X
— Risks Related to Investing in Japan
X        
— Risks Related to Investing in Russia
        X
— Risks Related to Investing in Taiwan
        X
— Risks Related to Investing in Western Europe
X        
Government Obligations Risk
X X      
High Portfolio Turnover Risk
X X X X X
Large-Capitalization Investing Risk
X X X X X
Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk
X X X   X
New Fund Risk
X X X X X
Non-Diversification Risk
X X X X X
Other Investment Companies Risk
  X X X X
Passive Investment Risk
X X X X X
Sector Risk
    X X X
— Health Care Sector Risk
    X    
— Energy Sector Risk
    X   X
— Industrials Sector Risk
    X    
— Information Technology Sector Risk
    X   X
— Materials Sector Risk
        X
Shares of each Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV
X X X X X
Small-Capitalization Investing Risk
      X
  X
Style Risk
    X X  
Tracking Risk
X X X X X
Trend Lag Risk
X X      

 

Calculation Methodology Risk

The Fund’s Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, its Index Provider, or the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.

 

Concentration Risk

The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse occurrences affecting the Fund more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. In addition, at times, an industry or group of industries in which the Fund is concentrated may be out of favor and underperform other industries or groups of industries.

 

Currency Exchange Rate Risk

Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Fund shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money.

 

Emerging Markets Risk

Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments. For example, developing and emerging markets may be subject to (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iii) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (iv) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (v) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vi) fewer protections of property rights, (vii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (viii) settlement and trading practices that differ from those in U.S. markets. Each of these factors may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 


o Capital Controls and Sanctions Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention (including intervention by the U.S. government with respect to foreign governments, economic sectors, foreign companies and related securities and interests) and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, which may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls and/or sanctions may also impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 


o Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Such geopolitical and other events may also disrupt securities markets and, during such market disruptions, the Fund’s exposure to the other risks described herein will likely increase. Each of the foregoing may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

Equity Market Risk

Equity securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

Fixed Income Risk

The value of direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Due to recent events in the fixed income markets, including the potential impact of the Federal Reserve Board ending its quantitative easing program and raising the federal funds rate, the Fund may be subject to heightened interest rate risk as a result of a rise or increased volatility in interest rates. The value of direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities may be affected by the inability of issuers to repay principal and interest or illiquidity in debt securities markets.

 

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are close. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

Geographic Concentration Risk

The Fund is subject to geographic concentration risk, which is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions. Because the Fund may invest a large portion of its assets in securities of companies located in any one country or region, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of its investments in that area.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Brazil . Investments in securities of Brazilian companies are subject to regulatory, economic and political risks related to the significant influence that the Brazilian government exercises over its economy. The Brazilian economy has historically been characterized by frequent, and occasionally drastic, intervention by the Brazilian government. Government efforts to check inflation and shape other aspects of the economy have involved, among others, the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports. There can be no assurances that similar measures will not be instituted in the future. Such measures may have significant effects on the Fund’s investments.

 

Brazil, like many other Latin American countries, has historically experienced high rates of inflation and may do so in the future. An increase in prices for petroleum, the depreciation of the real and future governmental measures seeking to maintain the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar, may trigger increases in inflation in Brazil and may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy. Brazil also continues to suffer from a high level of debt and public spending, which may stifle economic growth, contribute to prolonged periods of recession or lower the country’s sovereign debt rating, all of which may adversely impact the Fund’s investments.

 

Investments in Brazilian securities may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign investment. Brazilian law provides that whenever a serious imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments exists or is anticipated, the Brazilian government may impose temporary restrictions on the remittance to foreign investors of the proceeds of their investment in Brazil and on the conversion of Brazilian currency into foreign currency. The likelihood of such restrictions may be affected by the extent of Brazil’s foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign currency in the foreign exchange markets on the date a payment is due, the size of Brazil’s debt service burden relative to the economy as a whole and political constraints to which Brazil may be subject. There can be no assurance that the Brazilian government will not impose restrictions or restrictive exchange control policies in the future.

 

Brazil is heavily dependent on export to the United States, China and other countries in Latin America, especially fellow member states in the Mercosur trade bloc. Reduction in spending on Brazilian products and services, or adverse economic events, such as inflation, high interest rates, currency devaluation, political upheaval and high unemployment rates, in any of the trading partner states may impact the Brazilian economy. Further, many economies in Latin America, including Brazil’s, are heavily dependent on commodity exports and may be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices.

 

Despite rapid development in recent years, Brazil still suffers from high levels of corruption, crime and income disparity. There is the possibility that such conditions may lead to social unrest and political upheaval in the future, which may have adverse effects on the Fund’s investments.

 

The market for Brazilian securities is influenced by the flow of international capital and economic and market conditions of certain countries, especially emerging market countries in Latin America. Adverse economic conditions or developments in other emerging market countries have at times significantly affected the availability of credit in the Brazilian economy and resulted in considerable outflows of funds and declines in the amount of foreign currency invested in Brazil.

 


o Risks Related to Investing China. Investing in securities of Chinese companies involves additional risks, including, but not limited to: the economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others; the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership; and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, previously the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Japan. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low for an extended period of time and it may remain low in the future. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japanese securities.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Russia.   Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia]. As a result of recent events involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and entities. The United States and other nations or international organizations may impose additional, broader economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect Russian-related issuers in the future. These sanctions, any future sanctions or other actions, or even the threat of further sanctions or other actions, may negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. For example, the Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, the sanctions may require the Fund to freeze its existing investments in Russian companies, prohibiting the Fund from buying, selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. Russia may undertake countermeasures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio and potentially disrupt its operations.

 

For these or other reasons, the Fund could limit or suspend purchases of Creation Units. During any period that creation activity is affected, the Shares could trade at a significant premium to their net asset value. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, the Fund could experience substantial redemptions, which may cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of the Fund. The Fund may also change its investment objective or principal investment strategies. The Fund may also have to liquidate all or a portion of its assets, which may be at unfavorable prices.

 

Despite recent reform and privatization, the Russian government continues to control a large share of economic activity in the region. The Russian government owns shares in corporations in a range of sectors including energy production and distribution, automotive, transportation, and telecommunications. Additionally, because Russia produces and exports large volumes of oil and gas, the Russian economy is particularly sensitive to the price of oil and gas on the world market, and a decline in the price of oil and gas could have a significant negative impact on the Russian economy.

 

The value of the Russian ruble may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. The Fund’s exposure to the Russian ruble and changes in value of the Russian ruble versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns to the Fund. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and the Russian ruble. In addition, current political and economic events in Russia and the effects of the recent global economic crisis on the Russian economy may have significant adverse effects on the Russian ruble and on the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Taiwan.  Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market. Taiwan's economy is export-oriented, so it depends on an open world trade regime and remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the world economy. Rising labor costs and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to countries with cheaper work forces, and continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan is also subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as typhoons and tsunamis, which could negatively affect the Fund.

 


o Risks Related to Investing in Western Europe . Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU. Funds that invest in Europe may have significant exposure to the euro and events affecting the euro. Recent market events affecting several of the EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide.

 

Government Obligations Risk

The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government. The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008 - 2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt limit and growth in public spending. On February 9, 2018, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which suspends the statutory debt limit through March 1, 2019. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt limit negotiations may impact the U.S. long - term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk

At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, dealer markups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Large-Capitalization Investing Risk

The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk

The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some medium capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.

 

Mid- and Small-Capitalization Investing Risk

The securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some smaller capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.

 

New Fund Risk

The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with an established record of performance. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or it could ultimately liquidate. The Fund’s distributor does not maintain an active market in Fund shares.

 

Non-Diversification Risk

Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund will be considered to be non-diversified. This means that the Fund may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified Fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Other Investment Companies Risk

The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.

 

Passive Investment Risk

The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a 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 reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. 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.

 

Sector Risk

To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

 


o Energy Sector Risk . The Fund may invest in companies in the energy sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The value of securities issued by companies in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, government regulations, energy conservation efforts and potential civil liabilities.

 


o Health Care Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the health care sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Companies in the health care sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services. Companies in the health care sector are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents may also adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Health care companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to industry innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments. Many new products in the health care sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to market.

 


o Industrials Sector Risk . The Fund may invest in companies in the industrials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply of and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment.

 


o Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 


o Materials Sector Risk.   The Fund may invest in companies in the materials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Many companies in this sector are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, the exchange value of the dollar, import controls, and worldwide competition. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. This sector may also be affected by economic cycles, interest rates, resource availability, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.

 

Shares of each Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV

As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of Fund shares, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV intra-day when you buy shares of the Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. To the extent securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the security’s last quoted price from the closed foreign market. This may result in premiums and discounts that are greater than those experienced by domestic ETFs.

 

Style Risk

The Fund’s strategy of investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to continue to pay dividends on such stocks. Therefore, there is the possibility that such companies could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future or the anticipated acceleration of dividends could not occur. Depending upon market conditions, dividend-paying stocks that meet the Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors.

 

Tracking Risk

The Fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark index. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects that the performance of the Fund over time, before expenses, will track the performance of its benchmark within a 0.95 correlation coefficient. The Fund is subject to the risk of tracking variance. Tracking variance may result from share purchases and redemptions, transaction costs, expenses and other factors. Tracking variance may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

 

Trend Lag Risk

At least six consecutive trading days will elapse after the applicable underlying equity index (the “Equity Component”) first drops below its historical 200-day simple moving average (or conversely, first moves above such average) before the Fund’s Index will switch from tracking the Equity Component to 3-Month US Treasury bills (or conversely, from 3-Month US Treasury bills to the Equity Component). As a result, if the Equity Component is in an overall positive trend, the Index and consequently the Fund may be adversely affected by a downward trend and/or volatility in the Equity Component for up to six consecutive trading days (or conversely, if the Equity Component is in an overall negative trend, the Index and consequently the Fund may not benefit from an upward trend and/or volatility in the Equity Component for up to six consecutive trading days). Accordingly, the methodology employed by the Index does not eliminate exposure to downward trends and/or volatility in the Equity Component and does not provide immediate exposure to upward trends and/or volatility in the Equity Component.

 

AD DITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY INFORMATION

 

Each Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the applicable Index in the same approximate proportion as in such Index, but may, when the Adviser believes it is in the best interests of such Fund, use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the applicable Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the applicable Index as a whole ( e.g. , when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).

 

Each Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, other investment companies, as well as securities and other instruments not included in the Index but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the applicable Index.

 

ADDIT IONAL NON-PRINCIPAL RISK INFORMATION

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk . The Funds have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“Authorized Participants” or “APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Absence of a Prior Active Market. Although the Funds’ shares are approved for listing on the a national securities exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop and be maintained for Fund shares. There can be no assurance that a Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case such Fund may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or the Fund may ultimately liquidate.

 

Tracking Risk.  When a Fund uses a representative sampling approach, such Fund may not be as well correlated with the return of the applicable Index as when the Fund purchases all of the securities in such Index in the proportions in which they are represented in the Index.

 

PORT FOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Information about each Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.paceretfs.com. A summarized description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

MAN AGEMENT

The Funds are series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, which is overseen by a board of trustees.

 

Investment Adviser

The Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and each of its separate investment portfolios. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser has managed ETFs since 2015. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and all other related services necessary for each Fund to operate. For its services, the Adviser receives a fee from each Fund, based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, as shown in the following table:

 

Name of Fund Management Fee
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF 0.65%
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF 0.15%
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF 0.60%
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF 0.15%
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF 0.70%

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Funds (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of each Fund, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, 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 (12b-1) fees and expenses.

 

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the continuation Investment Advisory Agreement for each of the Funds will be available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2019.

 

Portfolio Managers

The portfolio management team for each Fund consists of Bruce Kavanaugh and Michael Mack, who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolios.

 

Mr. Kavanaugh has been Vice President of the Adviser since it began operations in 2004. He has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2013. Mr. Kavanaugh has more than 25 years of experience in financial services.

 

Mr. Mack has been an Investment Analyst for the Adviser since joining it in 2012. Prior to his position with the Adviser, Mr. Mack was an Associate with Cameron Capital Management from 2011 to 2012. He also served as an Analyst/Trader for Simitec Inc., a business and technology consulting firm, from 2005 to 2009.

 

The SAI provides additional information about each Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of shares of each Fund.

 

ADDI TIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Funds through brokers. Shares of each Fund trade on the applicable exchange as listed on the cover of this Prospectus (each, the applicable “Exchange”) and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. When buying or selling shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shares of each Fund trade under the trading symbol listed on the cover of this Prospectus. Only authorized participants (“Authorized Participants” or “APs”) who have entered into agreements with the Funds’ distributor may acquire shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their shares for redemption directly to each Fund, at NAV in Creation Units. Once created, shares trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.

 

Share Trading Prices

Transactions in each Fund’s shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase shares directly from each Fund in Creation Units. As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more or less than the NAV of such shares.

 

The approximate value of shares of each Fund is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange or by other information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a real-time update of each Fund’s NAV, because (i) the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day, (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the approximate value, (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the approximate value does not take into account Fund expenses, and (iv) the approximate value is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and not on the Fund’s actual holdings. The approximate value is not related to the price at which a Fund’s shares are trading on the Exchange and is different from the Fund’s NAV. The approximate value calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close, which could affect premiums and discounts between the approximate value and the market price of a Fund’s shares. The Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value, and the Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.

 

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of each Fund’s shares is calculated each day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). If the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, as it occasionally does, the NAV Calculation Time will be the time the NYSE closes. In addition, any U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time of trading in fixed income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. Each Fund’s NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund 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. Debt obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.

 

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) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. The 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 will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

 

Dividends and Distributions

Each of the Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF and Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF expects to pay out dividends on an annual basis. Each other Fund expects to pay out dividends on a quarterly basis. Nonetheless, each Fund may make more frequent dividend payments. Each Fund expects to distribute its net realized capital gains to investors annually. Each Fund occasionally may be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. 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.

 

Book Entry

Shares of each Fund 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.

 

Investors owning shares of each Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares of each Fund. Participants include DTC, 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 securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form. Your broker will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales, and tax information.

 

Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding

Householding is an option available to certain investors of each Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for each Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

Each Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Fund shares. In determining not to impose such restrictions, 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 a Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Fund share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, each 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, each Fund 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, each Fund and the Adviser reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time. Although the Funds do not impose restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions, the Board has adopted a policy discouraging Fund market timing and requiring the Funds’ service providers to maintain adequate procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that market timing activity will be identified and terminated. In the event that the Funds become aware of market timing activities affecting the Funds, the Board may impose restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Fund shares in the future.

 

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of each Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in each Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the applicable Fund(s). The relief from Section 12(d)(1), however, may not be available for investments in a Fund if the Fund invests significantly in other ETFs. Consequently, such relief is not expected to be available for the Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds ETF and Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF.

 

AD DITIONAL TAX INFORMATION

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in each Fund. Your investment in each Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

 

Each Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a regulated investment company is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and investment gains that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, each Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

 

Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund shares is made through a tax advantaged retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 


A Fund makes distributions;

You sell Fund shares; and


You purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).

 

Taxes on Distributions

Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act makes significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the Tax Act is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on a Fund, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or “qualified dividend income.” Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) depend on how long a Fund owned the assets that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) are taxable as long-term capital gains. For noncorporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at reduced rates and currently set at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions of short-term capital gain are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at long term capital gain rates for non-corporate shareholders.

 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and 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 generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Fund shares’ NAV when you purchased your Fund shares).

 

A Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.

 

Nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign shareholders in a Fund will generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on Capital Gain Dividends. The exemption may not apply, however, if the investment in the Fund is connected to a trade or business for the foreign shareholder in the United States or if the foreign shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met.

 

Distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to individual shareholders that are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. or to foreign entities will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year.

 

A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which shareholders own Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the US Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.

 

A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for 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 Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.

 

To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund consists of foreign securities, such Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. A Fund (or its administrative agent) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.

 

Taxes When Fund Shares Are Sold

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on a sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that Capital Gain Dividends were paid with respect to such shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited depending on your circumstances.

 

A foreign shareholder will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on sales or exchange of Fund Shares unless the investment in the Fund is connected to a trade or business of the investor in the United States or if the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met. All foreign shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.

 

Creation and Redemption Units

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.

 

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

 

A Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units 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 Internal Revenue Code, the respective Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. A Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

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 Fund shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.

 

State and Local Taxes

Shareholders may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain attributable to your ownership of Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of a Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest earned by the Fund on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax professional regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

DI STRIBUTION

The Distributor, Pacer Financial, Inc., is a broker-dealer registered with the U.S. 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 each Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by each Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.

 

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of 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.

 

PR EMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information regarding how often shares of each Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above ( i.e. , at a premium) or below ( i.e. , at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available in the future on the Funds’ website at www.PacerETFs.com.

 

ADDI TIONAL NOTICES

Shares of each Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Funds to track the total return performance of the Indexes or the ability of the Indexes identified herein to track stock market performance. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Indexes, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of each Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of each Fund in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of each Fund.

 

The Exchange does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Indexes or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of each Fund, owners of the shares, or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Indexes or the data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

 

The Adviser, and each Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of each Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in each Fund particularly. The Adviser has no obligation to take the needs of each Fund or the owners of shares of each Fund into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating each Index.

 

The Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF (for this section only, the “Fund”), is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE Russell, or any of their respective affiliates or their third party licensors. Neither FTSE Russell nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owner of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the FTSE Emerging Markets Index to track general stock market performance. FTSE Russell and their third party licensor’s only relationship to IDG is the licensing of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of FTSE Russell and/or their third party licensors and for the providing of calculation and maintenance services related to the Index. Neither FTSE Russell nor their third party licensors are responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the price and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. FTSE Russell and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by FTSE Russell or its subsidiaries to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

 

NEITHER FTSE RUSSELL NOR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE FTSE Emerging Markets Index OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR ANY COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. FTSE RUSSELL AND THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR DELAYS THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL ENTITIES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THEIR MARKS, THE FTSE Emerging Markets Index OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL FTSE RUSSELL INDICES ENTITIES OR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE.

 

The Pacer US Cash Cows Growth Index (the “Index”) is the property of Index Design Group, LLC (“IDG”), which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the Index. The Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third party licensors, including Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by IDG. S&P ® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones ® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.

 

The Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF and the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF (for this section only, the “Funds”), are based on Indexes, not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices, or any of their respective affiliates or their third party licensors. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the S&P Indexes to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices and their third party licensor’s only relationship to IDG is the licensing of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or their third party licensors and for the providing of calculation and maintenance services related to the Index. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices nor their third party licensors are responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Funds or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices or its subsidiaries to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

 

NEITHER S&P DOW JONES INDICES NOR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR ANY COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THEIR MARKS, THE S&P OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES OR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

The Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds Index (for this paragraph only, the “Index”) and/or Index trade mark or the Index price at any time or in any other respect. The Index is calculated and published by Solactive AG. Solactive AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards the Fund, Solactive AG has no obligation to point out errors in the Index to third parties including but not limited to investors and/or financial intermediaries of the Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF. Neither publication of the Index by Solactive AG nor the licensing of the Index or Index trade mark for the purpose of use in connection with the Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF constitutes a recommendation by Solactive AG to invest capital in said Fund, nor does it in any way represent an assurance or opinion of Solactive AG with regard to any investment in the Fund.

FINANCI AL HIGHLIGHTS

 

No financial information has been included because the Funds were not in operation as of the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019.

 

 

Adviser

Pacer Advisors, Inc.

500 Chesterfield Parkway

Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355

Distributor

Pacer Financial, Inc.

500 Chesterfield Parkway

Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355

Custodian

U.S. Bank National Association

1555 N. Rivercenter Dr. 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Fund Accountant, Administrator and Transfer Agent

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

615 East Michigan Street 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Sanville & Company

1514 Old York Rd

Abington, PA 19001

Legal Counsel

DLA Piper LLP

One Liberty Place

1650 Market Street, Suite 4900

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

 

The Trust’s current SAI provides additional detailed information about each Fund. A current SAI dated April 30, 2019, as supplemented from time to time, is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.

 

Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders (when available). In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance after the first fiscal year each Fund is in operation.

 

To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on each Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports (once available) free of charge, please:

 

Call:

1-800-617-0004

Monday through Friday

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Central time)

 

  Write:

Pacer Funds Trust, (Name of Fund)

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Visit:

www.paceretfs.com

 

     

 

Reports and other information about each Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about each Fund and its shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.

 

(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-23024)

 

 

 

PACER FUNDS TRUST

 

PTIN Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
TRND Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
BUL Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
  each listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc.
   
HERD Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
ECOW Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF
  each listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

April 30, 2019

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a Prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus, as may be revised from time to time (“Prospectus”), for the exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) listed above (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”), each a separate series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”). The current Prospectus for the Funds is dated April 30, 2019. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus for the Funds may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1-800-617-0004, visiting www.PacerETFs.com, or writing to Pacer Funds Trust, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701.

 

An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any other government agency or any bank. An investment in the Fund involves investment risks, including possible loss of principal.

 


TABLE OF CO NTENTS

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS 1
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 2
GENERAL RISKS 2
SPECIFIC INVESTMENT STRATEGIES 3
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 11
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 12
CONTINUOUS OFFERING 13
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST 13
INVESTMENT ADVISER 17
THE ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT, AND INDEX RECEIPT AGENT 19
THE CUSTODIAN 19
Securities Lending Activities 19
THE DISTRIBUTOR 19
LEGAL COUNSEL 21
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 21
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 21
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST 23
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY 24
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS 24
DETERMINATION OF NAV 30
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 30
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES 31
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 37
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS

 

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 12, 2014 and is authorized to issue multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end, management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of the Trust’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

The Funds described in this SAI seek to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of their respective indices (each an “Index”).

 

Pacer Advisors, Inc. (“Pacer” or the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds. Pacer Financial, Inc. is the distributor (the “Distributor”) of the shares of the Funds and is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

The Funds issue and redeem Shares (“Shares”) at net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in large blocks of Shares (“Creation Units” or “Creation Unit Aggregations”). Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 25,000 Shares. These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors (authorized participants) who have entered into agreements with the Trust’s distributor, can purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units. Shares of the Funds are not redeemable securities.

 

Shares of the Funds are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the exchanges listed on the cover of this SAI (each, the applicable “Exchange”), and trade throughout the day on the Exchange and other secondary markets at market prices that may differ from NAV. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the prices of Shares in the future to 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 applicable Fund.

 

INVEST MENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

Each Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and associated risks are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The sections below supplement these principal investment strategies and risks and describe each Fund’s additional investment policies and the different types of investments that may be made by a Fund as a part of its non-principal investment strategies. With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

 

Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), so that it will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are timely distributed to Fund shareholders. The Funds will invest their assets, and otherwise conduct their operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter M of the Code.

 

GE NERAL RISKS

 

An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding that the value of each Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in each Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

An investment in the Funds should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of each Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares of each Fund). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

 

Although all of the equity securities in the Indexes are listed on major U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges, there can be no guarantee that a liquid market for such securities will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of each Fund’s Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for each Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

 

Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Funds may be more susceptible to operational and financial risks associated with cyber security, including: theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption and destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to a Fund and its shareholders; and compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of a Fund and its service providers. Cyber security risks may result in financial losses to a Fund and its shareholders; the inability of a Fund to transact business with its shareholders; delays or mistakes in the calculation of a Fund’s NAV or other materials provided to shareholders; the inability to process transactions with shareholders or other parties; violations of privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties and reputational damage; and compliance and remediation costs, legal fees and other expenses. A Fund’s service providers (including, but not limited to, its investment adviser, any sub-advisers, administrator, transfer agent, and custodian or their agents), financial intermediaries, companies in which a Fund invests and parties with which a Fund engages in portfolio or other transactions also may be adversely impacted by cyber security risks in their own businesses, which could result in losses to a Fund or its shareholders. While measures have been developed which are designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that those measures will be effective, particularly since the Funds do not directly control the cyber security defenses or plans of their service providers, financial intermediaries and companies in which they invest or with which they do business.

 

A discussion of some of the other risks associated with investments in the Funds is contained in the Funds’ Prospectus.

 

Index Calculation

 

To minimize any potential for conflicts caused by the fact that Index Design Group, an affiliate of the Adviser, acts as Index provider (the “Index Provider”) to each Fund, the Adviser has retained an unaffiliated third party to calculate the Index (the “Calculation Agent”). The Calculation Agent, using the rules-based methodology, will calculate, maintain, and disseminate each such Index on a daily basis. The Index Provider will monitor the results produced by the Calculation Agent to help ensure that each such Index is being calculated in accordance with the rules-based methodologies. In addition, the Index Provider and Adviser have established policies and procedures designed to prevent non-public information about pending changes to such Indexes from being used or disseminated in an improper manner. Furthermore, the Index Provider and Adviser have established policies and procedures designed to prevent improper use and dissemination of non-public information about each Fund’s portfolio strategies.

 

Non-Diversification

 

Each Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that a 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 a Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was 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 a Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on a Fund’s performance or subject a Fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, a Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Code. In particular, as a 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 each Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, each Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a RIC 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 limit the investment flexibility of a Fund and may make it less likely that a Fund will meet its investment objectives. See “Federal Income Taxes” in this SAI for further discussion.

 

SPE CIFIC INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

The following are descriptions of the Funds’ permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. A 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 a Fund’s investment objective and permitted by a Fund’s stated investment policies.

 

CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. The Funds may enter into foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of a Fund’s total assets that are denominated in one or more foreign currencies, to facilitate local securities settlements, or to protect against currency exposure in connection with distributions to shareholders.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. A forward foreign currency exchange contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the counterparty) based on the market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. These contracts typically are settled by physical delivery of the underlying currency or currencies in the amount of the full contract value.

 

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with the Funds receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Fund’s custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

 

Foreign Currency Futures Contracts. A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

 

Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If a Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of the Fund’s return with the performance of its underlying Index and may lower the Fund’s return. A Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, the Funds will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

 

Depositary Receipts . To the extent the Funds invest in stocks of foreign corporations, a Fund’s investment in such stocks may be in the form of Depositary Receipts or other similar securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement. Non-Voting Depository Receipts (“NVDRs”) are receipts issued in Thailand that evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. NVDRs are tradable on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

 

The Funds will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored; however, the Funds 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.

 

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 Funds invest will cause the net asset value of the Funds to fluctuate.

 

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.

 

When-Issued Securities – A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When a Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, a Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

 

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because a Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

 

Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. A Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. A Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.

 

Types of Equity Securities:

 

Common Stocks  — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.

 

Preferred Stocks  — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.

 

Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

 

Rights and Warrants  — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

 

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

Smaller Companies  — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.

 

ETFs. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles whose ownership interests are purchased and sold on a securities exchange. ETFs may be structured investment companies, depositary receipts or other pooled investment vehicles. As shareholders of an ETF, the Funds will bear their pro rata portion of any fees and expenses of the ETFs. Although shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange, shares of certain ETFs may not be redeemable to the ETF. In addition, ETFs may trade at a price below their net asset value (also known as a discount).

 

The Funds may use ETFs to help replicate their respective indexes. By way of example, ETFs may be structured as broad based ETFs that invest in a broad group of stocks from different industries and market sectors; select sectors; or market ETFs that invest in debt securities from a select sector of the economy (e.g., Treasury securities) a single industry or related industries; other types of ETFs continue to be developed and the Funds may invest in them to the extent consistent with their investment objectives, policies and restrictions. The ETFs in which the Funds invest are subject to the risks applicable to the types of securities and investments used by the ETFs.

 

ETFs may be actively managed or index-based. Actively managed ETFs are subject to management risk and may not achieve their objective if the ETF’s manager’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met. An index based ETF’s objective is to track the performance of a specified index. Index based ETFs invest in a securities portfolio that includes substantially all of the securities in substantially the same amount as the securities included in the designated index. Because passively managed ETFs are designed to track an index, securities may be purchased, retained and sold at times when an actively managed ETF would not do so. As a result, shareholders of a Fund that invest in such an ETF can expect greater risk of loss (and a correspondingly greater prospect of gain) from changes in the value of securities that are heavily weighted in the index than would be the case if ETF were not fully invested in such securities. This risk is increased if a few component securities represent a highly concentrated weighting in the designated index.

 

Unless permitted by the 1940 Act or an order or rule issued by the SEC, (see “Investment Companies” below for more information), the Funds’ investments in unaffiliated ETFs that are structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act are subject to certain percentage limitations of the 1940 Act regarding investments in other investment companies. As a general matter, these percentage limitations currently require a Fund to limit its investments in any one issue of ETFs to 5% of the Fund’s total assets and 3% of the outstanding voting securities of the ETF issue. Moreover, a Fund’s investments in all ETFs may not currently exceed 10% of the Fund’s total assets under the 1940 Act, when aggregated with all other investments in investment companies. ETFs that are not structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act are not subject to these percentage limitations.

 

SEC exemptive orders granted to various iShares funds (which are ETFs) and other ETFs and their investment advisers permit the Funds to invest beyond the 1940 Act limits, subject to certain terms and conditions, including a finding of the Board of Trustees that the advisory fees charged by the Adviser to the Funds are for services that are in addition to, and not duplicative of, the advisory services provided to those ETFs.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes . The Funds may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, a Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on a Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. A Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.

 

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES . The Funds may invest in fixed income securities. Even though interest-bearing securities are investments that promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such securities are affected by changes in interest rates. In general, fixed income security prices rise when interest rates fall and fall when interest rates rise. Securities with shorter maturities, while offering lower yields, generally provide greater price stability than longer term securities and are less affected by changes in interest rates. The values of fixed income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of the issuing entities. Once the rating of a portfolio security has been changed, the Funds will consider all circumstances deemed relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security.

 

Fixed income investments bear certain risks, including credit risk, or the ability of an issuer to pay interest and principal as they become due. Generally, higher yielding bonds are subject to more credit risk than lower yielding bonds. Interest rate risk refers to the fluctuations in value of fixed income securities resulting from the inverse relationship between the market value of outstanding fixed income securities and changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates will generally reduce the market value of fixed income investments and a decline in interest rates will tend to increase their value.

 

Call risk is the risk that an issuer will pay principal on an obligation earlier than scheduled or expected, which would accelerate cash flows from, and shorten the average life of, the security. Bonds are typically called when interest rates have declined because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate, similar to a homeowner refinancing a mortgage. In the event of a bond being called, the Adviser may have to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities to the detriment of the Funds.

 

Extension risk is the risk that an issuer may pay principal on an obligation slower than expected, having the effect of extending the average life and duration of the obligation. This typically happens when interest rates have increased.

 

Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price sensitivity of a debt security, or a Fund that invests in debt securities, to changes in interest rates. It measures sensitivity more accurately than maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated over the life of a debt security. Future interest payments and principal payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then are multiplied by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in years – the duration. Effective duration takes into account call features and sinking Fund prepayments that may shorten the life of a debt security. A number of factors, including changes in a central bank’s monetary policies or general improvements in the economy, may cause interest rates to rise. Fixed income securities with longer durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations, making them more volatile. This means their prices are more likely to experience a considerable reduction in response to a rise in interest rates.

 

When investing in fixed income securities, the Funds may purchase securities regardless of their rating, including fixed income securities rated below investment grade – securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as high yield securities or “junk bonds”. High yield securities or “junk bonds,” are usually issued by smaller, less credit-worthy and/or highly leveraged (indebted companies) and involve special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities may be subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risk, may entail greater potential price volatility, and may be less liquid than higher rated fixed income securities. High yield securities may be regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher rated securities. Fixed income securities rated in the lowest investment grade categories by the rating agencies may also possess speculative characteristics. If securities are in default with respect to the payment of interest or the repayment of principal, or present an imminent risk of default with respect to such payments, the issuer of such securities may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case a Fund may lose its entire investment in the high yield security. In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield securities, and this may have an impact on a Fund’s ability to accurately value high yield securities and the Fund’s assets and on the Fund’s ability to dispose of the securities. Adverse publicity and investor perception, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities especially in a thinly traded market.

 

FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES RATINGS. Nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (together, rating agency) publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of rated fixed-income securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk, and higher yields are ordinarily available from fixed-income securities in the lower rating categories to compensate investors for the increased credit risk. Any use of credit ratings in evaluating fixed-income securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal, typically relying to a large extent on historical data. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect to risk of fluctuations in market value of the fixed-income security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency's current opinion of an obligor's overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a fixed-income obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer's current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and a low rating might affect future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating. Additionally, legislation has been enacted in an effort to reform rating agencies. The SEC has also adopted rules to require rating agencies to provide additional disclosure and reduce conflicts of interest, and further reform has been proposed. It is uncertain how such legislation or additional regulation might impact the ratings agencies business and the Adviser's investment process.

 

Prepayment risk occurs when a fixed-income investment held by a Fund may be repaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity. The amount of prepayable obligations a Fund invests in from time to time may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, borrowers’ financial conditions and competitive conditions among lenders. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may repay investments more quickly than anticipated, reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the relevant investment. Moreover, when a Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that a Fund purchases a relevant investment at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If a Fund buys such investments at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of investments may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change an investment that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer-term investment. Since the value of longer-term investments generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than short-term investments, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of a Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of an investment with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income securities and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or delay prepayments and thus affect maturities.

 

Illiquid INVESTMENTS . Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. A Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of a Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of a Fund to dispose of illiquid or not readily marketable investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by a Fund which are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of a Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, a Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.

 

Investment Companies . The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Funds may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that each 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. These limitations do not apply to money market funds subject to certain conditions.

 

If a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

 

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Funds. The acquisition of a Fund’s Shares by other 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 a 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 Funds may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows a 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”).

 

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

 

MLPs are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. When a Fund invests in the equity securities of an MLP or any other entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will be treated as a partner in the entity for tax purposes. Accordingly, in calculating a Fund’s taxable income, it will be required to take into account its allocable share of the income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits recognized by each such entity, regardless of whether the entity distributes cash to the Fund. Distributions from such an entity to a Fund are not generally taxable unless the cash amount (or, in certain cases, the fair market value of marketable securities) distributed to a Fund exceeds the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in its interest in the entity. In general, a Fund’s allocable share of such an entity’s net income will increase the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in its interest in the entity, and distributions to a Fund from such an entity and the Fund’s allocable share of the entity’s net losses will decrease the Fund’s adjusted basis in its interest in the entity, but not below zero. A Fund may receive cash distributions from such an entity in excess of the net amount of taxable income the Fund is allocated from its investment in the entity. In other circumstances, the net amount of taxable income a Fund is allocated from its investment in such an entity may exceed cash distributions received from the entity. Thus, a Fund’s investments in such an entity may lead a Fund to make distributions in excess of its earnings and profits, or a Fund may be required to sell investments, including when not otherwise advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy the distribution requirements applicable to RICs under the Code.

 

Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to a Fund from any investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund’s taxable income, but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s income in one or more subsequent years. When recognized and distributed, recapture income will generally be taxable to a Fund’s shareholders at the time of the distribution at ordinary income tax rates, even though those shareholders might not have held Shares at the time the deductions were taken, and even though those shareholders may not have corresponding economic gain on their Shares at the time of the recapture. To distribute recapture income or to fund redemption requests, a Fund may need to liquidate investments, which may lead to additional taxable income.

 

MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in high-quality money market instruments or in money market mutual funds on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which each Fund or money market mutual fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

NON-U.S. SECURITIES. Investments in non-U.S. equity securities involve certain risks that may not be present in investments in U.S. securities. For example, non-U.S. securities may be subject to currency risks or to foreign government taxes. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and a foreign issuer may or may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Other risks of investing in such securities include political or economic instability in the country involved, the difficulty of predicting international trade patterns and the possibility of imposition of exchange controls. The prices of such securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of expropriation of assets or nationalization, imposition of withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments, difficulty in obtaining and enforcing judgments against foreign entities or diplomatic developments which could affect investment in these countries. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities.

 

Non-U.S. stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. stock markets generally has been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, a Fund’s investment in non-U.S. equity securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Funds. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Funds to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

 

Investing in emerging markets can have more risk than investing in developed foreign markets. The risks of investing in these markets may be exacerbated relative to investments in foreign markets. Governments of developing and emerging market countries may be more unstable as compared to more developed countries. Developing and emerging market countries may have less developed securities markets or exchanges, and legal and accounting systems. It may be more difficult to sell securities at acceptable prices and security prices may be more volatile than in countries with more mature markets. Currency values may fluctuate more in developing or emerging markets. Developing or emerging market countries may be more likely to impose government restrictions, including confiscatory taxation, expropriation or nationalization of a company’s assets, and restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies. In addition, emerging markets may impose restrictions on the Funds’ ability to repatriate investment income or capital and thus, may adversely affect the operations of the Funds. Certain emerging markets may impose constraints on currency exchange and some currencies in emerging markets may have been devalued significantly against the U.S. dollar. For these and other reasons, the prices of securities in emerging markets can fluctuate more significantly than the prices of securities of companies in developed countries. The less developed the country, the greater effect these risks may have on the Funds.

 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS. The Funds may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) to the extent allowed by law. Risks associated with investments in securities of REITs include decline in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates. In addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the values of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for the favorable United States federal income tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Code, and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. If an issuer of debt securities collateralized by real estate defaults, it is conceivable that the REITs could end up holding the underlying real estate.

 

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties that are deemed to present acceptable credit risks. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. The Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special “tri-party” custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both the Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

 

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by the Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. Government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) may be subject to special risks and may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty’s insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, the Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

 

SECURITIES LENDING. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including the Fund’s securities lending agent. Loans of portfolio securities provide a Fund with the opportunity to earn additional income on the Fund’s portfolio securities. All securities loans will be made pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in cash, or money market instruments, or money market funds at least equal at all times to the market value of the loaned securities. The borrower pays to the Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on loaned securities. The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Lending portfolio securities involves risks of delay in recovery of the loaned securities or in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Furthermore, because of the risks of delay in recovery, the Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. The Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned.

 

TRACKING STOCKS. The Funds may invest in tracking stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.

 

U.S. Government Securities . A Fund may invest in U.S. government securities to the extent consistent with its investment objective and strategies. Not all U.S. government obligations carry the same credit support. Although many U.S. government securities in which the fund may invest, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and, therefore, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some, such as those of Ginnie Mae, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; and others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations. Still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality or sponsored enterprise. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by the fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law.

 

As agency of the U.S. government has placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. As a result, these securities are subject to more credit risk than U.S. government securities that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States (e.g., U.S. Treasury bonds).

 

To the extent the Fund invests in debt instruments or securities of non-U.S. government entities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, there is a possibility that such guarantee may be discontinued or modified at a later date.

 

The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008-2009 financial downturn.  Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.  A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due.  This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt ceiling to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and growth in public spending. On February 9, 2018, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which suspends the statutory debt ceiling through March 1, 2019. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt ceiling negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

 

Future Developments . The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may, in the future, authorize a Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.

 

IN VESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

 

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:

 


1. Concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of related 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 tax-exempt 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.

3. Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.

6. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

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

 


1. Each Fund will not hold illiquid investments in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
 

2. Each 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 respective Index. The Funds will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ notice of any change in their 80% strategy.

 

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 with respect to the borrowing of money. With respect to the limitation on illiquid investments, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid investments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).

 

POR TFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds’ security holdings. As exchange-traded funds, information about each Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of an Order of the SEC applicable to the Funds, regulations of the Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of each Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day. A “Business Day” is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or third-party service providers.

 

The Funds will disclose on their website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by each Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day.

 

Each Fund may disclose its complete portfolio holdings or a portion of its portfolio holdings online at www.PacerETFs.com. Each Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

The Trust’s portfolio holdings policy provides that neither the Funds nor their Adviser, distributor or any agent, or any employee thereof (“Fund Representative”) will disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings information to any person other than in accordance with the policy. For purposes of the policy, “portfolio holdings information” means a Fund’s non-public actual portfolio holdings, as well as non-public information about its trading strategies or pending transactions including the portfolio holdings, trading strategies or pending transactions of any commingled fund portfolio which contains identical holdings as the Fund. Under the policy, neither a Fund nor any Fund Representative may solicit or accept any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. A Fund Representative may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties if such information has been included in a Fund’s public filings with the SEC or is disclosed on the Fund’s publicly accessible website. Information posted on a Fund’s website may be separately provided to any person commencing the day after it is first published on the Fund’s website.

 

Under the policy, each business day each Fund’s portfolio holdings information will be provided to the distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, (defined below) and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of Funds in the secondary market. The distributor may also make available portfolio holdings information to other institutional market participants and entities that provide information services. This information typically reflects each Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following business day. “Authorized Participants” are generally large institutional investors that have been authorized by the distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of shares (known as Creation Units) pursuant to legal requirements, including the exemptive order granted by the SEC, to which the Funds offer and redeem shares.

 

Other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, portfolio holdings information that is not filed with the SEC or posted on the publicly available website may be provided to third parties only in limited circumstances. Third-party recipients will be required to keep all portfolio holdings information confidential and prohibited from trading on the information they receive. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser. Disclosure to providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other similar services for the Funds, as well as rating and ranking organizations, will generally be permitted; however, information may be disclosed to other parties (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, and Authorized Participants that sell shares of a Fund) only upon approval by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser, who must first determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. In general, each recipient of non-public portfolio holding information must sign a confidentiality and non-trading agreement, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality as determined by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser.

 

CO NTINUOUS OFFERING

 

The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Trust’s Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

MA NAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by a Board of Trustees. The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

 

Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator. The 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 Funds. The Funds and their 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 Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

 

The Trustees’ role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a 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 CCO 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 a Fund may be exposed.

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser 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, the Board meets with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Funds’ investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.

 

The Trust’s CCO reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s CCO provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

 

The Board receives reports from the Funds’ 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 each 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 CCO, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of each 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 a 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 a 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 Funds’ 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 a 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 and Officers of the Trust. 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”). Joe M. Thomson serves as Chairman of the Board, and Deborah Wolk serves as the Trust’s 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 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 Committee. Each Committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of Independent Trustees.

 

The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The function of the Audit Committee is to review the scope and results of the annual audit of the Funds and any matters bearing on the audit or a Fund’s financial statements and to ensure the integrity of the Funds’ financial reporting. The Audit Committee also recommends to the Board of Trustees the annual selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds and it reviews and pre-approves audit and certain non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm.

 

The Nominating Committee, comprised of all the Independent Trustees, is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for Trustees. The Committee meets on an as needed basis.

 

Additionally, the Trust has a Fair Value Pricing Committee, appointed by the Board, comprised of certain officers of the Trust and employees of the Adviser. The Fair Value Pricing Committee is responsible for valuing securities held by the Funds for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee meets as necessary.

 

Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.

 


Name and Year of Birth
Position(s)
Held with the
Trust
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios in Fund
Complex Overseen
By Trustee
Other
Directorships held
by Trustee During
Past Five Years
Interested Trustee

Joe M. Thomson

Born: 1944

 

Trustee, Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer

 

Indefinite Term;
since 2014
Founder/President at Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005) 20
Director, First
Cornerstone Bank
(2000–2016)
Independent Trustees

Deborah G. Wolk

Born: 1950

 

Lead Independent Trustee
Indefinite Term;
since 2015

Self-employed providing accounting services and computer modeling (since 1997)

 

20 None

Jonathan H. Newman, Sr.

Born: 1962

 

Trustee
Indefinite Term;
since 2015

CEO and Chairman, Newman Wine & Spirits (since 2007)

 

20 None

Dennis J. Ryan

Born: 1947

 

Trustee
Indefinite Term;
since 2017
Principal/Owner, Brendan Abstract Company, Inc. (title insurance) (since 1999) 20 None

 

Individual Trustee Qualifications.

 

The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each 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. Thomson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained as Founder and President of Pacer Advisors, Inc., Pacer Financial, Inc., and in his past roles with various registered broker-dealers and investment management firms. In addition, he holds the Certified Financial Planner ® (CFP ® ), Chartered Life Underwriter ® (CLU ® ), Chartered Financial Consultant ® (ChFC ® ), and Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC ® ) designations, the FINRA General Principal's license, and the Pennsylvania Life & Annuity Insurance license.

 

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Wolk should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained during the past eighteen years providing accounting services and computer modeling expertise to small business clients, as well as her prior positions in the corporate finance field. In addition, she holds the Chartered Financial Consultant ® (ChFC ® ) designation. The Trust believes that Ms. Wolk’s extensive experience in accounting and finance provides an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Newman should serve as Trustee because of his experience as a successful entrepreneur and as a lawyer. The Trust believes that Mr. Newman’s business acumen and legal expertise provide an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Ryan should serve as Trustee because of his experience as a successful entrepreneur in the title insurance industry. The Trust believes that Mr. Ryan’s business acumen and understanding of complex financial issues and risk management provide an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.

 

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.

 

Principal Officers of the Trust

 

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated below, is c/o 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.

 

Name and Year of Birth
Position(s) Held with
Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past
Five Years

Joe M. Thomson

Born: 1944

 

Trustee, Chairman,
President, and Principal
Executive Officer

Indefinite Term;

since 2014

 

Founder/President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005);

President and Chief Compliance Officer, Pacer Financial, Inc.

(since 2005)

 

Sean E. O’Hara

Born: 1962

 

Treasurer and Principal
Financial Officer

Indefinite Term;

since 2014

 

Director, Index Design Group (since 2015); Director, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2007); Director, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2007).

 

Bruce Kavanaugh

Born: 1964

 

Secretary and
Portfolio Manager
Indefinite Term;
since 2016

Vice President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2004); Vice President, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2004)

 

Perpetua Seidenberg

Gateway Corporate Center Suite 216

223 Wilmington West Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Born: 1990

 

Chief Compliance
Officer and
AML Officer

Indefinite Term;

since 2018

 

Compliance Director, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (an investment management services company) (since 2014); Auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (2012–2014)

 

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. 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 completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.

 

Because the Funds are new, the Trustees and officers did not own any Shares of the Funds as of the date of this SAI.

 

Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a per meeting trustee fee of $1,500, as well as reimbursement for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at Board meetings. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No officer, director or employee of the Adviser, including Mr. Thomson, receives any compensation from the Funds for acting as a Trustee or officer of the Trust. The following table shows the compensation expected to be earned by each Trustee for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2020. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the Adviser from the unified management fees paid to the Adviser and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.

 

Name
Aggregate Compensation
From Each Fund
Total Compensation From Fund
Complex Paid to Trustees
Interested Trustees
Joe M. Thomson
$0 $0
Independent Trustees
Deborah G. Wolk
$0 $6,000
Jonathan H. Newman, Sr.
$0 $6,000
Dennis J. Ryan
$0 $6,000

 

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. Because the Funds are new, there were no beneficial owners as of the date of this SAI.

 

INVE STMENT ADVISER

 

Pacer Advisors, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a Pennsylvania company located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser is majority owned by Joe M. Thomson.

 

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Funds and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and all other non-distribution-related services necessary for the Funds to operate. Each Fund pays the Adviser a fee equal to a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, as follows:

 

Name of Fund Management Fee
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF 0.65%
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF 0.15%
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF 0.60%
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF 0.15%
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF 0.70%

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of the Funds, except for: the fees paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, 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 (12b-1) fees and expenses, if any.

 

The Adviser, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Funds, 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 pays all distribution costs for Fund Shares.

 

The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Funds, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval 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 Funds, 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 Funds, 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 Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

 

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds 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 the Funds, or by the Adviser, 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 the Funds in the event Shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

Portfolio Managers

Each Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Funds. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Funds and have served as Fund portfolio managers since each Fund’s inception.

 

In addition to the Funds, the Adviser’s portfolio managers each co-managed the following other accounts (collectively, the “Other Accounts”) as of March 31, 2019:

 

Type of Accounts

Total Number

of Accounts

Total Assets

of Accounts

Total Number of

Accounts with

Performance

Based Fees

Total Assets of

Accounts with

Performance Based
Fees

Registered Investment

Companies

15 $3,999,657,400   0 $0

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles

0 $0 0 $0
Other Accounts 0 $0 0 $0

 

Portfolio Managers Fund Ownership. Because the Funds are new, the foregoing portfolio managers did not own any Shares of the Funds as of the date of this SAI.

 

Portfolio Managers Compensation. Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr. Mack each receive a fixed salary from the Adviser.

 

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio managers' management of a Fund and Other Accounts, which, in theory, may allow them to allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors Other Accounts over a Fund. This conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that the Adviser or a portfolio manager receives, or expects to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Accounts (some of which may receive a base and incentive fee) than from a Fund. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is the Adviser's policy to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions, and the Adviser has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with each account's investment objectives and related restrictions.

 

Codes of Ethics. The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted a code of ethics, including an insider trading policy, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as applicable. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).

 

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov .

 

Proxy Voting Policy. The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with a Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third-party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner. The Trust’s chief compliance officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies.

 

Under the Proxy Voting Policies, in the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, the Adviser will vote proxies in the best interest of each particular client. The Adviser has adopted the Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines attached as Appendix B . They are designed to vote in a manner consistent with the Adviser’s investment decision making. The Adviser’s policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client, absent qualifying restrictions from a client. Clients are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on our voting authority in the same manner that they may place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities. Clients may direct the vote in a particular solicitation.

 

The Adviser will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditor's non-audit services. The Adviser will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights. In reviewing proposals, the Adviser will further consider the opinion of management, the effect on management, the effect on shareholder value and the issuer’s business practices.

 

When available, information on how a Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12 month period ended June 30 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 .

 

TH E ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT, AND INDEX RECEIPT AGENT

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), serves as administrator, transfer agent, and index receipt agent for the Funds. Fund Services’ principal address is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services 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, Fund Services 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 Fund Services a fee based on each Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.

 

The Funds are new and the Adviser has not paid Fund Services any fees for administrative services to the Funds as of the date of this SAI.

 

THE CUSTODIAN

 

Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”), 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian of each 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 the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee and certain settlement charges. The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Sec urities Lending Activities

 

U.S. Bank (the “Securities Lending Agent”) serves as securities lending agent to the Funds. The Securities Lending Agent is responsible for the implementation and administration of the applicable Funds’ securities lending program pursuant to an agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the applicable Funds, and the Securities Lending Agent (the “Securities Lending Agreement”). The Securities Lending Agent acts as agent to the applicable Funds to lend available securities with any person on the Securities Lending Agent’s list of approved borrowers and (i) determines whether a loan shall be made and negotiates and establishes the terms and conditions of the loan with the borrower; (ii) ensures that all substitute interest, dividends, and other distributions paid with respect to loan securities is credited to the applicable Fund’s relevant account on the date such amounts are delivered by the borrower to the Securities Lending Agent; (iii) receives and holds, on the applicable Fund’s behalf, collateral from borrowers to secure obligations of borrowers with respect to any loan of available securities; (iv) marks loaned securities and collateral to their market value each business day based upon the market value of the loaned securities and collateral at the close of business employing the most recently available pricing information and receives and delivers collateral to maintain the value of the collateral at no less than 100% of the market value of the loaned securities; (v) at the termination of a loan, returns the collateral to the borrower upon the return of the loaned securities to the Securities Lending Agent; (vi) invests cash collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Agreement; and (viii) maintains such records as are reasonably necessary to account for loans that are made and the income derived therefrom and makes available to the applicable Fund a monthly statement describing the loans outstanding, including an accounting of all securities lending transactions.

 

THE DIS TRIBUTOR

 

The Trust and Pacer Financial, Inc. (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of the Adviser, are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes the Shares of the Funds. 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 25,000 Shares. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.

 

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, SAIs 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 Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

 

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable 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 each 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 sixty (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 sixty (60) days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

 

Intermediary Compensation . The Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of the Funds’ assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Funds, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Funds, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Funds and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Funds’ Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Fund Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund Shares.

 

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Funds, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

 

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares of the Funds.

 

Distribution and Service Plan.  The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

 

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 

The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.

 

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts; and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

 

LEG AL COUNSEL

 

DLA Piper LLP, One Liberty Place, 1650 Market Street, Suite 4900, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel for the Trust. Duane Morris LLP, 30 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel for the Independent Trustees.

 

INDE PENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Sanville & Company, 1514 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001 , serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.

 

B ROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Funds is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Fund Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

The Adviser owes a duty to the Funds to seek best execution on trades effected. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

 

Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “ Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units ” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “—Redemption Transaction Fee”, a Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of a Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to executed the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.

 

The Adviser may use a Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, a Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only use brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

 

The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

 

The Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by 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 a Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the 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 Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as a Fund is 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.

 

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

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by a Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically. During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Funds did not pay brokerage commissions to any registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser or the Distributor.

 

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers”. 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 and 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 have securities of “regular broker and dealers” to report.

 

Brokerage Commissions. The Funds are new and have not paid any commissions to any affiliated brokers.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by the other institutional investors for comparable services. The Funds are new and therefore do not have portfolio turnover rates to report.

 

ADD ITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares of each Fund. Each Share of each Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in any given Fund with any given Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Funds. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. Each Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust's shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

 

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

 

Role of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”). DTC acts as Securities Depository for the Shares of the Trust. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

 

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of which (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which is owned by its member firms, including international broker dealers, correspondent and clearing banks, mutual fund companies and investment banks. 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 (“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. No Beneficial Owner shall have the right to receive a certificate representing such Shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the Funds held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to 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 and number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares of the Trust. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such 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 decide to discontinue its service with respect to Shares of the Trust at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

 

LIMI TATION 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 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 fullest extent provided by law 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.

 

PURCHASE AND REDE MPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

 

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

 

Fund Deposits. 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 a Fund’s Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, 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 a Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV 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).

 

The Funds, through NSCC, will make available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposits (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund. Such Fund Deposits are subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, 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 a Creation Unit changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of a 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. However, there will be no intraday changes to Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash except to correct errors in the published list.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, the Clearing Process (discussed below), the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury Securities (discussed below) or for other similar reasons. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where delivery of Deposit Securities to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other situations.

 

On a given Business Day, the Trust may require all Authorized Participants purchasing Creation Units on that day to deposit an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below). The Trust also reserves the right to permit a “cash in lieu” to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity or which may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting (“custom orders”). The Trust may in its discretion require an Authorized Participant to purchase Creation Units of the Fund in cash, rather than in-kind. On a given Business Day, the Trust may announce before the open of trading that all purchases of Creation Units of the Fund on that day will be made entirely in cash or, upon receiving a purchase order for Creation Units of the Fund from an Authorized Participant, the Trust may determine to require that purchase to be made entirely in cash.

 

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units . To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Funds, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e. , a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent 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 (described below) and any other applicable fees and taxes.

 

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) of such Funds is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

Except as otherwise set forth in this SAI, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF and the Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF (a “T-1 Fund”) on the next Business Day must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent as a “Future Dated Trade” for one or more Creation Units between 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the prior Business Day and in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The Business Day following the day on which such an order is submitted to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) of such Fund is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units for each Fund other than the T-1 Fund and for any T-1 Fund when the Deposit Securities for such T-1 Fund include only U.S. Treasury bills is expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which time may be modified by a Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time or such earlier time as may be designated by a Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants.

 

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, ( e.g. , to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

 

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Funds’ investments are primarily traded is closed, the Funds will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Funds, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day, as designated in the Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of 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 a 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 second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

 

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Order Placement Date provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component 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 Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component 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 Funds for losses, if any, resulting there from. 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 sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, as discussed in Appendix A , the Funds reserve the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor 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 a Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

Creation Units may be issued 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 a 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 described below under “Creation Transaction Fee” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units . The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to 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 a Fund; (e) the acceptance of a Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of a 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 fixed purchase ( i.e. , creation) transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, are set forth in the table below . A Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if a Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

Name of Fund

Fixed Creation

Transaction Fee

Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF $8,000*
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF   $250
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF   $250
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF   $250
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF $1,750

* The fixed creation transaction fee will be $200 when the Deposit Securities include only U.S. Treasury bills.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to a Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. A Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

 

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from a Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

 

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

 

Redemption . Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Funds through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. 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 to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of 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 the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the 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 fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction are set forth in the table below. A Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

Name of Fund Fixed Redemption
Transaction Fee
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF   $8,000*
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF    $250
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF    $250
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF    $250
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF $1,750

* The fixed redemption transaction fee will be $200 when the Deposit Securities include only U.S. Treasury bills.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to a Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. A Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

 

Investors who use the services of 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 Fund to their account or on their order.

 

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Except as otherwise set forth in this SAI, orders to redeem Creation Units of the T-1 Funds on the next Business Day must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent as a “Future Dated Trade” for one or more Creation Units between 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the prior Business Day and in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form.

 

The order cut-off time for orders to redeem Creation Units for each Fund other than the T-1 Fund and for any T-1 Fund when the Deposit Securities for such T-1 Fund include only U.S. Treasury bills is expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by a Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time or such earlier time as may be designated by a Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants.

 

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 two business days of the trade date.

 

Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. 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 Funds, 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.

 

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 a 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 Funds 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.

 

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 to receive Fund Securities.

 

Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Funds, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Funds, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Funds on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Funds could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to each Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Funds 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, a Fund may require orders to be placed or notification of orders to be received prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, to receive the trade date’s net asset value. Orders to purchase Shares of the Funds 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.

 

DETER MINATION OF NAV

 

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 a Fund is calculated by Fund Services and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (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, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published net asset value per share. 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.

 

DIVIDE NDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”

 

General Policies . Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Pacer Trendpilot International ETF and Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds ETF and quarterly by each other Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Funds may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Funds to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

 

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

 

The Trust makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Funds, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Funds reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of each Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Funds at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Funds will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

FE DERAL INCOME TAXES

 

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Funds is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act makes significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the TCJA is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on a Fund, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

 

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC) . Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:

 

(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);

 

(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund’s total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund’s total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

 

(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

 

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

 

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a fund’s business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

 

Under the TCJA, “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). The TCJA does not contain a provision permitting a RIC, such as the Fund, to pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. Currently, direct investors in REITs will enjoy the deduction and, thus, the lower federal income tax rate, but investors in a RIC, such as certain of the Funds, that invest in such REITs will not. It is uncertain whether a future technical corrections bill or regulations issued by the IRS will address this issue to enable the Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to its shareholders.

 

Taxation of the Funds . If the Funds qualify for treatment as RICs, the Funds will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to their shareholders in the form of dividends.

 

If, for any taxable year, a Fund was to fail to qualify as a RIC or was to fail to meet the distribution requirement, they would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, a Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, a Fund would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year to qualify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent year. Under certain circumstances, a Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but to do so that Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.

 

The Funds intend to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of their investment company taxable income and net capital gains. Investment company taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their Shares of such undistributed amount, (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate Shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.

 

If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Funds intend to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that they will be able to do so. The Funds may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Funds to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

 

A 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. 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, and certain other late-year losses.

 

The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Funds is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If a Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) 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. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

 

Fund Distributions . Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares. Moreover, distributions of a Fund’s Shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Investors may therefore wish to avoid purchasing Shares at a time when a Fund’s NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Realized gains must generally be distributed even when a Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

 

Dividends and other distributions are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

 

Distributions by a Fund of investment income is generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of a Fund’s net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) that are properly reported by a Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For individuals, long-term capital gains are currently subject to a reduced maximum tax rate of 20%. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

 

Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of non-corporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. If the aggregate qualified dividends received by a Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be reported as qualified dividend income.

 

A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either a Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. In addition, distributions that the Funds receive from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.

 

Dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of a Fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by a Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (1) if the stock on which the dividend is paid is considered to be “debt-financed” (generally, acquired with borrowed funds), (2) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that a Fund has held for less than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (3) to the extent that a Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends-received deduction may be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its Shares of the Fund or (2) by application of the Code.

 

To the extent that a Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

Dividends and distributions from a Fund will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.

 

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of that shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, and thereafter as capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her Shares as capital assets. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its Shares.

 

The Funds will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

 

Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of Shares in the Funds may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of Shares of a Fund for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if 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. However, 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 Funds are purchased 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.

 

Tax Treatment of Complex Securities. The Funds may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect a Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Funds are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Funds and/or defer the Funds’ ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject the Funds to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of their foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Funds.

 

Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount (“OID”). Generally, a Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary.

 

A Fund may invest in inflation-linked debt securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be OID, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though a Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. If a Fund invests in securities that have OID, it may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate any possible taxation at a Fund level. Moreover, a Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.

 

Backup Withholding. A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund Shares) generally is required to withhold and to 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 under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

 

Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.

 

A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of Shares of the Funds or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax.

 

A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for 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 Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.

 

For a non-U.S. person to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Funds 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 (“IRS”).

 

A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject 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.

 

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

 

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

 

Section 351. The Trust on behalf of the Funds has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or any group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, that 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.

 

Foreign Investments . Income received by the Funds from sources within foreign countries and U.S. possessions (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 and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on a Fund’s stock or securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.

 

If as of the end of the Funds’ taxable year more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s assets consist of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens, or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) 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, a Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders who must include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders’ federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a 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.

 

If a Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as “passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs,” the Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund's pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. In such instances, the Funds intend to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions . A Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will generally be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to a Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and records when they acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.

 

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from income that qualifies for a Fund to satisfy the RIC requirements of the Code described above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund’s business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing a Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

 

An Authorized Participant having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal tax purposes that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any 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 U.S. dollar market value of the securities plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss that is realized by an Authorized Participant upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Certain 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 IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. 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.

 

Cost Basis. Legislation passed by Congress now requires the reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include Shares of a RIC acquired to the IRS and to taxpayers. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.

 

General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Shares of the Fund held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from a Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of Shares of the Funds, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

 

State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by a Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of Shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that a Fund will not be liable for any corporate tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.

 

FINANCI AL STATEMENTS

 

Financial Statements and Annual Reports will be available after the Funds have completed a fiscal year of operations. When available, you may request a copy of the Funds’ Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-800-617-0004 or through the Funds’ website at www.paceretfs.com.

 

APP ENDIX A

 

The Funds generally intend to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis of “T” plus two business days. The Funds may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than T plus two 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 two 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 Fund 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 Fund. 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. Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on days that the Fund’s Exchange is closed or on days that are not business days for the Fund, Authorized Participants may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets, including Saturdays, Sundays, the U.S. holidays listed below, and any other time the Exchange is closed.

 

The dates of the Regular Holidays in the United States in calendar year 2019 are:

 

New Year’s Day January 1, 2019
   
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 21, 2019
   
Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) February 18, 2019
   
Good Friday April 19, 2019
   
Memorial Day May 27, 2019
   
Independence Day July 4, 2019*
   
Labor Day September 2, 2019
   
Thanksgiving Day November 28, 2019**
   
Christmas Day December 25, 2019***

 

* The NYSE, NYSE AMEX and NASDAQ will close trading early at 1:00 PM ET on Wednesday July 3, 2019 (the day before Independence Day).

 

** The NYSE, NYSE AMEX and NASDAQ will close trading early at 1:00 PM ET on Friday, November 29, 2019 (the day after Thanksgiving).

 

*** The NYSE, NYSE AMEX and NASDAQ will close trading early at 1:00 PM ET on Tuesday, December 24, 2019 (the day before Christmas).

 

Listed below are the dates in calendar year 2019 in which the regular holidays in non-U.S. markets may impact Fund settlement. This list is based on information available to the Fund. The list may not be accurate or complete and is subject to change:

 

AUSTRALIA      
January 1 April 22 August 5 December 25
January 28 April 25 October 7 November 5
April 19 May 6    
       
BELGIUM      
January 1 May 30 August 15 December 25
April 22 June 10 November 1  
May 1 July 21 November 11  
       
CANADA      
January 1 April 19 July 1 November 11
February 11 April 22 August 5 December 25
February 18 May 20 September 2 December 26
       
DENMARK      
January 1 April 22 June 5 December 25
April 18 May 17 June 10 December 26
April 19 May 30 December 24 December 31
       
FINLAND      
January 1 April 22 December 6 December 25
January 6 May 1 December 24 December 26
April 19 May 30    
       
FRANCE      
January 1 May 8 July 14 November 11
April 22 May 30 August 15 December 25
May 1 June 10 November 1 December 26
       
GERMANY      
January 1 May 1 June 10 December 25
April 9 May 30 October 3 December 26
April 22      
       
HONG KONG      
January 1 April 5 May 13 October 1
February 4 April 19 June 7 October 7
February 5 April 20 July 1 December 25
February 6 April 22 September 14 December 26
February 7 May 1    
       
IRELAND      
January 1 April 22 August 5 December 26
March 18 May 6 October 28 December 27
April 19 June 3 December 25  
       
ISRAEL      
March 21 May 9 September 30 October 14
April 21 June 10 October 1 October 22
April 27 August 11 October 9  
       
ITALY      
January 1 April 22 June 2 December 8
January 6 April 25 August 15 December 25
April 19 May 1 November 1 December 26
       
JAPAN      
January 1 March 21 July 15 October 14
January 2 April 19 August 12 November 4
January 3 May 3 September 16 November 25
January 14 May 4 September 23 December 23
February 11 May 6    
 
LUXEMBOURG      
January 1 May 1 June 23 December 25
April 19 May 30 August 15 December 26
April 22 June 10 November 1  
       
NETHERLANDS      
January 1 April 27 May 30 December 25
April 19 May 4 June 10 December 26
April 22 May 5    
       
NEW ZEALAND      
January 1 April 19 June 3 December 26
January 2 April 22 October 28  
February 6 April 25 December 25  
       
NORWAY      
January 1 April 22 May 30 December 25
April 18 May 1 June 10 December 26
April 19 May 17 December 24  
       
SINGAPORE      
January 1 April 19 June 5 October 27
February 5 May 1 August 9 December 25
February 6 May 19 August 12  
       
SPAIN      
January 1 April 22 September 11 December 6
January 6 May 1 October 12 December 8
April 18 July 25 November 1 December 25
April 19 August 15    
       
SWEDEN      
January 1 May 1 June 22 December 25
January 6 May 30 November 2 December 26
April 19 June 6 December 24 December 31
April 22 June 21    
       
SWITZERLAND      
January 1 April 22 June 10 December 25
January 2 May 30 August 1 December 26
April 19      
       
UNITED KINGDOM      
January 1 May 6 August 5 December 25
April 19 May 27 August 6 December 26
April 22      

 

The longest redemption cycle is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose securities comprise the Fund. In the calendar year 2019, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case (longest) redemption cycle* as follows:

 

SETTLEMENT PERIODS
GREATER THAN SEVEN
DAYS FOR YEAR 2019
  Beginning of
Settlement
Period
  End of
Settlement
Period
  Number of
Days in
Settlement
Period
             
Australia   4/18/2019   4/26/2019   8
             
Brazil   2/27/2019   3/7/2019   8
    2/28/2019   3/8/2019   8
 
SETTLEMENT PERIODS
GREATER THAN SEVEN
DAYS FOR YEAR 2019
  Beginning of
Settlement
Period
  End of
Settlement
Period
  Number of
Days in
Settlement
Period
    3/1/2019   3/11/2019   10
             
China   1/30/2019   2/11/2019   12
    1/31/2019   2/12/2019   12
    2/1/2019   2/11/2019   10
    2/1/2019   2/13/2019   12
             
Czech Republic   1/30/2019   2/11/2019   12
    1/31/2019   2/12/2019   12
    2/1/2019   2/13/2019   12
    2/4/2019   2/13/2019   9
    2/5/2019   2/13/2019   8
    9/25/2019   10/8/2019   13
    9/26/2019   10/8/2019   12
    9/27/2019   10/9/2019   12
             
Egypt   8/7/2019   8/19/2019   12
    8/8/2019   8/20/2019   12
    8/9/2019   8/20/2019   11
             
Finland   12/23/2019   12/31/2019   8
             
Ghana   4/24/2019   5/2/2019   8
    4/25/2019   5/3/2019   8
             
Hong Kong   1/31/2019   2/8/2019   8
    2/1/2019   2/11/2019   10
             
Israel   10/7/2019   10/15/2019   8
             
Japan   12/26/2018   1/4/2019   9
    12/27/2018   1/7/2019   11
    12/28/2018   1/8/2019   11
             
Kuwait   8/8/2019   8/19/2019   11
    8/9/2019   8/19/2019   10
             
Malaysia   1/30/2019   2/7/2019   8
    1/31/2019   2/8/2019   8
             
Morocco   8/9/2019   8/19/2019   10
             
New Zealand   4/18/2019   4/26/2019   8
             
Russia   12/31/2018   1/8/2019   8
             
Taiwan   1/31/2019   2/11/2019   11
    2/1/2019   2/11/2019   10
             
Turkey   5/31/2019   6/10/2019   10
             
Vietnam   1/31/2019   2/11/2019   11
    2/1/2019   2/12/2019   11
    2/4/2019   2/12/2019   8
 

APPE NDIX B

 

GLASS LEWIS INVESTMENT MANAGER GUIDELINES

 

The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines are designed to maximize returns for investment managers by voting in a manner consistent with such managers’ active investment decision-making. The guidelines are designed to increase investor’s potential financial gain through the use of the shareholder vote while also allowing management and the board discretion to direct the operations, including governance and compensation, of the firm.

 

The guidelines will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the fiduciary responsibilities unique to investment advisors and investment companies on behalf of individual investor clients including mutual fund shareholders. The guidelines will encourage the maximization of return for such clients through identifying and avoiding financial, audit and corporate governance risks.

 

MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

 

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

In analyzing directors and boards, Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally support the election of incumbent directors except when a majority of the company’s directors are not independent or where directors fail to attend at least 75% of board and committee meetings. In a contested election, we will apply the standard Glass Lewis recommendation.

 

AUDITOR

The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support auditor ratification except when the non-audit fees exceed the audit fees paid to the auditor.

 

COMPENSATION

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance in designing appropriate executive compensation plans that truly reward pay for performance. We evaluate equity compensation plans based upon their specific features and will vote against plans than would result in total overhang greater than 20% or that allow the repricing of options without shareholder approval.

 

The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the general Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on management advisory votes on compensation (“say-on-pay”) and on executive compensation arrangements in connection with merger transactions (i.e., golden parachutes). Further, the Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on the preferred frequency of advisory compensation votes.

 

AUTHORIZED SHARES

Having sufficient available authorized shares allows management to avail itself of rapidly developing opportunities as well as to effectively operate the business. However, we believe that for significant transactions management should seek shareholder approval to justify the use of additional shares. Therefore shareholders should not approve the creation of a large pool of unallocated shares without some rational of the purpose of such shares. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not provided an appropriate plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. We also vote against the creation of or increase in (i) blank check preferred shares and (ii) dual or multiple class capitalizations.

 

SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS

Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support proposals increasing or enhancing shareholder rights such as declassifying the board, allowing shareholders to call a special meeting, eliminating supermajority voting and adopting majority voting for the election of directors. Similarly, the Investment Manager Guidelines will generally vote against proposals to eliminate or reduce shareholder rights.

 

MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

Glass Lewis undertakes a thorough examination of the economic implications of a proposed merger or acquisition to determine the transaction’s likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. We examine the process used to negotiate the transaction as well as the terms of the transaction in making our voting recommendation.

 

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

We review and vote on shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. We recommend supporting shareholder proposals if the requested action would increase shareholder value, mitigate risk or enhance shareholder rights but generally recommend voting against those that would not ultimately impact performance.

 

GOVERNANCE

The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will support reasonable initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, elimination in/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board and requiring the submission of shareholder rights’ plans to a shareholder vote. The guidelines generally support reasonable, well- targeted proposals to allow increased shareholder participation at shareholder meetings through the ability to call special meetings and ability for shareholders to nominate director candidates to a company’s board of directors. However, the Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against proposals to require separating the roles of CEO and chairman.

 

COMPENSATION

The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally oppose any shareholder proposals seeking to limit compensation in amount or design. However, the guidelines will vote for reasonable and properly-targeted shareholder initiatives such as to require shareholder approval to reprice options, to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, to allow a shareholder vote on excessive golden parachutes (i.e., greater than 2.99 times annual compensation) and to clawback unearned bonuses. The Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against requiring companies to allow shareholders an advisory compensation vote.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines vote against proposals seeking to cease a certain practice or take certain action related to a company’s activities or operations with environmental. Further, the Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally vote against proposals regarding enhanced environment disclosure and reporting, including those seeking sustainability reporting and disclosure about company’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as advocating compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles like those promulgated by CERES.

 

SOCIAL

Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally oppose proposals requesting companies adhere to labor or worker treatment codes of conduct, such as those espoused by the International Labor Organization, relating to labor standards, human rights conventions and corporate responsibility at large conventions and principles. The guidelines will also vote against proposals seeking disclosure concerning the rights of workers, impact on local stakeholders, workers’ rights and human rights in general. Furthermore, the Investment Manager Guidelines oppose increased reporting and review of a company’s political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices.

 

PACER FUNDS TRUST
PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28.  Exhibits.

(a)
(1)
   
Certificate of Trust dated August 12, 2014 was previously filed with the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on January 15, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(2)
   
Declaration of Trust dated August 12, 2014 was previously filed with the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on January 15, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
(b)
     
By-Laws dated August 12, 2014 were previously filed with the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on January 15, 2015 and are incorporated herein by reference.
         
(c)
     
Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders—Incorporated by reference to Articles III, V, VI, VII and VIII of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.
         
(d)
(1)
   
Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Pacer Advisors, Inc. dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(2)
   
Amended Schedule A to Investment Advisory Agreement – Filed herewith .
         
(e)
(1)
   
Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Pacer Financial, Inc. dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(2)
   
Amended Appendix A to Distribution Agreement – Filed herewith .
         
(f)
     
Bonus, profit sharing contracts—None.
         
(g)
(1)
(A)
 
Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
    (B)
 
Third Amendment to Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association dated June 1, 2017, was previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 28, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
   
(C)
 
Amended Exhibit B to the Custody Agreement – Filed herewith .
         
(h)
(1)
(A)
 
Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
    (B)
 
Fourth Amendment to Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 1, 2017 , was previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 28, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
   
(C)
 
Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement – Filed herewith .
         
 
(2)
(A)
 
Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
   
(B)
 
Third Amendment to Transfer Agent Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 1, 2017 , was previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 28, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
    (C)
  Amended Exhibit A to the Transfer Agent Agreement – Filed herewith .
         
 
(3)
(A)
 
Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 26, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
    (B)
 
Fourth Amendment to Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 1, 2017 , was previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 28, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
   
(C)
 
Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement – Filed herewith .

1

 
(4)
   
Form of Authorized Participant Agreement was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
(i)
(1)
   
Opinion and Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP for Pacer Trendpilot™ 750 ETF, Pacer Trendpilot™ 450 ETF, Pacer Trendpilot™ 100 ETF and Pacer US Export Leaders ETF is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on May 27, 2015.
         
 
(2)
   
Opinion and Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP for Pacer Trendpilot™ European Index ETF, Pacer Autopilot Hedged European Index ETF, Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (formerly known as the Pacer Global High Dividend ETF) and Pacer International Export Leaders ETF is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 25, 2015.
         
 
(3)
   
Opinion and Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP for Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF, Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF, and Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF (formerly known as the Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF), was previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 9 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 12, 2016 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(4)
   
Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US) – Filed herewith .
         
(j)
     
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – Not Applicable .
         
(k)
     
Financial statements omitted from prospectus—None.
         
(l)
     
Subscription Agreement dated May 15, 2015, was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
(m)
(1)
   
Rule 12b-1 Plan was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(2)
   
Amended Schedule A to Rule 12b-1 Plan – Filed herewith .
         
(n)
     
Rule 18f-3 Plan—None.
         
(o)
     
Reserved.
         
(p)
(1)
   
Code of Ethics of Pacer Funds Trust was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(2)
   
Code of Ethics of Pacer Advisors, Inc. dated August 3, 2017 – Filed herewith .
         
 
(3)
   
Code of Ethics of Pacer Financial, Inc. was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and is incorporated herein by reference.
         
 
(4)
(A)
 
Powers of Attorney were previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 27, 2015 and are incorporated herein by reference.
         
   
(B)
 
Power of Attorney was previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 8, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.

2

Item 29.  Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant

Not Applicable.

Item 30.  Indemnification

Reference is made to Article VII, Section III of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, which was filed with the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on January 15, 2015. The general effect of this provision is to indemnify the Trustees, officers, employees and other agents of the Trust who are parties pursuant to any proceeding by reason of their actions performed in their scope of service on behalf of the Trust.

Pursuant to Rule 484 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Registrant furnishes the following undertaking: “Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.”

Item 31.  Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

With respect to the Adviser, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the SEC (File No. 801-79654) dated March 27, 2019. The Adviser’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Additional information about the Adviser is incorporated by reference to the Statement of Additional Information and Item 32 of this Part C to the Registrant’s Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 411 under the Securities Act.

Item 32.  Principal Underwriter

(a)            Pacer Financial, Inc., the Registrant’s principal underwriter, does not act as principal underwriter for any other investment companies.

(b)            To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of Pacer Financial, Inc. are as follows:

Name and Principal
Business Address (1)
 
Position and Offices with Pacer Financial, Inc.
 
Positions and Offices with Registrant
Joe M. Thomson
 
President, CCO
 
President, Chairman
Joann Thomson
 
Secretary, Treasurer
 
None
Paul L. Giorgio
 
FINOP
 
None
(1)
The principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.

(c)
Not applicable.

3

Item 33.  Location of Accounts and Records

The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder will be maintained at the offices of:

Records Relating to:
Are located at:
Registrant’s Transfer Agent, Fund Administrator and Fund Accountant
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
 
Registrant’s Custodian
U.S. Bank National Association
1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, WI 53212
 
Registrant’s Investment Advisor
Pacer Advisors, Inc.
500 Chesterfield Parkway
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
 
Registrant’s Distributor
Pacer Financial, Inc.
500 Chesterfield Parkway
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
 

Item 34.  Management Services

Not applicable.

Item 35.  Undertakings

Not applicable.
4

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed below on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Malvern and the State of Pennsylvania on April 30, 2019.

 
Pacer Funds Trust
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Sean E. O’Hara
 
 
 
Sean E. O’Hara
 
 
 
Treasurer
 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated as of April 30, 2019.

Signature
Title
 
 
/s/ Deborah G. Wolk*
Lead Independent Trustee
Deborah G. Wolk
 
   
/s/ Dennis J. Ryan *
Trustee
Dennis J. Ryan
 
   
/s/ Jonathan H. Newman, Sr.*
Trustee
Jonathan H. Newman, Sr.
 
   
/s/ Joe M. Thomson
Trustee and President
Joe M. Thomson
 
   
/s/ Sean E. O’Hara
Treasurer
Sean E. O’Hara
 

*By:
/s/ Sean E. O’Hara
 
 
Sean E. O’Hara
Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to
Powers of Attorney
 


INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.
Description of Exhibit
(d)(2)
Amended Schedule A to Investment Advisory Agreement
(e)(2)
Amended Appendix A to Distribution Agreement
(g)(1)( C )
Amendment to Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association
(h)(1)( C )
Amendment to Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(h)(2)( C )
Amendment to Transfer Agent Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(h)(3)( C )
Amendment to Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(i)(4)
Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US)
(m)(2)
Amended Schedule A to Rule 12b-1 Plan
(p)(2)
Code of Ethics of Pacer Advisors, Inc.



 






SCHEDULE A
to the
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Dated May 26, 2015 between
PACER FUNDS TRUST
and
PACER ADVISORS, INC.
 
As Amended December 10, 2018
 
The Trust will pay to the Adviser as compensation for the Adviser’s services rendered, a fee, computed daily at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the respective Fund in accordance with the following fee schedule:

Fund
Rate
Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
0.60%
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
0.60%
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
0.65%
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
0.65%
Pacer Autopilot Hedged European Index ETF
0.65%
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
0.60%
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
0.60%
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
0.60%
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.49%
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.65%
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.59% *
Pacer WealthShield ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Apartments & Residential Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrastructure Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.60%
Pacer Military Times Best for Vets   Equity ETF
0.60%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
0.60%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
0.60%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
0.60%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
0.60%
Pacer Trendpilot® International ETF
0.65%
Pacer Trendpilot® Fund of Funds ETF
0.15%
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
0.60%
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
0.15%
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.70%
 
* Effective since the Fund’s commencement.



 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be signed on their behalf  by their duly authorized officers as of the date set forth above.
 

PACER FUNDS TRUST
PACER ADVISORS, INC.
 
By:         /s/ Joe M. Thomson              
 
By:         /s/ Joe M. Thomson      
Name:   Joe M. Thomson                   
Name:   Joe M. Thomson                           
Title:     President and Chairman        
Title:     President                         



1



 
APPENDIX A
to the
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Dated May 26, 2015 between
PACER FUNDS TRUST
and
PACER FINANCIAL, INC.

    As Amended December 10, 2018
 

LIST OF PORTFOLIOS
 

Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
Pacer Autopilot Hedged European Index ETF
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer WealthShield ETF
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Apartments & Residential Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrastructure Real Estate SCTR   ETF
Pacer Military Times Best for Vets   Equity ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF


 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be signed on their behalf  by their duly authorized officers as of the date set forth above.
 

PACER FUNDS TRUST
PACER FINANCIAL, INC.
 
By:         /s/ Joe M. Thomson               
 
By:         /s/ Joe M. Thomson            
Name:   Joe M. Thomson                     
Name:   Joe M. Thomson                  
Title:     President and Chairman          
Title:     President                                  




1



 
Amended Exhibit B
to the Custody Agreement dated 5.26.2015 – Pacer Funds Trust Funds serviced at November 2018
 

Name of Series
 

 
Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows100 ETF
Pacer WealthShield ETF
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Military Times Best of Vets Equity ETF
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Apt & Residential Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate ET
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrast Real Estate ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF



1




Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement dated 5.26.2015 – Pacer Funds Trust


Funds serviced at November 2018

 

Name of Series
 
Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows100 ETF
Pacer WealthShield ETF
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Military Times Best of Vets Equity ETF
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Apt & Residential Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate ET
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrast Real Estate ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF


1


Amended Exhibit A to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement dated 5.26.2015 – Pacer Funds Trust

Funds serviced at November 2018

 

Name of Series

Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows100 ETF
Pacer WealthShield ETF
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Military Times Best of Vets Equity ETF
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Apt & Residential Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate ET
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrast Real Estate ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF

1



 
Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement dated 5.26.2015 – Pacer Funds Trust
 
Funds serviced at November 2018

 
Name of Series
 
Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows100 ETF
Pacer WealthShield ETF
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Military Times Best of Vets Equity ETF
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Apt & Residential Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate ETF
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate ET
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrast Real Estate ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot ® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF

1




CONSENT OF DLA PIPER LLP (US), COUNSEL FOR THE REGISTRANT


We hereby consent to the use of our name and the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Counsel” included in or made a part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registration Statement of Pacer Funds Trust on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


DLA Piper LLP (US)


By: /s/ John H. Grady  
Partner


Philadelphia, PA
April 30, 2019



 
SCHEDULE A
to the
PACER FUNDS
TRUST
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
(12b-1 Plan)
 
As Amended December 10, 2018


Series of Pacer Funds Trust
Rule 12b-1 Fee
Pacer Trendpilot® US Large Cap ETF
0.25%
Pacer Trendpilot® US Mid Cap ETF
0.25%
Pacer Trendpilot® 100 ETF
0.25%
Pacer Trendpilot® European Index ETF
0.25%
Pacer Autopilot Hedged European Index ETF
0.25%
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF
0.25%
Pacer International Export Leaders ETF
0.25%
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF
0.25%
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.25%
Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.25%
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.25%
Pacer WealthShield ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Hotel & Lodging Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Apartments & Residential Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Office Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Retail Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Healthcare Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Industrial Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Net Lease Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrastructure Real Estate SCTR   ETF
0.25%
Pacer Military Times Best for Vets   Equity ETF
0.25%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Equal Weight Index ETF
0.25%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Global Index ETF
0.25%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Index ETF
0.25%
Pacer CFRA-Stovall Seasonal Rotation Small Cap ETF
0.25%
Pacer Trendpilot® International ETF
Pacer Trendpilot® Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF
Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF
Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%

 

1





Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics

I. INTRODUCTION
 
A. Fiduciary Duty. This Code of Ethics is based on the principle that all employees of Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the "Company") and certain other persons have a fiduciary duty to place the interests of clients ahead of their own and the Company's. This Code of Ethics applies to all Employees. Employees must avoid activities, interests, and relationships that might interfere with making decisions in the best interests of the Company's Advisory Clients.
 
For purposes of this policy, the following words shall mean:
 
"Access Persons" means all employees, directors, officers, partners or members of the Company,   as the case may be, who;
 
(i) Have access to non-public information regarding Advisory Clients' purchases or sales of securities or
 
(ii) Are involved in making securities recommendations to Advisory Clients. Client   services personnel who regularly communicate with Advisory Clients also may be   deemed to be Access Persons.
 
"Advisory Client" means any person or entity for which the Company serves as investment adviser, renders investment advice or makes investment decisions.
 
"Beneficial Ownership" or "Beneficially Owns" means the same as it does under Section 16   of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule J6a-J (a)(2) there-under.
Specifically, a person is the "beneficial owner" of any securities in which he or she has a direct or   indirect pecuniary (monetary) interest. Beneficial Ownership includes, but is not limited to   securities or accounts held in the name or for the benefit of the following:

a member of an Access Person's immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, child or parents) who lives in an Access Person's household (including children who are temporarily living outside of the household for school, military service or other similar situation);
a relative of the person who lives in an Access Person's household and over whose purchases, sales, or other trading activities an Access Person directly or indirectly exercises influence;
a relative whose financial affairs an Access Person "controls", whether by contract, arrangement, understanding or by convention (such as a relative he or she traditionally advises with regard to investment choices, invests for or otherwise assists financially);
an investment account over which an Access Person has investment control or discretion;
a trust or other arrangement that names an Access Person as a beneficiary; and
a non-public entity (partnership, corporation or otherwise) of which an Access Person is a director, officer, partner employee, or in which he owns 10% or more of any class of voting securities, a "controlling" interest as generally defined by securities laws, or over which he exercises effective control.


Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 1

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics
 
"Code" means this policy as supplemented by other policies and procedures contained in the   Company's Compliance Manual.
 
"Reportable Securities" means all securities in which an Access Person has a Beneficial   Ownership interest except:
 
(i) U.S. Government securities

(ii) Money-market instruments (e.g. , bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit,   commercial paper, repurchase agreements and other high quality short-term debt   instruments)

(iii) Shares of money market funds

(iv) Shares and holdings in other mutual funds unless the Company acts as the   investment advisor to, or the principal underwriter of, the subject fund

(v) Units of a unit investment trust if the UIT is invested exclusively in unaffiliated mutual funds and

(vi) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

(vii) Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

‘‘Supervised person’’ means any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment adviser, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of the investment adviser and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment adviser.

As fiduciaries, all Employees must at all times:

1. Place the interests of Advisory Clients first. All Supervised Persons must scrupulously avoid serving their own personal interests ahead of the interests of the Company's Advisory Clients. Supervised Persons may not induce or cause an Advisory Client to take action, or not to take action, for personal benefit, rather than for the benefit of the Advisory Client. For example, a supervisor or employee would violate the policy by causing an Advisory Client to purchase a security he or she owned for the purpose of increasing the price of that security.
 
2. Avoid taking inappropriate advantage of their position. The receipt of investment opportunities, perquisites or gifts from persons seeking business with the Company or its Advisory Clients, could call into question the exercise of the independent judgment of a Supervised Persons. Access Persons may not, for example, use their knowledge of portfolio transactions to profit by the market effect of such transactions.
 
3. Conduct all personal securities transactions in full compliance with this Code including both pre-clearance and reporting requirements. Doubtful situations always should be resolved in favor of Advisory Clients. Technically, compliance with the Code's provisions shall not automatically insulate from scrutiny any securities transactions or actions that indicate a violation of the Company's fiduciary duties.
 

Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 2

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics

 
II. RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING. The following rules are intended to prevent any suggestion or implication that Access Persons are using their relationship with the Company to obtain advantageous treatment to the detriment of the interests of clients:
 
A. Initial Public Offerings. No Access Person may purchase any security in any public offering that may be construed as a “new issue” without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
B. Private Placements. Each Access Person who wishes to purchase or sell a security in a private placement, must notify and obtain prior approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee prior to effecting the transaction. In considering such pre-clearance, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will consider whether the opportunity is being offered to the Access Person by virtue of his/her position with the Company. Pre-clearance will be granted at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee. Access Persons who have been authorized to acquire securities in a private placement are required to disclose such investment to the client when they participate in any client’s subsequent consideration of an investment in the issuer. Additionally, in such circumstances, the decision to purchase securities of the issuer for the client should be made either by another employee of the Company or, at a minimum, should be subject to an independent review by investment personnel of the Company with no personal interest in the issuer.
 
C. Pacer Exchange Traded Funds. Each Access Person who wishes to purchase or sell Pacer ETFs, must notify and obtain prior approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee prior to effecting the transaction. In considering such pre-clearance, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will consider whether the Access Person is purchasing/selling the ETFs based on potential non-public information at the time that the transaction is intended to be made. Pre-clearance will be granted at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee. It is noted that excluded from these Pre-Clearance requirements are allocations made to Pacer ETFs through employee 401(k) plans.
 
D. Holdings Reporting by Access Persons. Each Access Person shall complete a holdings report no later than 10 days after the person becomes an Access Person, and the information in the holdings report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an access person. The initial holdings report is attached as Exhibit D and shall be submitted to the Chief Compliance Officer
 
E. Personal Securities Transactions by Access Persons. Each Access Person shall direct his or her broker to supply to the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) or her delegate, within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, a written report of all Reportable Securities transactions in which the person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership and copies of periodic statements for all securities accounts. The Quarterly Transaction Report is attached as Exhibit E . A Quarterly Transaction Report may contain a statement that the report is not to be construed as an admission that the person making it has or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Security to which the report relates.
 
E. When Will Pre-clearance Be Denied. Pre-clearance may be denied for an IPO or Private Placement accounts if, in the judgment of the CCO, the level of client activity is sufficient to create the potential for market movement in that security. The CCO retains the right to deny pre-clearance for any reason whatsoever, without disclosure of the basis for the denial to the Access Person.
 

Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 3

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics

III. OTHER DUTIES
 
A. Confidentiality.   Access Persons are prohibited from revealing information relating to the investment intentions, activities or portfolios of Advisory Clients except to persons whose responsibilities require knowledge of the information in the ordinary course of business.
 
B. Gifts. The following provisions on gifts apply to Access Persons:
 
1. Accepting Gifts. On occasion, because of their position with the Company, Acess Persons may be offered or may receive without notice, gifts from clients, brokers, vendors or other persons. Acceptance of extraordinary or extravagant gifts is prohibited. Any such gifts must be declined and returned in order to protect the reputation and integrity of the Company. Gifts of nominal value (i.e., a gift whose reasonable value, alone or in the aggregate, is not more than $100 in any twelve-month period), customary business meals, entertainment (e.g., sporting events, entertainment whose reasonable value, alone or in the aggregate, is not more than $2,500 in any twelve-month period), and promotional items (e.g., pens, mugs, T-shirts) may be accepted. All gifts received by a Supervised Person that might violate this Code must be promptly reported to the CCO of the Company.
 
2. Solicitation of gifts. Access Persons are prohibited from soliciting gifts of any size under any circumstances.
 
3. Giving gifts. Access Persons may not give any gift with a value in excess of $100 (per year) to an Advisory Client or persons who do business with, regulate, advise or render professional services to the Company.
 
C. Company Opportunities. Supervised Persons may not take personal advantage of any opportunity properly belonging to any Advisory Client or the Company. This includes, but is not limited to, acquiring Reportable Securities for one's own account that would otherwise be acquired for an Advisory Client.
 
D. Reporting, Review and Recordkeeping. All violations of the Code must be reported promptly to the CCO. The CCO shall periodically review Access Persons' personal trading reports and otherwise take reasonable steps to monitor compliance with, and enforce, this Code of Ethics. The CCO shall maintain in the Company's files:
 
  (i) A current copy of the Code
 
(ii) Records of violations and actions taken as a result of the violations
 
(iii) Copies of all Supervised Persons written acknowledgement of receipt of the code
 
(iv) Copies of the annual compliance certificates required by the code
 

Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 4

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics

E. Sanctions. If the CCO determines that a Supervised Person has committed a violation of the Code, the Company may impose sanctions and take other actions as it deems appropriate, including a letter of caution or warning, suspension of personal trading privileges, suspension or termination of employment, fine, civil referral to the State securities regulators and, in certain cases, criminal referral. The Company may also require the offending Access Person to reverse the trades in question, forfeit any profit or absorb any loss derived there-from; and such forfeiture shall be disposed of in a manner that shall be determined by the Company in its sole discretion. Failure to timely abide by directions to reverse a trade or forfeit profits may result in the imposition of additional sanctions.
 
F. Exceptions. Exceptions to the Code will rarely, if ever, be granted. However, the CCO may grant an occasional exception on a case-by-case basis when the proposed conduct involves negligible opportunities for abuse. All exceptions shall be solicited and issued in writing. No reports shall be required under this Code for (i) transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan and (ii) securities held in accounts over which the Access Person has no direct control.
 
G. Outside Business Activities. All employee board memberships, advisory positions, trade group positions, management positions or any involvement with public companies must be fully disclosed and submitted for prior approval to the CCO, with the exception of purely charitable or civic involvements which do not impinge on the employee's full-time work commitment to the Company. Approval must be obtained through the CCO, and will ordinarily require consideration by senior officers of the Company. The Company may deny approval for any reason. This prohibition does not apply to service as an officer or board member of any parent, subsidiary or sister company of the Company, as applicable. All Supervised Persons will be required to submit, on an annual basis, a completed Conflicts Questionnaire, which is attached to the Code of Ethics as Exhibit B.
 
H. Compliance Certification. All Supervised Persons shall sign a certificate promptly upon becoming an Supervised Person by virtue of initial employment, promotion or other association with the Company -that evidences his or her receipt of this Code of Ethics all Supervised Persons will be required to re-certify, on an annual basis thereafter, via the Annual Certification of Compliance, with the Code -of Ethics form attached as Exhibit C .
 

Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 5

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics
Exhibit A
 
Personal Trade Request (PTR) Form
 
The following form must be completed by you in order to request pre-clearance of a personal securities transaction that requires pre-clearance under the Pacer Advisors, Inc. Code of Ethics. You further certify that you do not have any confidential or inside information relating to the issuer of this Security. This Form must be submitted to the Company's CCO or her delegate. You may not complete this trade until you receive approval from the CCO. If approved, the approval is good for the day it is given and the following business day. If your trade is not completed within that time, you must submit a new request.
 
Investment Information:
 
Issuer and ticker symbol: ____________
 
Nature of Equity Investments:
 
Describe investment: ____________                                               Number of Shares: ____________
 
Nature of Fixed Income Investments:
 
Describe instrument: ____________                                                Principal amount of trade: ____________
 
Transaction Type (please circle):
 
Purchase   Sale   Short Sale
 
Proposed Trade Date: ____________                                                 Current / Estimated Price: ____________
 
Broker/Dealer: ________________________
 
Is the proposed investment an IPO?                               Yes   /   No
 
Is the proposed investment a Limited Offering?             Yes   /   No
 
Access Person Signature: _______________________________________            Date: ____________
 
Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________________
 
Title of Account(s): __________________________________________________________________
 

 
CCO Action & Date (Initial One)
 

 
Approved: ________________   Denied: ________________
 

Rev. 8/3/2017 
Page 6

Pacer Advisors, Inc.
Code of Ethics
Exhibit B
 
Conflicts Questionnaire
 
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (“the Firm”) is required to monitor Supervised Person’ circumstances that pose a potential conflict with our management of Client accounts. Please complete this questionnaire and disclose the required information. In addition, we will ask for a recertification of the information contained in the questionnaire annually. If during the year, your activities or associations change in a way that would change your responses, you must promptly notify the Compliance Officer of such change(s).
 
A.
Please disclose the requested information for any entity (including any commercial business or not-for-profit organization) other than the Firm in which, or from which, you (1) receive compensation; (2) take an active role in making management decisions; (3) serve as an officer, director or general partner; or (4) provide any advice about investments.

Name of Entity:
Nature of Affiliation or Title:
Public Company
1. ______________________________
  ______________________________________________
Yes/No
2. ______________________________
  ______________________________________________
Yes/No
3. ______________________________
  ______________________________________________
Yes/No
4. ______________________________
  ______________________________________________
Yes/No
5. ______________________________
  ______________________________________________
Yes/No

 
None ___________
 
B.
Please disclose whether your spouse or any immediate family member (including your parents, child or siblings) currently conducts business or works for an entity that conducts business with the Firm or is involved in or works for a securities-related business (e.g. an investment adviser, broker-dealer, or bank).

Describe:
 
              
               _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 

   
 
None ___________



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Code of Ethics

 
C.
Please disclose whether your spouse or any immediate family member (including your parents, children or siblings) currently works for a public company.

 
Describe:
 
 
               _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 

None ___________

 

 

 
Please note that these questions are intended to be broad in scope.  If you have any question as to whether any particular arrangement or relationship should be disclosed on this form, please consult the Compliance Officer.

Signature: ________________________  


Print Name:  ______________________
Date: ____________________________ _


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Code of Ethics
Exhibit C
 
ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPANY'S PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS DISCLOSURE AND CODE OF ETHICS
 

 
I certify that upon my initial employment and/or during the year ended as of the date written below, in accordance with Section II: Restrictions on Personal Trading of the Company's Code of Ethics:
 
_____I have fully disclosed all securities holdings, if applicable, in which I have, or a member of my immediate family has, a Beneficial Ownership interest.

_____I have obtained pre-clearance, if applicable, for all securities transactions in which I have, or an immediate member of my family has, a Beneficial Ownership interest except for transactions exempt from pre-clearance or for which I have received an exception in writing from the Company's CCO.

_____I have reported, if applicable, all securities transactions in which I have, or any member of my immediate family has, a beneficial interest except for transactions exempt from pre-clearance or for which I have received an exception in writing from the Company's CCO.

_____I have complied with the Code of Ethics in all other respects.

 

 
__________________________________________________
Signature

__________________________________________________
Print Name

Date: __________________

 

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Code of Ethics
Exhibit D
 
 
INITIAL AND ANNUAL HOLDINGS REPORT
 
 
I have read and I understand the Code of Ethics of Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the "Code").  I recognize that the provisions of the Code apply to me and agree to comply in all respects with the procedures described therein.  I certify that I have complied in all respects with the requirements of the Code as in effect during the past year.
 
 
I also certify that all transactions during the past year that were required to be reported by me pursuant to the Code have been reported in Quarterly Transaction Reports that I have submitted to the Chief Compliance Officer or in confirmations and statements for each account through which any Securities in which I have any Beneficial Ownership are held, purchased or sold, that have been sent to the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
 
I certify that I have listed below: (1) the title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which I had any Beneficial Ownership as of December 31 and (2) the name of each broker, dealer or bank at which an account is maintained through which any Securities in which I have any Beneficial Ownership are held, purchased or sold; which shall constitute my Annual Holdings Report.  Use reverse side if additional space is needed.
 
 
Title and Type of Covered Security
Exchange Ticker
Symbol or CUSIP
Number
(as Applicable)
 

Number of Shares



Principal Amount
       
       
       
       
       
       
 

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Code of Ethics
 
Name of each broker, dealer or bank :
 

 
 
Date Submitted: ____________________                        Print Name:  ________________________
 
 
Signature:  _________________________


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Code of Ethics
 
ACCESS PERSON QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORT
 
(Must be submitted no later than 30 days after the end of each Calendar Quarter)
 
Statement to the Company
 
By  _______________________________________________
(Please print your full name)
 
For the Quarter Ended: _____________________________



 
The following are all transactions in personal securities ( not including exempt securities such as bank certificates of deposit, registered open-end mutual fund shares, Treasury obligations (i.e., T-Bills, Notes and Bonds) and Unit Investment Trusts that hold securities in proportion to a broad base index) effected during this quarter.  In lieu of listing every required transaction, an employee may attach a copy of the confirmation or account statement covering every reportable transaction for the period.  Notwithstanding this accommodation, it remains the employee’s sole responsibility to ensure that the required information reflected in those documents is accurate and completely discloses all reportable transactions during the period.
 
Title of Security
Type of Security
Exchange Ticker or CUSIP No.
No. of Shares
Principal Amount
Trade Date
Interest Rate and Maturity Date
Nature of Transaction (Purchase/ Sale/gift, etc.)
Price
Broker, Dealer or Bank Involved
Nature of Ownership (Direct, Spouse,  etc.)
                     
                     
                     
                     

 

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Code of Ethics
Since the prior quarterly report, I have opened or closed the following accounts (including brokerage accounts and bank accounts used substantially as brokerage accounts):
 
Account Name and Number
Firm Through Which
  Transactions Are Effected
Date Account Opened or Closed
     
     
In connection with any purchases or sales of securities for the Company clients during this quarter, I have disclosed to the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee any material interests in securities in which I have Beneficial Ownership or some other Beneficial Interest which might reasonably raise the appearance of a conflict with the interests of a Company client.  The names and affiliations of “family members” 1 who are employed in the securities or commodities industries and who might be in a position to benefit directly or indirectly from the activities of the Company’s personnel in the discharge of their duties are as follows:
 
Names
Affiliations
   
   

 
In connection with any gifts or entertainment received or given during the quarter in excess of the limits outlined in the Firm’s Compliance Manual and Code of Ethics I confirm that prior written approval was received in each instance. If written approval was not received, I have detailed below such items:
 
Gift/Entertainment
Amount
   
   



1   The term “family member” means any person’s spouse, child or other relative, whether related by blood, marriage or otherwise, who either resides with, or is financially dependent upon, or whose investments are controlled by that person and any unrelated individual whose investments are controlled and whose financial support is materially contributed to by the person, such as a “significant other.”
 

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Code of Ethics


 
I certify that I have complied with the Firm’s Pay to Play policy during the quarter and any required donations were pre-cleared.
 

 

 

 

 
I certify that the information provided in this report is accurate and complete.
 
Employee Signature:  _________________________________________
Date:   _______________________
REVIEWED BY:  ___________________




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Code of Ethics



 






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