AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 21, 2016
File No. 333-192858
File No. 811-22920
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 76 /X/
AND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 80 /X/
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)
(800) 932-7781
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Michael Beattie
c/o SEI Investments
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Sean Graber, Esquire Dianne M. Descoteaux, Esquire Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP c/o SEI Investments 1701 Market Street One Freedom Valley Drive Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456 |
It is proposed that this filing become effective (check appropriate box)
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
PROSPECTUS
OCTOBER 23, 2016
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING
EQUITY FUND
CLASS N SHARES: RWCNX
CLASS I SHARES: RWCIX
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES: RWCEX
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
RWC ASSET ADVISORS (US) LLC
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED
THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
THIS PROSPECTUS HAS BEEN ARRANGED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN EASILY REVIEW THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND, PLEASE SEE:
PAGE RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND ............................................. 1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE .................................................. 1 FUND FEES AND EXPENSES ................................................ 1 PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES ....................................... 2 PRINCIPAL RISKS ....................................................... 3 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ............................................... 6 INVESTMENT ADVISER .................................................... 6 PORTFOLIO MANAGER ..................................................... 6 PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES ...................................... 6 TAX INFORMATION ....................................................... 6 PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES .................................................... 6 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES ........................................................ 8 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK ................................................. 8 INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ........................................ 10 INVESTMENT ADVISER .......................................................... 10 PORTFOLIO MANAGER ........................................................... 11 PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES .......................................... 11 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ........................................ 18 OTHER POLICIES .............................................................. 19 DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS ................................................. 22 TAXES ....................................................................... 22 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ........................................................ 24 HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND ....................... Back Cover |
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation.
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares of the Fund.
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Class N Class I Institutional Shares Shares Class Shares ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Management Fees 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distribution and/or Service 0.25% None None (12b-1) Fees ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Expenses 1.64% 1.64% 1.49% ----- ----- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shareholder Servicing Fee 0.15% 0.15% None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Operating Expenses(1) 1.49% 1.49% 1.49% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.79% 2.54% 2.39% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense (1.14)% (1.14)% (1.14)% Reimbursements -------- ------- ------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.65% 1.40% 1.25% After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements(2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
(1) Other Operating Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees, Shareholder Servicing Fees, acquired fund fees and expenses and non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 1.25% of the average daily net assets of each of the Fund's share classes until January 31, 2018 (the "contractual expense limit"). In addition, if at any point Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recover all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three year period during which this agreement was in place. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2018.
EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5%
return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses (including capped expenses for the period described in the footnote to the fee table) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 YEAR 3 YEARS Class N Shares $168 $757 Class I Shares $143 $682 Institutional Class Shares $127 $636 |
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 total annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of emerging market companies, and in other instruments, principally derivatives and shares of investment companies (including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs")), that have economic characteristics similar to such securities. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders.
The equity securities in which the Fund invests are primarily publicly traded common stocks, but may also include private placements, convertible securities (principally convertible bonds and convertible preferred stocks), rights and warrants, and depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs")), which are certificates typically issued by a bank or trust company that represent ownership interests in securities of non-U.S. companies. The Fund may invest in securities of companies with any market capitalization.
The Fund considers a company to be an emerging market company if, at the time of purchase: (i) at least 50% of the company's assets are located in emerging or frontier market countries; (ii) at least 50% of the company's revenue is generated in emerging or frontier market countries; or (iii) the company maintains its principal place of business in an emerging or frontier market country. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be: (i) countries that have an "emerging stock market" in a "developing economy" as defined by the International Finance Corporation; (ii) countries that have "low or middle economies" according to the World Bank; (iii) countries listed in a World Bank publication as "developing"; (iv) countries considered "industrially developing countries" by the International Monetary Fund; and (v) other countries that have similar characteristics, as determined by the Adviser. The Fund considers frontier market countries to be countries included in the MSCI Frontier Markets Index and other countries that have similar characteristics, as determined by the Adviser. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in at least three emerging or frontier market countries. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in a particular country, such as the People's Republic of China ("China").
The Fund may utilize derivatives, principally equity-linked notes (including participation notes and other instruments whose return is determined by the performance of a single equity security, a basket of equity securities or an equity index) and swaps, to seek to replicate equity exposure in certain foreign markets where direct investment is either impossible or difficult due to local investment restrictions. For purposes of the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund generally values its derivative instruments using the
market values of the investments, but reserves the right to use an investment's notional value, where determined appropriate in the Adviser's discretion.
In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser implements its "Growth At A Reasonable Price" investment philosophy by combining top-down analyses of economic, political and social factors with bottom-up quantitative and qualitative fundamental research to seek to identify countries, sectors and companies with attractive risk/return profiles based, in part, on the Adviser's experience investing in a wide range of markets at various stages of development. The Adviser may adjust the Fund's portfolio to manage its liquidity and position sizing, and may sell a security that reaches its price target, or that is negatively impacted by changes in macroeconomic conditions or geographic, sector or issuer specific factors.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with all mutual funds, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. A FUND SHARE IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT AND IS NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ("FDIC") OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.
EQUITY RISK -- Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices may fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity market has moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund's securities may fluctuate from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility, which is the principal risk of investing in the Fund.
FOREIGN COMPANY RISK -- Investing in foreign companies, including direct investments and investments through depositary receipts, poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers. These risks will not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or similar issuers located in the United States. Securities of foreign companies may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and foreign companies are generally not subject to the regulatory controls imposed on U.S. issuers and, as a consequence, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Income from foreign securities owned by the Fund may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which tax would reduce income received from the securities comprising the portfolio. Foreign securities may also be more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers. While depositary receipts provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in depositary receipts continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
EMERGING AND FRONTIER MARKETS SECURITIES RISK -- The Fund's investments in emerging or frontier markets securities are considered speculative and subject to heightened risks in addition to the general risks of investing in foreign securities. Unlike more established markets, emerging and frontier markets may have governments that are less stable, markets that are less liquid and economies that are less developed. In addition, the securities markets of emerging and frontier market countries may consist of companies with smaller market capitalizations and may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; and possible restrictions on repatriation of investment income and capital. Furthermore, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization or creation of government monopolies.
FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK -- As a result of the Fund's investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the Fund would be adversely affected.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS RISK -- To the extent that it focuses its investments in a particular country or geographic region, the Fund may be more susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within that country or geographic region. As a result, the Fund may be subject to greater price volatility and risk of loss than a fund holding more geographically diverse investments.
RISK OF INVESTING IN CHINA -- The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represents a large portion of China's total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. 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. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests.
SMALL- AND MID-CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, investments in these small and medium-sized companies may pose additional risks, including liquidity risk, because these companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small- and mid-capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. These securities may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.
PRIVATE PLACEMENTS RISK -- Investment in privately placed securities may be less liquid than investments in publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Further, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES RISK -- The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.
RIGHTS AND WARRANTS RISK -- Investments in rights or warrants involve the risk of loss of the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the right's or warrant's expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the underlying security may
exceed the market price of the underlying security in instances such as those where there is no movement in the price of the underlying security.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES -- To the extent that the Fund invests in other investment companies, such as open-end funds, closed-end funds and ETFs, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities held by such other investment companies. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund relies on that investment company to achieve its investment objective. If the investment company fails to achieve its objective, the value of the Fund's investment could decline, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance. By investing in another investment company, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund's proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses that Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations.
Because ETFs and certain closed-end funds are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange, their shares potentially may trade at a discount or premium. Investments in ETFs and certain closed-end funds are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. In addition, because the value of ETF and certain closed-end fund shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund's holdings at the most optimal time, which could adversely affect Fund performance.
DERIVATIVES RISK -- The Fund's use of equity-linked notes and swaps for all purposes, including speculative purposes, is subject to market risk, correlation risk, credit risk, valuation risk and liquidity risk. Market risk is the risk that the market value of an investment may move up and down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly or at all with the underlying asset, rate or index. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative contract will default or otherwise become unable to honor a financial obligation. Valuation risk is the risk that the derivative may be difficult to value. Liquidity risk is described below. The Fund's use of swaps is also subject to leverage risk. Leverage risk is the risk that the use of leverage may amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price and may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. Each of these risks could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested in a derivative instrument.
LIQUIDITY RISK -- Certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like. The Fund may have to lower the price, sell other securities instead or forgo an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on Fund management or performance.
INVESTMENT STYLE RISK -- The Fund pursues a "growth style" of investing, meaning that the Fund invests in equity securities of companies that the Adviser believes will have above-average rates of earnings growth and which, therefore, may experience above-average increases in stock prices. Over time, a growth investing style may go in and out of favor, causing the Fund to sometimes underperform other equity funds that use differing investing styles.
NEW FUND RISK -- Because the Fund is new, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, may not employ a successful investment strategy, or may fail to attract sufficient assets under management to realize economies of scale, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's returns and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance. Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Current performance information is available on the Fund's website at https://www.rwcpartners.com/us/ or by calling 1-855-RWC-FUND.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
John Malloy, Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2016.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
You may generally purchase or redeem shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business.
To purchase shares of the Fund for the first time, you must invest at least $2,500 for Class N Shares, $250,000 for Class I Shares, or $10,000,000 for Institutional Class Shares. Subsequent investments in Class N Shares of the Fund must be made in amounts of at least $1,000. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I Shares or Institutional Class Shares of the Fund. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion.
If you own your shares directly, you may redeem your shares by contacting the Fund directly by mail at: RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or telephone at 1-855-RWC-FUND.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other financial intermediary, contact that broker or financial intermediary to redeem your shares. Your broker or financial intermediary may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case your distribution will be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and
related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Fund is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
The investments and strategies described in this prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the Fund may, but is not obligated to, invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments and other cash equivalents that would not ordinarily be consistent with its investment objective. If the Fund invests in this manner, it may cause the Fund to forgo greater investment returns for the safety of principal and the Fund may therefore not achieve its investment objective. The Fund will only do so if the Adviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity to pursue the Fund's investment objective.
This prospectus describes the Fund's principal investment strategies, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities and other investments described in this prospectus. In addition to the securities and other investments and strategies described in this prospectus, the Fund also may invest to a lesser extent in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this prospectus, are described in detail in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") (for information on how to obtain a copy of the SAI see the back cover of this prospectus). Of course, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goals.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK
Investing in the Fund involves risk and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goals. The Adviser's judgments about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these judgments may affect the return on your investment. In fact, no matter how good of a job the Adviser does, you could lose money on your investment in the Fund, just as you could with similar investments.
The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the value of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect particular companies and other issuers. These price movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or lesser depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which they trade. The effect on the Fund of a change in the value of a single security will depend on how widely the Fund diversifies its holdings.
EQUITY RISK -- Equity securities include public and privately issued equity securities, common stocks, convertible securities, rights and warrants, depositary receipts, as well as shares of ETFs that attempt to track the price movement of equity indices. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of securities convertible into equity securities is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the fund's net asset value to fluctuate. An investment in a portfolio of equity securities may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these share price fluctuations.
FOREIGN SECURITIES/EMERGING AND FRONTIER MARKETS RISK -- Investments in securities of foreign companies (including direct investments as well as investments through depositary receipts) can be more volatile than investments in U.S. companies. Diplomatic, political, or economic developments, including
nationalization or appropriation, could affect investments in foreign companies. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Financial statements of foreign issuers are governed by different accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards than the financial statements of U.S. issuers and may be less transparent and uniform than in the United States. Thus, there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers than about most U.S. issuers. Transaction costs are generally higher than those in the United States and expenses for custodial arrangements of foreign securities may be somewhat greater than typical expenses for custodial arrangements of similar U.S. securities. Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities comprising the portfolio. These risks may be heightened with respect to emerging or frontier market countries since political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions are more likely to occur in these countries.
FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK -- Because non-U.S. securities are usually denominated in currencies other than the dollar, the value of the Fund's portfolio may be influenced by currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. The currencies of emerging and frontier market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging and frontier market countries.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS RISK -- To the extent that it focuses its investments in a particular country or geographic region, the Fund may be more susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within that country or geographic region. As a result, the Fund may be subject to greater price volatility and risk of loss than a fund holding more geographically diverse investments.
RISK OF INVESTING IN CHINA -- 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. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. Since 1978, the Chinese government has been, and is expected to continue, reforming its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. In the past, 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. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests.
DERIVATIVES RISK -- The Fund's use of equity-linked notes and swaps is subject to derivatives risk. Derivatives are often more volatile than other investments and may magnify the Fund's gains or losses. There are various factors that affect the Fund's ability to achieve its objective with derivatives. Successful use of a derivative depends upon the degree to which prices of the underlying assets correlate with price movements in the derivatives the Fund buys or sells. The Fund could be negatively affected if the change in market value of its securities fails to correlate perfectly with the values of the derivatives it purchased or sold. The lack of a liquid secondary market for a derivative may prevent the Fund from closing its derivative positions and could adversely impact its ability to achieve its objective and to realize profits or limit losses. Since derivatives may be purchased for a fraction of their value, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss or gain to the Fund. Derivatives are often more volatile than other investments and the Fund may lose more in a derivative than it originally invested in it. Additionally, equity-linked notes and swaps are subject to counterparty risk, meaning that the party that issues the derivative may experience a significant credit event and may be unwilling or unable to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations.
EQUITY-LINKED NOTES. Equity-linked notes are derivatives that are generally traded over-the-counter and constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks and broker-dealers that issue them. Generally, these banks and broker-dealers buy securities listed on certain foreign exchanges and then issue equity-linked notes which are designed to replicate the performance of certain issuers and markets. The performance results of equity-linked notes will not correlate exactly to the performance of the issuers or markets that they seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. The holder of an equity-linked note typically does not receive voting or other rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying security, but is subject to the same risks of investing directly in the underlying security.
SWAPS. In a swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns, differentials in rates of return or some other amount earned or realized on the "notional amount" of predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk and valuation risk. Swaps may also be considered illiquid, and it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings is available in the SAI. The Fund will post its holdings within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter, on the internet at https://www.rwcpartners.com/us/. The Adviser may exclude any portion of the Fund's portfolio holdings from such publication when deemed in the best interest of the Fund. The portfolio holdings information placed on the Fund's website generally will remain there until replaced by new postings as described above.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC (the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company founded in 2012, is an SEC registered investment adviser that serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser's principal place of business is located at 2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201, Miami, Florida 33133. As of September 30, 2016, the Adviser had approximately $10.1 billion in assets under management.
The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund's investment program. The Board supervises the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its management activities.
For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is
calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.90% of the average
daily net assets of the Fund. The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce
its fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual
Fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions,
distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, shareholder servicing fees, acquired
fund fees and expenses and non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded
expenses")) from exceeding 1.25% of the average daily net assets of each of the
Fund's share classes until January 31, 2018. This agreement may be terminated:
(i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon
ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close
of business on January 31, 2018. If at any point total annual Fund operating
expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense
limit, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the total
annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the
contractual expense limits to recover all or a portion of its prior fee
reductions or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three-year
period during which the contractual expense limitation agreement was in place.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreement will be available in the Fund's Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders dated March 31, 2017, which will cover the period from the Fund's inception to March 31, 2017.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Mr. Malloy is the Portfolio Manager of the Adviser's Emerging Markets Equity Strategy and the Fund. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Malloy was Senior Managing Director, Director of Investments at Everest Capital, where he worked for 18 years. Prior to this he was an investment manager at Baring Asset Management focused on Latin American and US high yield markets. Mr. Malloy holds a BS in Management from Norwich University and an MBA from the Boston University Graduate School of Management.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager's compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.
PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
This section tells you how to purchase and sell (sometimes called "redeem") Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares of the Fund.
For information regarding the federal income tax consequences of transactions in shares of the Fund, including information about cost basis reporting, see "Taxes."
HOW TO CHOOSE A SHARE CLASS
The Fund offers three classes of shares to investors, Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares. Each share class has its own shareholder eligibility criteria, investment minimums, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares. Contact your financial intermediary or the Fund for more information about the Fund's share classes and how to choose between them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLASS NAME ELIGIBLE INVESTORS INVESTMENT MINIMUMS FEES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class N Shares Primarily Initial - $2,500 0.25% Rule individual 12b-1 Fee investors Subsequent -- $1,000 0.15% Shareholder Servicing Fee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class I Shares Primarily Initial - $250,000 No Rule 12b-1 institutional Fee investors Subsequent -- None 0.15% Shareholder Servicing Fee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Institutional Class Primarily Initial - $10,000,000 No Rule 12b-1 Shares institutional Fee or investors Subsequent -- None Shareholder Servicing Fee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares are offered to investors who purchase shares directly from the Fund or through certain financial intermediaries such as financial planners, investment advisors, broker-dealers or other financial institutions. An investor may be eligible to purchase more than one share class. However, if you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, you may only purchase that class of shares which your financial intermediary sells or services. Your financial intermediary can tell you which class of shares is available through the intermediary.
The Fund reserves the right to change the criteria for eligible investors and accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion.
HOW TO PURCHASE FUND SHARES
To purchase shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, complete and send in the application. If you need an application or have questions, please call 1-855-RWC-FUND.
All investments must be made by check, wire or Automated Clearing House ("ACH"). All checks must be made payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. The Fund does not accept purchases made by third-party checks, credit cards, credit card checks, cash, traveler's checks, money orders or cashier's checks.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase order for any reason. The Fund is not intended for short-term trading by shareholders in response to short-term market fluctuations. For more information about the Fund's policy on short-term trading, see "Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures."
The Fund does not generally accept investments by non-U.S. persons. Non-U.S. persons may be permitted to invest in the Fund subject to the satisfaction of enhanced due diligence. Please contact the Fund for more information.
BY MAIL
You can open an account with the Fund by sending a check and your account application to the address below. You can add to an existing account by sending the Fund a check and, if possible, the "Invest by Mail" stub that accompanies your confirmation statement. Be sure your check identifies clearly your name, your account number, the Fund name and the share class. Make your check payable to "RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund."
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund
c/o DST Systems, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of purchase orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the purchase order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives the order in proper form at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
BY WIRE
To open an account by wire, call 1-855-RWC-FUND for details. To add to an existing account by wire, wire your money using the wiring instructions set forth below (be sure to include the Fund name, the share class, and your account number).
WIRING INSTRUCTIONS
UMB Bank, N.A.
ABA # 101000695
RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund
DDA # 9872013085
Ref: Fund name/share class/account number/account name
PURCHASES IN-KIND
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if the Adviser deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such transactions will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
MINIMUM PURCHASES
To purchase shares of the Fund for the first time, you must invest at least $2,500 for Class N Shares, $250,000 for Class I Shares, or $10,000,000 for Institutional Class Shares. Subsequent investments in Class N Shares of the Fund must be made in amounts of at least $1,000. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I Shares or Institutional Class Shares of the Fund. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion.
FUND CODES
The Fund's reference information, which is listed below, will be helpful to you when you contact the Fund to purchase shares, check daily net asset value ("NAV"), or obtain additional information.
FUND NAME SHARE CLASS TICKER SYMBOL CUSIP FUND CODE RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund Class N Shares RWCNX 00771X468 1202 Class I Shares RWCIX 00771X450 1201 Institutional Class Shares RWCEX 00771X443 1200 |
GENERAL INFORMATION
You may purchase shares on any day that the NYSE is open for business (a "Business Day"). Shares cannot be purchased by Federal Reserve wire on days that either the NYSE or the Federal Reserve is closed.
The Fund's price per share will be the NAV per share next determined after the Fund or an authorized institution (defined below) receives your purchase order in proper form. "Proper form" means that the Fund was provided with a complete and signed account application, including the investor's social security number or tax identification number, and other identification required by law or regulation, as well as sufficient purchase proceeds.
The Fund calculates its NAV once each Business Day as of the close of normal trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). To receive the current Business Day's NAV, the Fund or an authorized institution must receive your purchase order in proper form before the close of normal trading on the NYSE. If the NYSE closes early -- such as on days in advance of certain holidays -- the Fund reserves the right to calculate NAV as of the earlier closing time. The Fund will not accept orders that request a particular day or price for the transaction or any other special conditions.
Shares will not be priced on days that the NYSE is closed for trading, including nationally observed holidays. Since securities that are traded on foreign exchanges may trade on days when the NYSE is closed, the value of the Fund may change on days when you are unable to purchase or redeem shares.
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
In addition to being able to buy and sell Fund shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, you may also buy or sell shares of the Fund through accounts with financial intermediaries, such as brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. When you purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary (rather than directly from the Fund), you may have to transmit your purchase and sale requests to the financial intermediary at an earlier time for your transaction to become effective that day. This allows the financial intermediary time to process your requests and transmit them to the Fund prior to the time the Fund calculates its NAV that day. Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment
information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. If your financial intermediary fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Unless your financial intermediary is an authorized institution, orders transmitted by the financial intermediary and received by the Fund after the time NAV is calculated for a particular day will receive the following day's NAV.
Certain financial intermediaries, including certain broker-dealers and shareholder organizations, are authorized to act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to the receipt of purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares ("authorized institutions"). Authorized institutions are also authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized institution or, if applicable, an authorized institution's designee, receives the order. Orders will be priced at the Fund's NAV next computed after they are received by an authorized institution or an authorized institution's designee. To determine whether your financial intermediary is an authorized institution or an authorized institution's designee such that it may act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares, you should contact your financial intermediary directly.
If you deal directly with a financial intermediary, you will have to follow its procedures for transacting with the Fund. Your financial intermediary may charge a fee for your purchase and/or redemption transactions. For more information about how to purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact your financial intermediary directly.
HOW THE FUND CALCULATES NAV
The NAV of the Fund's shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding.
In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its investment portfolio at market price. If market prices are not readily available or the Fund reasonably believes that they are unreliable, such as in the case of a security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, the Fund is required to price those securities at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board. Pursuant to the policies adopted by, and under the ultimate supervision of, the Board, these methods are implemented through the Board's Fair Value Pricing Committee, members of which are appointed by the Board. The Fund's determination of a security's fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value that the Fund assigns to a security may be higher or lower than the security's value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available. The respective prospectuses for the open-end investment companies in which the Fund invests explain the circumstances in which those investment companies will use fair value pricing and the effect of fair value pricing.
With respect to non-U.S. securities held by the Fund, the Fund may take factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. Foreign securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any foreign securities owned by the Fund may be significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell shares. In addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the foreign markets and the time as of which the Fund prices its shares, the value the Fund assigns to securities may not be the same as the quoted or published prices of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair value prices, the Fund may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, securities market movements in the United States, or other relevant information related to the securities.
Redeemable securities issued by open-end investment companies are valued at the investment company's applicable NAV.
Other assets for which market quotations are not readily available will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Board.
HOW TO SELL YOUR FUND SHARES
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any Business Day by contacting the Fund directly by mail or telephone at 1-855-RWC-FUND.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
If you would like to have your redemption proceeds, including proceeds generated as a result of closing your account, sent to a third party or an address other than your own, please notify the Fund in writing.
Certain redemption requests will require a signature guarantee by an eligible guarantor institution. Eligible guarantors include commercial banks, savings and loans, savings banks, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any other member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. For example, signature guarantees may be required if your address of record has changed in the last 30 days, if you want the proceeds sent to a bank other than the bank of record on your account, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address. Please note that a notary public is not an acceptable provider of a signature guarantee and that the Fund must be provided with the original guarantee. Signature guarantees are for the protection of Fund shareholders. Before granting a redemption request, the Fund may require a shareholder to furnish additional legal documents to ensure proper authorization.
Accounts held by a corporation, trust, fiduciary or partnership, may require additional documentation along with a signature guaranteed letter of instruction. The Fund participates in the Paperless Legal Program (the "Program"), which eliminates the need for accompanying paper documentation on legal securities transfers. Requests received with a Medallion Signature Guarantee will be reviewed for the proper criteria to meet the guidelines of the Program and may not require additional documentation. Please contact Shareholder Services at 1-855-RWC-FUND for more information.
The sale price of each share will be the NAV next determined after the Fund (or an authorized institution) receives your request in proper form.
BY MAIL
To redeem shares by mail, please send a letter to the Fund signed by all registered parties on the account specifying:
o The Fund name;
o The share class;
o The account number;
o The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem;
o The account name(s); and
o The address to which redemption (sale) proceeds should be sent.
All registered shareholders must sign the letter in the exact name(s) and must designate any special capacity in which they are registered.
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund
c/o DST Systems, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of sell orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the sell order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives the order in proper form at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
BY TELEPHONE
To redeem shares by telephone, you must first establish the telephone redemption privilege (and, if desired, the wire and/or ACH redemption privilege) by completing the appropriate sections of the account application. Call 1-855-RWC-FUND to redeem your shares. Based on your instructions, the Fund will mail your proceeds to you, or send them to your bank via wire or ACH.
RECEIVING YOUR MONEY
Normally, the Fund will send your sale proceeds within seven days after the Fund receives your request. Your proceeds can be wired to your bank account (may be subject to a $10 fee), sent to you by check or sent via ACH to your bank account if you have established banking instructions with the Fund. IF YOU ARE SELLING SHARES THAT WERE RECENTLY PURCHASED BY CHECK OR THROUGH ACH, REDEMPTION PROCEEDS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL YOUR CHECK HAS CLEARED OR THE ACH TRANSACTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED (WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO 15 DAYS FROM YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE).
REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. However, under unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and for the protection of the Fund's remaining shareholders, the Fund might pay all or part of your redemption proceeds in securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption in-kind). It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever be redeemed in-kind, but if they were, you would have to pay transaction costs to sell the securities distributed to you, as
well as taxes on any capital gains from the sale as with any redemption. In addition, you would continue to be subject to the risks of any market fluctuation in the value of the securities you receive in-kind until they are sold.
SUSPENSION OF YOUR RIGHT TO SELL YOUR SHARES
The Fund may suspend your right to sell your shares or delay payment of redemption proceeds for more than seven days during times when the NYSE is closed, other than during customary weekends or holidays, or as otherwise permitted by the SEC. More information about this is in the SAI.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
Purchasing and selling Fund shares over the telephone is extremely convenient, but not without risk. Although the Fund has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers and the authenticity of instructions, the Fund is not responsible for any losses or costs incurred by following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. If you or your financial institution transact with the Fund over the telephone, you will generally bear the risk of any loss.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Fund and/or the Adviser may compensate financial intermediaries for providing a variety of services to the Fund and/or its shareholders. Financial intermediaries include affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates. This section briefly describes how financial intermediaries may be paid for providing these services. For more information please see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in the SAI.
In addition to these payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, transaction fees for buying or redeeming shares of the Fund, or other fees for servicing your account. Your financial intermediary should provide a schedule of its fees and services to you upon request.
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
The Fund has adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") for Class N Shares that allows the Fund to pay distribution and/or service fees for the sale and distribution of Fund shares, and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The maximum annual Rule 12b-1 fee for Class N Shares of the Fund is 0.25% .
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN
The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.15% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund's Class N Shares and Class I Shares. The services for which financial intermediaries are compensated may include record-keeping, transaction processing for shareholders' accounts and other shareholder services.
OTHER PAYMENTS BY THE FUND
The Fund may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for non-distribution-related sub-transfer agency, administrative, sub-accounting, and other shareholder services. Payments made pursuant to such agreements are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary, or (2) the number of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary. Any payments made pursuant to such agreements may be in addition to, rather than in lieu of, distribution or shareholder services fees the Fund may pay to financial intermediaries pursuant to the Fund's distribution plan or shareholder servicing plan.
OTHER PAYMENTS BY THE ADVISER
From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments to certain affiliated or unaffiliated financial intermediaries to compensate them for the costs associated with distribution, marketing, administration and shareholder servicing support for the Fund. These payments are sometimes characterized as "revenue sharing" payments and are made out of the Adviser's and/or its affiliates' own legitimate profits or other resources, and may be in addition to any payments made to financial intermediaries by the Fund. A financial intermediary may provide these services with respect to Fund shares sold or held through programs such as retirement plans, qualified tuition programs, fund supermarkets, fee-based advisory or wrap fee programs, bank trust programs, and insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. In addition, financial intermediaries may receive payments for making shares of the Fund available to their customers or registered representatives, including providing the Fund with "shelf space," placing it on a preferred or recommended fund list, or promoting the Fund in certain sales programs that are sponsored by financial intermediaries. To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries.
The level of payments made by the Adviser and/or its affiliates to individual financial intermediaries varies in any given year and may be negotiated on the basis of sales of Fund shares, the amount of Fund assets serviced by the financial intermediary or the quality of the financial intermediary's relationship with the Adviser and/or its affiliates. These payments may be more or less than the payments received by the financial intermediaries from other mutual funds and may influence a financial intermediary to favor the sales of certain funds or share classes over others. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your financial intermediary. Any such payments will not change the NAV or price of the Fund's shares.
Please contact your financial intermediary for information about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to Fund shareholders, as well as information about any fees and/or commissions it charges.
OTHER POLICIES
EXCESSIVE TRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and discourages shareholders from engaging in "market timing" or other types of excessive short-term trading. This frequent trading into and out of the Fund may present risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and could adversely affect shareholder returns. The risks posed by frequent trading include interfering with the efficient
implementation of the Fund's investment strategies, triggering the recognition of taxable gains and losses on the sale of Fund investments, requiring the Fund to maintain higher cash balances to meet redemption requests, and experiencing increased transaction costs.
In addition, because the Fund may invest in foreign securities traded primarily on markets that close prior to the time the Fund determines its NAV, the risks posed by frequent trading may have a greater potential to dilute the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders than funds investing exclusively in U.S. securities. In instances where a significant event that affects the value of one or more foreign securities held by the Fund takes place after the close of the primary foreign market, but before the time that the Fund determines its NAV, certain investors may seek to take advantage of the fact that there will be a delay in the adjustment of the market price for a security caused by this event until the foreign market reopens (sometimes referred to as "price" or "time zone" arbitrage). Shareholders who attempt this type of arbitrage may dilute the value of the Fund's shares if the prices of the Fund's foreign securities do not reflect their fair value. Although the Fund has procedures designed to determine the fair value of foreign securities for purposes of calculating its NAV when such an event has occurred, fair value pricing, because it involves judgments which are inherently subjective, may not always eliminate the risk of price arbitrage.
Because the Fund may invest in small- and mid-cap securities, which often trade in lower volumes and may be less liquid, the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks posed by frequent trading because frequent transactions in the Fund's shares may have a greater impact on the market prices of these types of securities.
The Fund's service providers will take steps reasonably designed to detect and deter frequent trading by shareholders pursuant to the Fund's policies and procedures described in this prospectus and approved by the Board. For purposes of applying these policies, the Fund's service providers may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control. The Fund's policies and procedures include:
o Shareholders are restricted from making more than four "round trips," into or out of the Fund within any one year period. The Fund defines a "round trip" as a purchase into the Fund by a shareholder, followed by a subsequent redemption out of the Fund, of an amount the Adviser reasonably believes would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
o The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the Fund or the Adviser reasonably believes that the trading activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
The Fund and/or its service providers seek to apply these policies to the best of their abilities uniformly and in a manner they believe is consistent with the interests of the Fund's long-term shareholders. The Fund does not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Fund shareholders. Although these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures alone nor all of them taken together eliminate the possibility that frequent trading in the Fund will occur.
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisers and broker-dealers) often establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for their customers through which transactions are placed. The Fund has entered into "information sharing agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund or its service providers identify omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the Fund or its service providers may, in their sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers.
Based upon a review of that information, if the Fund or its service providers determine that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, they may, in their sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. If the Fund is not satisfied that the intermediary has taken appropriate action, the Fund may terminate the intermediary's ability to transact in Fund shares. When information regarding transactions in the Fund's shares is requested by the Fund and such information is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a financial intermediary (an "indirect intermediary"), any financial intermediary with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
The Fund and its service providers will use reasonable efforts to work with financial intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in omnibus accounts that may be detrimental to the Fund. However, there can be no assurance that the monitoring of omnibus account level trading will enable the Fund to identify or prevent all such trading by a financial intermediary's customers. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.
CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means to you: when you open an account, the Fund will ask your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow the Fund to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening a mutual fund account.
The Fund is required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
In certain instances, the Fund is required to collect documents to fulfill its legal obligation. Documents provided in connection with your application will be used solely to establish and verify your identity.
Attempts to collect the missing information required on the application will be performed by either contacting you or, if applicable, your broker or financial intermediary. If this information cannot be obtained within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund, your application will be rejected.
Subject to the Fund's right to reject purchases as described in this prospectus, upon receipt of your application in proper form (or upon receipt of all identifying information required on the application), your investment will be accepted and your order will be processed at the next-determined NAV per share.
The Fund reserves the right to close or liquidate your account at the NAV next-determined and remit proceeds to you via check if it is unable to verify your identity. Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund. Further, the Fund reserves the right to hold your proceeds until your original check clears the bank, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. In such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax implications.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund's overall
obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted
an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from
being used for money laundering or the financing of illegal activities. In
this regard, the Fund reserves the right to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any
purchase order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or
(iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or
suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in
the sole discretion of Fund management, they are deemed to be in the best
interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do
so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at
the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive
proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Each state has unclaimed property rules that generally provide for escheatment (or transfer) to the state of unclaimed property under various circumstances. Such circumstances include inactivity (e.g., no owner-initiated contact for a certain period), returned mail (e.g., when mail sent to a shareholder is returned by the post office, or "RPO," as undeliverable), or a combination of both inactivity and returned mail. Once it flags property as unclaimed, the Fund will attempt to contact the shareholder, but if that attempt is unsuccessful, the account may be considered abandoned and escheated to the state. More information on unclaimed property and how to maintain an active account is available through your state or by calling 1-855-RWC-FUND.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund distributes its net investment income, and makes distributions of its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If you own Fund shares on the Fund's record date, you will be entitled to receive the distribution.
You will receive dividends and distributions in the form of additional Fund shares unless you elect to receive payment in cash. To elect cash payment, you must notify the Fund in writing prior to the date of the distribution. Your election will be effective for dividends and distributions paid after the Fund receives your written notice. To cancel your election, simply send the Fund written notice.
TAXES
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL INCOME TAXES. Below is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change. This summary does not apply to shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future.
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any. The dividends and distributions you receive may be subject to federal, state, and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. Distributions you receive from the Fund may be taxable whether you receive them in cash or you reinvest them in additional shares of the Fund. Income distributions, including distributions of net short term capital gains but excluding distributions of qualified dividend income, are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions reported by the Fund as long term capital gains and as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at the rates applicable to long-
term capital gains and currently set at a maximum tax rate for individuals of 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Once a year the Fund (or its administrative agent) will send you a statement showing the types and total amount of distributions you received during the previous year.
You should note that if you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price would reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution. In this case, you would be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of your investment. This is known as "buying a dividend" and should be avoided by taxable investors.
Each sale of Fund shares may be a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of Fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. The gain or loss on the sale of Fund shares generally will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for 12 months or less or as long-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for longer. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund 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 you with respect to the Fund shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares 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.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund).
The Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information for Fund shares. In addition to reporting the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund is also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares have a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, the Fund will permit shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average cost basis method. In the absence of an election, the Fund will use the average basis method as the default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by the Fund shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how cost basis reporting applies to them. Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. Only if more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund consist of foreign securities, the 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. The 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.
Because each shareholder's tax situation is different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Fund.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TAXES IS IN THE SAI.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Because the Fund had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, financial highlights are not available.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC
2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201
Miami, Florida 33133
DISTRIBUTOR
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1701 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
More information about the Fund is available, without charge, through the following:
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ("SAI"): The SAI, dated October 23, 2016, as it may be amended from time to time, includes detailed information about the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III. The SAI is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this prospectus.
ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS: Once available, these reports will list the Fund's holdings and contain information from the Adviser about investment strategies, and recent market conditions and trends and their impact on Fund performance. The reports also will contain detailed financial information about the Fund.
TO OBTAIN AN SAI, ANNUAL OR SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT (WHEN AVAILABLE), OR MORE INFORMATION:
BY TELEPHONE: 1-855-RWC-FUND
BY MAIL: RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund P.O. Box 219009 Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 BY INTERNET: https://www.rwcpartners.com/us/ |
FROM THE SEC: You can also obtain the SAI or the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports,
as well as other information about The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, from the
EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at: http://www.sec.gov. You may review and
copy documents at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (for
information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, call 202-551-8090).
You may request documents by mail from the SEC, upon payment of a duplicating
fee, by writing to: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Reference
Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520. You may also obtain this information, upon
payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address:
publicinfo@sec.gov.
The Trust's Investment Company Act registration number is 811-22920.
RWC-PS-001-0100
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
CLASS N SHARES: RWCNX
CLASS I SHARES: RWCIX
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES: RWCEX
A SERIES OF
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
OCTOBER 23, 2016
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
RWC ASSET ADVISORS (US) LLC
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust") and the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund (the "Fund"). This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated October 23, 2016, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Prospectus or Fund's annual or semi-annual report, when available, free of charge by writing to the Fund at RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or calling the Fund at 1-855-RWC-FUND.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST ................................................................. S-1 DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS ...................................... S-1 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS .................................................... S-26 THE ADVISER ............................................................... S-28 THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER ..................................................... S-29 THE ADMINISTRATOR ......................................................... S-30 THE DISTRIBUTOR ........................................................... S-31 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ...................................... S-31 THE TRANSFER AGENT ........................................................ S-33 THE CUSTODIAN ............................................................. S-33 INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ............................. S-33 LEGAL COUNSEL ............................................................. S-33 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST ........................................ S-33 PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES ........................................... S-42 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE .......................................... S-42 TAXES ..................................................................... S-44 FUND TRANSACTIONS ......................................................... S-51 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ........................................................ S-53 DESCRIPTION OF SHARES ..................................................... S-54 LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY ......................................... S-55 PROXY VOTING .............................................................. S-55 CODES OF ETHICS ........................................................... S-56 5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS ................................................... S-56 APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS ...................................... A-1 October 23, 2016 RWC-SX-001-0100 |
THE TRUST
GENERAL. The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end investment management company established under Delaware law as a Delaware statutory trust under a Declaration of Trust dated December 4, 2013 (the "Declaration of Trust"). The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund, and all assets of such fund, belong solely to that fund and would be subject to any liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing and insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses and (ii) pro rata share of the fund's other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate statements of additional information.
DESCRIPTION OF MULTIPLE CLASSES OF SHARES. The Trust is authorized to offer shares of the Fund in Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Institutional Class Shares. The different classes provide for variations in distribution and shareholder servicing fees and minimum investment requirements. Minimum investment requirements and investor eligibility are described in the Prospectus. For more information on distribution and shareholder servicing expenses, see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in this SAI. The Trust reserves the right to create and issue additional classes of shares.
VOTING RIGHTS. Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date for the meeting. The Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to it. 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 members of the Board of Trustees (each, a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Trustees" or the "Board") under certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or of another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Declaration of Trust, without the approval of shareholders of any series.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The Fund is diversified, as that term is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The
following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Fund and the associated risk factors. The Fund may invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices unless such investment or activity is inconsistent with or is not permitted by the Fund's stated investment policies, including those stated below.
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ("ADRS")
ADRs, as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a "depository" and may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
For purposes of the Fund's investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will
be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
EQUITY SECURITIES
Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and rights to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate. The Fund may purchase equity securities traded on global securities exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:
TYPES OF EQUITY SECURITIES:
o COMMON STOCK. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
o PREFERRED STOCK. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
o ALTERNATIVE ENTITY SECURITIES. Alternative entity securities are the securities of entities that are formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts or other non-corporate entities that are similar to common or preferred stock of corporations.
o EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS ("ETFS"). An ETF is a fund whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange as if it were a single security. An ETF holds a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. Some examples of ETFs are SPDRs([R]), DIAMONDS(SM), NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking Stock(SM) ("QQQs(SM)"), and iShares([R]). The Fund could purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign market while awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly. Similarly, the Fund may establish a short position in an ETF to gain inverse exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign markets. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities it is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs versus the costs of owning the underlying securities directly. See also "Securities of Other Investment Companies" below.
o 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, 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.
GENERAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN STOCKS. While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company's earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company's stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company's
financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company's stock may fall because of:
o Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services;
o Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and
o Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM CAPITALIZATION ISSUERS. Investing in equity securities of micro, small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of micro and smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of micro and smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.
INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS ("IPOS"). The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of companies offering shares in IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified performance impact on the Fund with a small asset base. The Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time, which may increase the turnover of the Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling IPO shares, the Fund may realize taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Holders of IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.
The Fund's investment in IPO shares may include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than three years of continuous operations), which presents risks considerably greater than common stocks of more established companies. These companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes in technology, markets and economic conditions. They may be more dependent on key managers and third parties and may have limited product lines.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Foreign securities include equity securities of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks. These instruments have investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization, or expropriation of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source, greater fluctuations in value due to changes in exchange rates, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations. Such investments may also entail higher custodial fees and sales commissions than domestic investments. Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting treatment and engage in business practices different from those respecting domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.
INVESTMENTS IN EMERGING AND FRONTIER MARKETS. Investing in emerging and frontier markets involves additional risks and special considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or markets. Such risks may include (i) increased risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty, including war; (iii) higher dependence on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) greater volatility, less liquidity and smaller capitalization of markets; (v) greater volatility in currency exchange rates; (vi) greater risk of inflation; (vii) greater controls on foreign investment and limitations on realization of investments, repatriation of invested capital and on the ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) increased likelihood of governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) governmental decisions to cease support of economic reform programs or to impose centrally planned economies; (x) differences in auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers; (xi) less extensive regulation of the markets; (xii) longer settlement periods for transactions and less reliable clearance and custody arrangements; (xiii) less developed corporate laws regarding fiduciary duties of officers and directors and the protection of investors; (xiv) certain considerations regarding the maintenance of the Fund's securities with local brokers and securities depositories and (xv) the imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest, capital gains, other income or gross sale or disposition proceeds.
Repatriation of investment income, assets and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some emerging and frontier market countries. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation or by withholding taxes imposed by emerging and frontier market countries on interest or dividends paid on securities held by the Fund or gains from the disposition of such securities.
In emerging and frontier markets, there is often less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, over-the-counter markets, brokers, dealers, counterparties and issuers than in other more established markets. Any regulatory supervision that is in place may be subject to manipulation or control. Some emerging and frontier market countries do not have mature legal systems comparable to those of more developed countries. Moreover, the process of legal and regulatory reform may not be proceeding at the same pace as market developments, which could result in investment risk. Legislation to safeguard the rights of private ownership may not yet be in place in certain areas, and there may be the risk of conflict among local, regional and national requirements. In certain cases, the laws and regulations governing investments in securities may not exist or may be subject to inconsistent or arbitrary appreciation or interpretation. Both the independence of judicial systems and their immunity from economic, political or nationalistic influences remain largely untested in many countries. The Fund may also encounter difficulties in pursuing legal remedies or in obtaining and enforcing judgments in local courts.
INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ("PRC"). Investing in the PRC is subject to the risks of investing in emerging markets and additional risks which are specific to the PRC market.
The economy of the PRC is in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy and investments may be sensitive to changes in law and regulation together with political, social or economic policy which includes possible government intervention.
The Fund may incur losses due to limited investment capabilities, or may not be able to fully implement or pursue its investment objective or strategy, due to local investment restrictions, illiquidity of the PRC domestic securities market, and/or delay or disruption in execution and settlement of trades.
o SHANGHAI-HONG KONG STOCK CONNECT. The Fund may invest in PRC A-Shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme subject to any applicable regulatory limits. The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme is a securities trading and clearing linked programme developed by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited ("HKEx"), the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited ("HKSCC"), Shanghai Stock Exchange ("SSE") and China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("ChinaClear") with the aim of achieving mutual stock market access between mainland PRC and Hong Kong. This programme allows foreign investors to trade certain SSE-listed PRC A-Shares through their Hong Kong based brokers. All Hong Kong and overseas investors in the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect will trade and settle SSE securities in the offshore Renminbi ("CNH") only. The Fund will be exposed to any fluctuation in the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and CNH in respect of such investments.
By seeking to invest in the domestic securities markets of the PRC via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect the Fund is subject to the following additional risks:
o GENERAL RISKS. The relevant regulations are untested and subject to change. There is no certainty as to how they will be applied, which could adversely affect the Fund. The programme requires use of new information technology systems which may be subject to operational risk due to the programme's cross-border nature. If the relevant systems fail to function properly, trading in both Hong Kong and Shanghai markets through the programme could be disrupted.
Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banks in both markets are open on the corresponding settlement days. There may be occasions when it is a normal trading day for the PRC market but the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is not trading. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk of price fluctuations in PRC A-Shares when the Fund cannot carry out any PRC A-Shares trading.
o FOREIGN SHAREHOLDING RESTRICTIONS. The trading, acquisition, disposal and holding of securities under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect are subject at all times to applicable law, which imposes purchasing and holding limits. These limitations and restrictions may have the effect of restricting an investor's ability to purchase, subscribe for or hold any PRC A-Shares or to take up any entitlements in respect of such shares, or requiring an investor to reduce its holding in any securities, whether generally or at a particular point of time, and whether by way of forced sale or otherwise. As such, investors may incur loss arising from such limitations, restrictions and/or forced sale.
o CLEARING AND SETTLEMENT RISK. HKSCC and ChinaClear have established the clearing links and each will become a participant of each other to facilitate clearing and settlement of cross-boundary trades. For cross-boundary trades initiated in a market, the clearing house of that market will on one hand clear and settle with its own clearing participants and on the other hand undertake to fulfill the clearing and settlement obligations of its clearing participants with the counterparty clearing house.
o LEGAL/BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Where securities are held in custody on a cross-border basis there are specific legal and beneficial ownership risks linked to the compulsory requirements of the local central securities depositaries, HKSCC and ChinaClear.
As in other emerging markets, the legislative framework is only beginning to develop the concept of legal/formal ownership and of beneficial ownership or interest in securities. In addition, HKSCC, as nominee holder, does not guarantee the title to Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect securities held through it and is under no obligation to enforce title or other rights associated with ownership on behalf of beneficial owners. Consequently, the courts may consider that any nominee or custodian as registered holder of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect securities would have full ownership thereof, and that those Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect securities would form part of the pool of assets of such entity available for distribution to creditors of such entities and/or that a beneficial owner may have no rights whatsoever in respect thereof. Consequently, neither the Fund nor its custodian can ensure that the Fund's ownership of these securities or title thereto is assured.
To the extent that HKSCC is deemed to be performing safekeeping functions with respect to assets held through it, it should be noted that the Fund and its custodian will have no legal relationship with HKSCC and no direct legal recourse against HKSCC in the event that the Fund suffers losses resulting from the performance or insolvency of HKSCC.
In the event ChinaClear defaults, HKSCC's liabilities under its market contracts with clearing participants may be limited to assisting clearing participants with claims. It is anticipated that HKSCC will act in good faith to seek recovery of the outstanding stocks and monies from ChinaClear through available legal channels or the liquidation of ChinaClear. Regardless, the process of recovery could be delayed and the Fund may not fully recover its losses or its Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect securities.
o OPERATIONAL RISK. The HKSCC provides clearing, settlement, nominee functions and other related services in respect of trades executed by Hong Kong market participants. PRC regulations which include certain restrictions on selling and buying will apply to all market participants. In the case of a sale, pre-delivery of shares to the broker is required, increasing counterparty risk. As a result, the Fund may not be able to purchase and/or dispose of holdings of PRC A-Shares in a timely manner.
o QUOTA LIMITATIONS. The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme is subject to quota limitations which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in PRC A-Shares through the programme on a timely basis.
o INVESTOR COMPENSATION. The Fund will not benefit from PRC local investor compensation schemes.
TAX WITHIN THE PRC. Uncertainties in PRC tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A Shares via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund's investments in securities, including A Shares, issued by PRC companies may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by the PRC.
If the Fund were considered to be a tax resident of the PRC, it would be subject to PRC corporate income tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide taxable income. If the Fund were considered to be a non-resident enterprise with a "permanent establishment" in the PRC, it would be subject to PRC corporate income tax of 25% on the profits attributable to the permanent establishment. The Adviser intends to operate the Fund in a manner that will prevent it from being treated as a tax resident of the PRC and from having a permanent establishment in the PRC. It is possible, however, that the PRC could disagree with that conclusion or that changes in PRC tax law could affect the PRC corporate income tax status of the Fund.
The PRC generally imposes withholding income tax at a rate of 10% on dividends, premiums, interest and capital gains originating in the PRC and paid to a company that is not a resident of the PRC for tax purposes and that has no permanent establishment in China. The withholding is in general made by the relevant PRC tax resident company making such payments. In the event the relevant PRC tax resident company fails to withhold the relevant PRC withholding income tax or otherwise fails to pay the relevant withholding income tax to the PRC tax authorities, the competent PRC tax authorities may, at their sole discretion, impose tax obligations on the Fund.
The Ministry of Finance of the PRC, the State Administration of Taxation of the PRC and the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued the "Notice on the Pilot Program of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect" Caishui No. 81 on October 31, 2014 ("Notice 81"), which states that the capital gain from disposal of PRC A-Shares by foreign investors enterprises via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme will be temporarily exempt from withholding income tax. Notice 81 also states that the dividends derived from A Shares by foreign investors enterprises is subject to a 10% withholding income tax.
There is no indication of how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect and the Fund may be subject to such withholding income tax in the future. If, in the future, China begins applying tax rules regarding the taxation of income from investments through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme and/or begins collecting capital gains taxes on such investments, the Fund could be subject to withholding income tax liability if the Fund determines that such liability cannot be reduced or eliminated by applicable tax treaties. The PRC tax authorities may in the future issue further guidance in this regard and with potential retrospective effect. The negative impact of any such tax liability on the Fund's return could be substantial.
In light of the uncertainty as to how gains or income that may be derived from the Fund's investments in the PRC will be taxed, the Fund reserves the right to provide for withholding tax on such gains or income and withhold tax for the account of the Fund. Withholding tax may already be withheld at a broker/custodian level.
Any tax provision, if made, will be reflected in the net asset value of the Fund at the time the provision is used to satisfy tax liabilities. If the actual applicable tax levied by the PRC tax authorities is greater than that provided for by the Fund so that there is a shortfall in the tax provision amount, the net asset value of the Fund may suffer as the Fund will have to bear additional tax liabilities. In this case, then existing and new investors in the Fund will be disadvantaged. If the actual applicable tax levied by the PRC tax authorities is less than that provided for by the Fund so that there is an excess in the tax provision amount, investors who redeemed Fund shares before the PRC tax authorities' ruling, decision or guidance may have been disadvantaged as they would have borne any loss from the Fund's overprovision. In this case, the then existing and new investors in the Fund may benefit if the difference between the tax provision and the actual taxation liability can be returned to the account of the Fund as
assets thereof. Any excess in the tax provision amount shall be treated as property of the Fund, and investors who previously transferred or redeemed their Fund shares will not be entitled or have any right to claim any part of the amount representing the excess.
The PRC rules for taxation of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme are evolving and certain of the tax regulations to be issued by the State Administration of Taxation of the PRC and/or Ministry of Finance of the PRC to clarify the subject matter may apply retrospectively, even if such rules are adverse to the Fund and its investors. The imposition of taxes, particularly on a retrospective basis, could have a material adverse effect on the Fund's returns. Before further guidance is issued and is well established in the administrative practice of the PRC tax authorities, the practices of the PRC tax authorities that collect PRC taxes relevant to the Fund may differ from, or be applied in a manner inconsistent with, the practices with respect to the analogous investments described herein or any further guidance that may be issued. The value of the Fund's investment in the PRC and the amount of its income and gains could be adversely affected by an increase in tax rates or change in the taxation basis.
The above information is only a general summary of the potential PRC tax consequences that may be imposed on the Fund and its investors either directly or indirectly and should not be taken as a definitive, authoritative or comprehensive statement of the relevant matter. Investors should seek their own tax advice on their tax position with regard to their investment in the Fund.
The PRC government has implemented a number of tax reform policies in recent years. The current tax laws and regulations may be revised or amended in the future. Any revision or amendment in tax laws and regulations may affect the after-taxation profit of PRC companies and foreign investors in such companies, such as the Fund.
SOVEREIGN DEBT OBLIGATIONS. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government.
FOREIGN AGENCY DEBT OBLIGATIONS. The Fund may invest in uncollateralized bonds issued by agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities of foreign governments. Bonds issued by these foreign government agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities are generally backed only by the creditworthiness and reputation of the entities issuing the bonds and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the foreign government. Moreover, a foreign government that explicitly provides its full faith and credit to a particular entity may be, due to changed circumstances, unable or unwilling to provide that support. A foreign agency's operations and financial condition are influenced by the foreign government's economic and other policies. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of a foreign government may cause the value of debt issued by that particular foreign government's agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities to decline. During periods of economic uncertainty, the trading of foreign agency bonds may be less liquid while market prices may be more volatile than prices of other bonds. Additional risks associated with foreign agency investing include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations; political instability; and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital.
OBLIGATIONS OF SUPRANATIONAL ENTITIES. Supranational entities are entities established through the joint participation of several governments, and include the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, African Development Bank, European Economic Community, European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment
Bank. The governmental members, or "stockholders," usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and, in many cases, are committed to make additional capital contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of a supranational entity will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions. If such contributions are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities, and the Fund may lose money on such investments.
INVESTMENT FUNDS. Some emerging and frontier countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging and frontier countries, however, permit indirect foreign investment in the securities of companies listed and traded on their stock exchanges through investment funds that they have specifically authorized. Investments in these investment funds are subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act. If the Fund invests in such investment funds, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses (including operating expenses and the fees of the Adviser), but also will indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment funds. In addition, these investment funds may trade at a premium over their net asset value.
RISKS OF FOREIGN SECURITIES:
Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
o POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS. Local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments may affect the value of foreign investments. Listed below are some of the more important political and economic factors that could negatively affect an investment in foreign securities:
o The economies of foreign countries may differ from the economy of the United States in such areas as growth of GNP, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, budget deficits and national debt;
o Foreign governments sometimes participate to a significant degree, through ownership interests or regulation, in their respective economies. Actions by these governments could significantly influence the market prices of securities and payment of dividends;
o The economies of many foreign countries are dependent on international trade and their trading partners and they could be severely affected if their trading partners were to enact protective trade barriers and economic conditions;
o The internal policies of a particular foreign country may be less stable than in the United States. Other countries face significant external political risks, such as possible claims of sovereignty by other countries or tense and sometimes hostile border clashes; and
o A foreign government may act adversely to the interests of U.S. investors, including expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation and other restrictions on U.S. investment. A country may restrict or control foreign investments in its securities markets. These restrictions could limit the Fund's ability to invest in a particular country or make it very expensive for the Fund to invest in that country. Some countries require prior governmental approval or limit the types or amount of securities or companies in which a foreigner can invest.
Other countries may restrict the ability of foreign investors to repatriate their investment income and capital gains.
o INFORMATION AND SUPERVISION. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than companies based in the United States. For example, there are often no reports and ratings published about foreign companies comparable to the ones written about U.S. companies. Foreign companies are typically not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. The lack of comparable information makes investment decisions concerning foreign companies more difficult and less reliable than domestic companies.
o STOCK EXCHANGE AND MARKET RISK. The Adviser anticipates that in most cases an exchange or over-the-counter market located outside of the United States will be the best available market for foreign securities. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as the markets in the United States. Foreign stock markets tend to differ from those in the United States in a number of ways.
Foreign stock markets:
o Are generally more volatile than, and not as developed or efficient as, those in the United States;
o Have substantially less volume;
o Trade securities that tend to be less liquid and experience rapid and erratic price movements;
o Have generally higher commissions and are subject to set minimum rates, as opposed to negotiated rates;
o Employ trading, settlement and custodial practices less developed than those in U.S. markets; and
o May have different settlement practices, which may cause delays and increase the potential for failed settlements.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to shareholders than U.S. markets because:
o Foreign accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements may render a foreign corporate balance sheet more difficult to understand and interpret than one subject to U.S. law and standards;
o Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis;
o In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States;
o Over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated;
o Economic or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and may make it difficult for shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and
o Restrictions on transferring securities within the United States or to U.S. persons may make a particular security less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
o FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK. While the Fund denominates its net asset value in U.S. dollars, the securities of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. Thus, a change in the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in value of securities denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair the investments denominated in a foreign currency are:
o It may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa;
o Complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies, including the U.S. dollar, and their exchange rates;
o Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces;
o There may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis;
o Available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the inter-bank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable; and
o The inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that a market is closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, certain markets may not always reflect significant price and rate movements.
o TAXES. Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes on dividend and interest income. Although in some countries it is possible for the Fund to recover a portion of these taxes, the portion that cannot be recovered will reduce the income the Fund receives from its investments.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES
Money market securities include short-term U.S. government securities; custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization ("NRSRO"), such as Standard & Poor's Rating Services ("S&P") or Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances) of U.S. commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these money market securities are described below. For a description of ratings, see "Appendix A -- Description of Ratings" to this SAI.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac").
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency. Additionally, some obligations are issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, which are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. Guarantees of principal by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund's shares.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the "Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement" or "Agreement"). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth through the end of 2012. The unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired at the beginning of 2013 -- Fannie Mae's support is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion.
On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% annual dividend. Instead, the companies will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. It is believed that the new amendment puts Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position
to service their debt because the companies no longer have to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to make fixed dividend payments. As part of the new terms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also will be required to reduce their investment portfolios at an annual rate of 15 percent instead of the previous 10 percent, which puts each of them on track to cut their portfolios to a targeted $250 billion in 2018.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. government reportedly is considering multiple options, ranging from nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.
o U. S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations, including those transferable through the Federal book-entry system known as Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities ("STRIPS"). The STRIPS program lets investors hold and trade the individual interest and principal components of eligible Treasury notes and bonds as separate securities. Under the STRIPS program, the principal and interest components are separately issued by the U.S. Treasury at the request of depository financial institutions, which then trade the component parts separately.
OBLIGATIONS OF DOMESTIC BANKS, FOREIGN BANKS AND FOREIGN BRANCHES OF U.S. BANKS
The Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks. Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by the Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. Bank obligations include the following:
o TIME DEPOSITS. Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds. Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.
o UNSECURED BANK PROMISSORY NOTES. Promissory notes are generally debt obligations of the issuing entity and are subject to the risks of investing in the banking industry.
INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME SECURITIES
Fixed income securities are considered investment grade if they are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by an NRSRO, or, if not rated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. See "Appendix A - Description of Ratings" for a description of the bond rating categories of several NRSROs. Ratings of each NRSRO represent its opinion of the safety of principal and interest payments (and not the market risk) of bonds and other fixed income securities it undertakes to rate at the time of issuance. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality and may not reflect changes in an issuer's creditworthiness. Fixed income securities rated BBB- or Baa3 lack outstanding investment characteristics, and have speculative characteristics as well.
Securities rated Baa3 by Moody's or BBB- by S&P or higher are considered by those rating agencies to be "investment grade" securities, although Moody's considers securities rated in the Baa category to have speculative characteristics. While issuers of bonds rated BBB by S&P are considered to have adequate capacity to meet their financial commitments, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and principal for debt in this category than debt in higher rated categories. In the event a security owned by the Fund is downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser will review the situation and take appropriate action with regard to the security, including the actions discussed below.
DEBT SECURITIES
Corporations and governments use debt securities to borrow money from investors. Most debt securities promise a variable or fixed rate of return and repayment of the amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero-coupon bonds, do not pay current interest and are purchased at a discount from their face value.
o CORPORATE BONDS. Corporations issue bonds and notes to raise money for working capital or for capital expenditures such as plant construction, equipment purchases and expansion. In return for the money loaned to the corporation by investors, the corporation promises to pay investors interest, and repay the principal amount of the bond or note.
SECURITIES OF OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund's purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund's expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined, including its ETF investments.
For hedging or other purposes, the Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds, are traded on a securities exchange. (See "Exchange Traded Funds" above). The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company's shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.
Pursuant to orders issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to each of certain iShares, Market Vectors, Vanguard, ProShares, PowerShares, Guggenheim (formerly, Claymore), Direxion, Wisdom Tree, Rydex, First Trust and SPDR exchange-traded funds (collectively, the "ETFs") and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in the ETFs in excess of the 3% limit described above, provided that the Fund otherwise complies with the conditions of the SEC order, as it may be amended, and any other applicable investment limitations. Neither the ETFs nor their investment advisers make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.
The Fund may invest in investment companies that are not registered with the SEC or in privately placed securities of investment companies (which may or may not be registered), such as hedge funds and offshore
funds. Unregistered funds are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered investment companies. As a result, unregistered funds may have a greater ability to make investments, or use investment techniques, that offer a higher potential investment return (for example, leveraging), but which may carry high risk. Unregistered funds, while not regulated by the SEC like registered funds, may be indirectly supervised by the financial institutions (e.g., commercial and investment banks) that may provide them with loans or other sources of capital. Investments in unregistered funds may be difficult to sell, which could cause the Fund to lose money when selling an interest in an unregistered fund. For example, many hedge funds require their investors to hold their investments for at least one year.
DERIVATIVES
Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on an underlying asset (such as a stock or a bond), an underlying economic factor (such as interest rates) or a market benchmark. Unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may use derivatives for a number of purposes including managing risk, gaining exposure to various markets in a cost-efficient manner, reducing transaction costs, remaining fully invested and speculating. The Fund may also invest in derivatives with the goal of protecting itself from broad fluctuations in market prices, interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates (a practice known as "hedging"). When hedging is successful, the Fund will have offset any depreciation in the value of its portfolio securities by the appreciation in the value of the derivative position. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of derivatives could be used to control the exposure of the Fund to market fluctuations, the use of derivatives may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. In the future, to the extent such use is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and is legally permissible, the Fund may use instruments and techniques that are not presently contemplated, but that may be subsequently developed.
There can be no assurance that a derivative strategy, if employed, will be successful. Because many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Accordingly, certain derivative transactions may be considered to constitute borrowing transactions for purposes of the 1940 Act. Such a derivative transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance of a "senior security" by the Fund, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund, if the Fund covers the transaction or segregates sufficient liquid assets (or such assets are "earmarked" on the Fund's books) in accordance with the requirements and interpretations of the SEC and its staff. The Fund may enter into agreements with broker-dealers that require the broker-dealers to accept physical settlement for certain types of derivatives instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat such derivative instruments as being cash settled for purposes of determining the Fund's coverage requirements.
As a result of recent amendments to rules under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), the Fund must either operate within certain guidelines and restrictions with respect to the Fund's use of futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps, or the Adviser will be subject to registration with the CFTC as a "commodity pool operator" ("CPO").
Consistent with the CFTC's new regulations, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed a notice of exclusion from the definition of the term CPO under the CEA pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 and, therefore, the Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. As a result, the Fund will be limited in its ability to use futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps. Complying with the limitations may restrict the Adviser's ability to implement the Fund's investment strategies and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.
TYPES OF DERIVATIVES:
o FUTURES. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to sell and the other party agrees to buy a specified amount of a financial instrument at an agreed upon price and time. The financial instrument underlying the contract may be a stock, stock index, bond, bond index, interest rate, foreign exchange rate or other similar instrument. Agreeing to buy the underlying financial instrument is called buying a futures contract or taking a long position in the contract. Likewise, agreeing to sell the underlying financial instrument is called selling a futures contract or taking a short position in the contract.
Futures contracts are traded in the United States on commodity exchanges or boards of trade (known as "contract markets") approved for such trading and regulated by the CFTC. These contract markets standardize the terms, including the maturity date and underlying financial instrument, of all futures contracts.
Unlike other securities, the parties to a futures contract do not have to pay for or deliver the underlying financial instrument until some future date (the delivery date). Contract markets require both the purchaser and seller to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant or custodian bank, when they enter into the contract. Initial margin deposits are typically equal to a percentage of the contract's value. Initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on a contract and is returned to the depositing party upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. After they open a futures contract, the parties to the transaction must compare the purchase price of the contract to its daily market value. If the value of the futures contract changes in such a way that a party's position declines, that party must make additional "variation margin" payments so that the margin payment is adequate. On the other hand, the value of the contract may change in such a way that there is excess margin on deposit, possibly entitling the party that has a gain to receive all or a portion of this amount. This process is known as "marking to the market. " Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a party but is instead a settlement between the party and the futures broker of the amount one party would owe the other if the futures contract terminated. In computing daily net asset value, each party marks to market its open futures positions.
Although the terms of a futures contract call for the actual delivery of and payment for the underlying security, in many cases the parties may close the contract early by taking an opposite position in an identical contract. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is less than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is more than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain. Conversely, if the purchase price upon closing out the contract is more than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the purchase price upon closing out the contract is less than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain.
The Fund may incur commission expenses when it opens or closes a futures position.
o OPTIONS. An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale of a financial instrument for a specified price (known as the "strike price" or "exercise price") at any time during the option period. Unlike a futures contract, an option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a financial instrument. Generally, a seller of an option can grant a buyer two kinds of rights: a "call" (the right to buy the security) or a "put" (the right to sell the security). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indices of securities prices, foreign currencies, interest rates and futures contracts. Options may be traded on an exchange (exchange-traded options) or may be customized
agreements between the parties (over-the-counter or "OTC" options). Like futures, a financial intermediary, known as a clearing corporation, financially backs exchange-traded options. However, OTC options have no such intermediary and are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligations under the contract. The principal factors affecting the market value of an option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market value of the underlying instrument relative to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until the option expires.
o OPTIONS ON SECURITIES INDICES
Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.
o OPTIONS ON FOREIGN CURRENCIES
A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires. The Fund may purchase or write put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of hedging against changes in future currency exchange rates.
The Fund may use foreign currency options given the same circumstances under which it could use forward foreign currency exchange contracts. For example, a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in which the Fund's securities are denominated would reduce the U.S. dollar value of the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remained constant. In order to hedge against such a risk, the Fund may purchase a put option on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency then declined, the Fund could sell the currency for a fixed amount in U.S. dollars and thereby offset, at least partially, the negative effect on its securities that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if the Fund anticipates a rise in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated, the Fund may purchase call options on the currency in order to offset, at least partially, the effects of negative movements in exchange rates. If currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options.
o FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific amount of currency at a future date or date range at a specific price. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. Unlike futures contracts, forward contracts:
o Do not have standard maturity dates or amounts (i.e., the parties to the contract may fix the maturity date and the amount);
o Are typically traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers in the inter-bank markets, as opposed to on exchanges regulated by the CFTC (note, however, that under new definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, many non-deliverable
foreign currency forwards will be considered swaps for certain purposes, including determination of whether such instruments must be traded on exchanges and centrally cleared);
o Do not require an initial margin deposit; and
o May be closed by entering into a closing transaction with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract, as opposed to with a commodities exchange.
o FOREIGN CURRENCY HEDGING STRATEGIES. A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect the Fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. The Fund may also use forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency when it anticipates purchasing or selling securities denominated in foreign currency, even if it has not yet selected the specific investments.
The Fund may use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in foreign currency. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. The Fund could also hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which the Fund's investment is denominated. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that the Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange that one can achieve at some future point in time. Additionally, these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency and to limit any potential gain that might result from the increase in value of such currency.
The Fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. Such transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency, including currencies in which its securities are not then denominated. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased. Cross- hedges may protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency but will cause the Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases. Cross-hedging transactions also involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies involved.
It is difficult to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, the Fund may have to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (cash) market if the market value of a security it is hedging is less than the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver. Conversely, the Fund may have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency it received upon the sale of a security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver.
o SWAP AGREEMENTS. A swap agreement is a financial instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swap agreements are individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, foreign currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices or inflation rates.
Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of the Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterparty's creditworthiness declined, the value of a swap agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses.
Generally, swap agreements have a fixed maturity date that will be agreed upon by the parties. The agreement can be terminated before the maturity date under certain circumstances, such as default by one of the parties or insolvency, among others, and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. The Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or by other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, the Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the swap agreement. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the counterparty to the transaction is creditworthy.
A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify the Fund's gains or losses. In order to reduce the risk associated with leveraging, the Fund may cover its current obligations under swap agreements according to guidelines established by the SEC. If the Fund enters into a swap agreement on a net basis, it will segregate assets with a daily value at least equal to the excess, if any, of the Fund's accrued obligations under the swap agreement over the accrued amount the Fund is entitled to receive under the agreement. If the Fund enters into a swap agreement on other than a net basis, it will segregate assets with a value equal to the full amount of the Fund's accrued obligations under the swap agreement.
o TOTAL RETURN SWAPS
Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from a reference instrument--which may be a single asset, a pool of assets or an index of assets--during a specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another underlying reference instrument. The total return includes appreciation or depreciation on the underlying asset, plus any interest or dividend payments. Payments under the swap are based upon an agreed upon principal amount but, since the principal amount is not exchanged, it represents neither an asset nor a liability to either counterparty, and is referred to as notional. Total return swaps are marked to market daily using different sources, including quotations from counterparties, pricing services, brokers or market makers. The unrealized appreciation or depreciation related to the change in the valuation of the notional amount of the swap is combined with the amount due to the Fund at termination or settlement. The primary risks associated with total return swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the swap or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying reference instrument).
o EQUITY-LINKED NOTES
Equity-linked notes (including participation notes and other instruments whose return is determined by the performance of a single equity security, a basket of equity securities or an equity index) are instruments issued by banks or broker-dealers and are designed to offer a return linked to a particular underlying equity or debt security, currency or market. If an equity-linked note were held to maturity, the issuer would pay to, or receive from, the purchaser the difference between the nominal value of the underlying instrument at the time of purchase and that instrument's value at maturity. The holder of an equity-linked note that is linked to a particular underlying security or instrument may be entitled to receive any dividends paid in connection with that underlying security or instrument, but typically does not receive voting rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying security or instrument. Equity-linked notes involve transaction costs. Investments in equity-linked notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying security or instrument that they seek to replicate.
In addition, there can be no assurance that the value of equity-linked notes will equal the value of the underlying security or instrument that they seek to replicate. Equity-linked notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them. Accordingly, there is counterparty risk associated with these investments because the Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such counterparty and has no rights under an equity-linked note against the issuer of the underlying security or instrument.
RISKS OF DERIVATIVES:
While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if it had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Fund's gains or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
Use of derivatives involves transaction costs, which may be significant, and may also increase the amount of taxable income to shareholders.
o CORRELATION OF PRICES. The Fund's ability to hedge its securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Adviser will try to minimize this risk by investing in only those contracts whose behavior it expects to correlate with the behavior of the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Adviser's prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility or other economic factors is incorrect, the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
o Current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
o A difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or discontinued trading of an instrument; and
o Differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Derivatives based upon a narrower index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad market index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of the Fund. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect the Fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of the Fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the Fund's investments precisely over time.
o LACK OF LIQUIDITY. Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, the Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although the Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out its position. In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
o Have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
o Have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
o Not be able to hedge its investments; and/or
o Not be able to realize profits or limit its losses.
Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions. For example:
o An exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;
o Unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
o The facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
o Equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
o Investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.
o MANAGEMENT RISK. Successful use of derivatives by the Fund is subject to the ability of the Adviser to forecast stock market and interest rate trends. If the Adviser incorrectly predicts stock market and interest rate trends, the Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives. For example, if the Fund were to write a call option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.
o PRICING RISK. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments. For example, if the Fund has valued its securities too high, shareholders may end up paying too much for Fund shares when they buy into the Fund. If the Fund underestimates its price, shareholders may not receive the full market value for their Fund shares when they sell.
o MARGIN. Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and it may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. The Fund may lose its margin deposits if a broker-dealer with whom it has an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
o VOLATILITY AND LEVERAGE. The Fund's use of derivatives may have a leveraging effect. Leverage generally magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in value of an underlying asset and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund did not use derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
o Actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
o Fiscal and monetary policies; and
o National and international political events.
Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches this value, the Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
o GOVERNMENT REGULATION. The regulation of derivatives markets in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law in 2010, grants significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to impose comprehensive regulations on the over-the-counter and cleared
derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. The new law and regulations may negatively impact the Fund by increasing transaction and/or regulatory compliance costs, limiting the availability of certain derivatives or otherwise adversely affecting the value or performance of the derivatives the Fund trades. In addition, the SEC proposed new derivatives rules in December 2015 that could limit the Fund's use of derivatives, and adversely impact the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and without notice.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES
Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business (i.e. within seven days) at approximately the prices at which they are valued. Because of their illiquid nature, illiquid securities must be priced at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Despite such good faith efforts to determine fair value prices, the Fund's illiquid securities are subject to the risk that the security's fair value price may differ from the actual price which the Fund may ultimately realize upon its sale or disposition. Difficulty in selling illiquid securities may result in a loss or may be costly to the Fund. Under the supervision of the Board, the Adviser determines the liquidity of the Fund's investments. In determining the liquidity of the Fund's investments, the Adviser may consider various factors, including (1) the frequency and volume of trades and quotations, (2) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (3) dealer undertakings to make a market, and (4) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades (including any demand, put or tender features, the mechanics and other requirements for transfer, any letters of credit or other credit enhancement features, any ratings, the number of holders, the method of soliciting offers, the time required to dispose of the security, and the ability to assign or offset the rights and obligations of the security). The Fund will not hold more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
RESTRICTED SECURITIES
The Fund may purchase restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or an exemption from registration. This generally includes securities that are unregistered that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or securities that are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, such as commercial paper. Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a "safe harbor" from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and meet other selection criteria, the Fund may make such investments whether or not such securities are "illiquid" depending on the market that exists for the particular security. The Board has delegated the responsibility for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities that the Fund may invest in to the Adviser.
WHEN-ISSUED, DELAYED--DELIVERY AND FORWARD-DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS
A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued. In a forward-delivery transaction, the Fund contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. "Delayed-delivery" refers to securities transactions on the secondary market where settlement occurs in the future. In each of these transactions, the parties fix the payment obligation and the interest rate that they will receive on the securities at the time the parties enter the commitment; however, they do not pay money or deliver securities until a later date. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Fund has committed to purchase before the securities are delivered, although the Fund may earn income on securities it
has in a segregated account to cover its position. The Fund will only enter into these types of transactions with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell them before the settlement date.
The Fund may use when-issued, delayed-delivery and forward-delivery transactions to secure what it considers an advantageous price and yield at the time of purchase. When the Fund engages in when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward-delivery transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward-delivery basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward-delivery transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
SPECIAL RISKS OF CYBER-ATTACKS
As with any entity that conducts business through electronic means in the modern marketplace, the Fund, and its service providers, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized monitoring, release, misuse, loss, destruction or corruption of confidential information, unauthorized access to relevant systems, compromises to networks or devices that the Fund and its service providers use to service the Fund's operations, operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund and its service providers, or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, the Fund's distributor, custodian, or any other of the Fund's intermediaries or service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses or the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes designed to mitigate or prevent the risk of cyber-attacks. Such costs may be ongoing because threats of cyber-attacks are constantly evolving as cyber attackers become more sophisticated and their techniques become more complex. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund's investments in such companies to lose value. There can be no assurance that the Fund, the Fund's service providers, or the issuers of the securities in which the Fund invests will not suffer losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches in the future.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The following investment limitations are fundamental, which means that the Fund cannot change them without approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The phrase "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.
1. The Fund may purchase securities of an issuer, except if such purchase would cause the Fund to fail to satisfy the diversification requirement for a diversified management company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
2. The Fund may not concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time, except that the Fund may invest without limitation in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements involving such securities or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions.
3. The Fund may borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
4. The Fund may make loans, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
5. The Fund may purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
6. The Fund may underwrite securities issued by other persons, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The Fund's investment objective as well as the following investment limitations of the Fund are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
1. The Fund may not purchase an investment if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund's net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.
2. The Fund may not invest in unmarketable interests in real estate limited partnerships or invest directly in real estate. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing policy does not prevent the Fund from, among other things, purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in real estate or interests therein.
3. The Fund may purchase or sell financial and physical commodities, commodity contracts based on (or relating to) physical commodities or financial commodities and securities and derivative instruments whose values are derived from (in whole or in part) physical commodities or financial commodities.
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
DIVERSIFICATION. Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a "diversified company," as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the fund.
CONCENTRATION. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company's total assets in any particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.
BORROWING. The 1940 Act presently allows an investment company to borrow from any bank in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) and to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets.
LENDING. Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.
SENIOR SECURITIES. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.
REAL ESTATE AND COMMODITIES. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate or commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.
UNDERWRITING. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets.
Except with respect to the Fund's policy concerning borrowing, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances causes the Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments 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 the 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).
THE ADVISER
GENERAL. RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC ("RWC" or the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company founded in 2012, is an SEC registered investment adviser that serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser's principal place of business is located at 2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201, Miami, Florida 33133. The Adviser is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of RWC Partners Limited. RWC Partners Limited is minority
owned by Schroder International Holdings Limited, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders PLC, a publicly traded company. RWC Partners Limited is majority owned by current and former employees with no one individual controlling more than 25%. As of September 30, 2016, the Adviser had approximately $10.1 billion in assets under management.
The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund's investment program. The Board supervises the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its management activities.
ADVISORY AGREEMENT. The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") with respect to the Fund. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser serves as the investment adviser and makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of, and policies established by, the Board.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees or by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or by the Adviser on not more than 60 days' nor less than 30 days' written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and "assignment" have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.
ADVISORY FEES PAID TO THE ADVISER. For its services under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.90% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse
expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual Fund operating expenses
(excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, distribution and/or service
(12b-1) fees, shareholder servicing fees, acquired fund fees and expenses and
non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 1.25%
of the average daily net assets of each of the Fund's share classes until
January 31, 2018. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any
reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior
written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January
31, 2018. If at any point total annual Fund operating expenses (not including
excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit, the Adviser may
receive from the Fund the difference between the total annual Fund operating
expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to
recover all or a portion of its prior fee reductions or expense reimbursements
made during the preceding three-year period during which the contractual
expense limitation agreement was in place.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
This section includes information about the Fund's portfolio manager, including information about other accounts he manages, the dollar range of Fund shares he owns and how he is compensated.
COMPENSATION. The portfolio manager shares in the management fees and, where applicable, the performance fees generated by the accounts he manages. The portfolio manager is also incentivized through equity participation in RWC Partners Limited.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount range of the portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"). Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the portfolio manager did not beneficially own shares of the Fund.
OTHER ACCOUNTS. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. None of the accounts included below are subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information below is provided as of September 30, 2016.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTERED OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES OTHER ACCOUNTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NUMBER OF NAME ACCOUNTS TOTAL ASSETS ACCOUNTS (IN MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS TOTAL ASSETS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Malloy 0 $0 5 $801 0 $0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. There is a potential conflict of interest inherent in the management of multiple accounts, including accounts with different fee structures, in that the Adviser and/or the portfolio manager may have an incentive to favor one account over another when allocating scarce trades. This conflict of interest is addressed through, among other things, a trade allocation policy that seeks to ensure that allocations are generally made pro rata based on the assets under management of the relevant portfolios (exceptions to the allocation policy require the prior approval of a member of the Adviser's compliance team), as well as a daily trade review by the compliance team in which it seeks evidence of favoritism.
The portfolio manager may from time to time manage portfolios used in model portfolio arrangements ("Model Portfolios") offered by various sponsors and/or other non-RWC investment advisers. In connection with these Model Portfolios, the portfolio manager provides investment recommendations in the form of model portfolios to a third party, who is responsible for executing trades for participating client accounts. The Adviser maintains procedures designed to deliver portfolios on a fair and equitable basis. Trades for RWC discretionary managed accounts, including the Fund, are worked contemporaneously with the delivery of updated model information. The Model Portfolios may achieve a security weighting ahead of or after the weighting achieved in the Fund.
THE ADMINISTRATOR
GENERAL. SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other mutual funds.
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and the Administrator have entered into an administration agreement (the "Administration Agreement") dated February 12, 2014. Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities.
The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.
ADMINISTRATION FEES PAID TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is paid a fee, which varies based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to certain minimums.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
GENERAL. The Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated February 12, 2014 ("Distribution Agreement"), whereby the Distributor acts as a principal underwriter for the Trust's shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
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 majority of the shareholders of the Trust 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 will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act), and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust, upon not more than 60 days' written notice by either party.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
DISTRIBUTION PLAN. The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan with respect to the Class N Shares (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. Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees 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 and of the Qualified Trustees.
The Plan provides a method of paying for distribution and shareholder services, which may help the Fund grow or maintain asset levels to provide operational efficiencies and economies of scale, provided by the Distributor or other financial intermediaries that enter into agreements with the Distributor. The Fund may make payments to financial intermediaries, such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services, reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance or provision of shareholder services. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of the Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur.
Under the Plan, the Distributor or financial intermediaries may receive up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class N Shares as compensation for distribution and shareholder services. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution or shareholder service expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to financial intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules concerning sales charges.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN. The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan
under which a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.15% of average daily net
assets of Class N Shares and Class I Shares of the Fund will be paid to
financial intermediaries. Under the plan, financial intermediaries may perform,
or may compensate other financial intermediaries for performing, certain
shareholder and administrative services, including: (i) maintaining shareholder
accounts; (ii) arranging for bank wires; (iii) responding to shareholder
inquiries relating to the services performed by the financial intermediaries;
(iv) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investment in
the Fund; (v) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account
designations and addresses; (vi) providing information periodically to
shareholders showing their position in the Fund; (vii) forwarding shareholder
communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual
reports, and dividend and capital gain distribution and tax notices to
shareholders; (viii) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from
shareholders and placing orders with the Fund or its service providers; (ix)
providing sub-accounting services; (x) processing dividend and capital gain
payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders; (xi) preparing tax reports;
and (xii) providing such other similar non-distribution services as the Fund
may reasonably request to the extent that the financial intermediary is
permitted to do so under applicable laws or regulations.
OTHER PAYMENTS BY THE FUND. The Fund may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for non-distribution-related sub-transfer agency, administrative, sub-accounting, and other shareholder services. Payments made pursuant to such agreements are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary, or (2) the number of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary. Any payments made pursuant to such agreements may be in addition to, rather than in lieu of, distribution or shareholder services fees the Fund may pay to financial intermediaries pursuant to the Fund's distribution plan or shareholder servicing plan.
OTHER PAYMENTS BY THE ADVISER. The Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.
These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary's retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary's retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary's retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder
transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries' customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
Investors should understand that some financial intermediaries may also charge their clients fees in connection with purchases of shares or the provision of shareholder services.
THE TRANSFER AGENT
DST Systems, Inc., 333 West 11(th) Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 (the "Transfer Agent"), serves as the Fund's transfer agent.
THE CUSTODIAN
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 (the "Custodian"), acts as custodian of the Fund. The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Suite 1800, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1701 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2921, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described above, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the 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 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 Fund's portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund's service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of 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 fund's adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the adviser and other service providers, such as the fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds 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 agreement 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 the funds' investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules and reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in ETFs, if any.
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Trust's Fair Value Pricing Committee makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' 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 funds' advisers and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. There are five members of the Board, four of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Mr. Doran, an interested person of the Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Hunt, an independent Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute more than three-quarters of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) 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 has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and the Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board has a lead independent Trustee.
In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Hunt, among other things: (i) presides over Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board; (ii) presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; (iii) along with the Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings; (iv) facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and among the independent Trustees; (v) serves as a key point person for dealings between the independent Trustees and management; and (vi) has such other responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to time.
Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee. There is no stated term of office for the Trustees. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ POSITION WITH TRUST PRINCIPAL NAME AND YEAR OF AND LENGTH OF TIME OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE BIRTH SERVED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William M. Doran Chairman of the Self-Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1940) Board of Trustees(1) Consultant since 2003. The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, (since 2014) Partner at Morgan, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Lewis & Bockius LLP Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, (law firm) from 1976 Winton Series Trust, Winton to 2003. Counsel to the Diversified Opportunities Fund Trust, SEI (closed-end investment company), Investments, SIMC, Gallery Trust, SEI Daily Income the Administrator and Trust, SEI Institutional International the Distributor. Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Director of SEI Investments (Europe), Limited, SEI Investments--Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Asia), Limited, SEI Global Nominee Ltd., SEI Investments -- Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited and SEI Investments Co. Director of the Distributor since 2003. Former Directorships: Director of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP to 2013. Trustee of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jon C. Hunt Trustee Retired since 2013. Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1951) (since 2014) Consultant to City National Rochdale Funds, Management, Winton Series Trust, Winton Convergent Capital Diversified Opportunities Fund Management, LLC (closed-end investment company) ("CCM") from 2012 to and Gallery Trust. Member of 2013. Managing Independent Committee of Nuveen Director and Chief Commodities Asset Management. Operating Officer, CCM from 1998 to Former Directorship: Trustee of 2012. O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ POSITION WITH TRUST PRINCIPAL NAME AND YEAR OF AND LENGTH OF TIME OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE BIRTH SERVED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas P. Lemke Trustee Retired since 2013. Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1954) (since 2014) Executive Vice AXA Premier VIP Trust, Winton President and General Series Trust, Winton Diversified Counsel, Legg Mason, Opportunities Fund (closed-end Inc. from 2005 to investment company), Gallery Trust 2013. and JP Morgan Active ETFs. Former Directorships: Trustee of Munder Funds to 2014. Trustee of Victory Funds to 2015. Trustee of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jay C. Nadel Trustee Self-Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1958) (since 2016) Consultant since 2004. City National Rochdale Funds, Winton Series Trust, Winton Diversified Opportunities Trust (closed-end investment company) and Gallery Trust. Director of Lapolla Industries, Inc. Former Directorships: Trustee of Rochdale Investment Trust to 2013. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randall S. Yanker Trustee Co-Founder and Senior Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1960) (since 2014) Partner, Alternative Winton Series Trust, Winton Asset Managers, L.P. Diversified Opportunities Fund since 2004. (closed-end investment company) and Gallery Trust. Independent Non- Executive Director of HFA Holdings Limited. Former Directorship: Trustee of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
(1) Mr. Doran may be deemed to be an "interested" person of the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of his affiliation with the Distributor and/or its affiliates.
INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board
because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund
provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they
may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management
and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the
management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business
judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund's shareholders.
The Trust has
concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Doran should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as a Partner in the Investment Management and Securities Industry Practice of a large law firm, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other mutual fund boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Hunt should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with different investment management institutions, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained as a board member of open-end, closed-end and private funds investing in a broad range of asset classes, including alternative asset classes.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lemke should serve as Trustee because of the extensive experience he gained in the financial services industry, including experience in various senior management positions with financial services firms and multiple years of service with a regulatory agency, his background in controls, including legal, compliance and risk management, and his service as general counsel for several financial services firms.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Nadel should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with an audit firm and various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other mutual fund and operating company boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Yanker should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with the alternative asset management divisions of various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained advising institutions on alternative asset management.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established the following standing committees:
o AUDIT COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: (i) recommending which firm to engage as each fund's independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; (ii) reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm's compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm's independence; (iii) pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by each fund's independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; (iv) serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; (v) reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm's opinion, any related management letter, management's responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management's responses to any such reports; (vi) reviewing each fund's audited financial statements and
considering any significant disputes between the Trust's management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; (vii) considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust's senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms' reports on the adequacy of the Trust's internal financial controls; (viii) reviewing, in consultation with each fund's independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing each fund's financial statements; and (ix) other audit related matters. Mr. Hunt, Mr. Lemke, Mr. Nadel and Mr. Yanker currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. Mr. Nadel serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
o GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Governance Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee include: (i) considering and reviewing Board governance and compensation issues; (ii) conducting a self-assessment of the Board's operations; (iii) selecting and nominating all persons to serve as independent Trustees and evaluating the qualifications of "interested" Trustee candidates; and (iv) reviewing shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed to the Committee at the Trust's office. Mr. Hunt, Mr. Lemke, Mr. Nadel and Mr. Yanker currently serve as members of the Governance Committee. Mr. Lemke serves as the Chairman of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
FAIR VALUE PRICING COMMITTEE. The Board has also established a standing Fair Value Pricing Committee that is composed of various representatives of the Trust's service providers, as appointed by the Board. The Fair Value Pricing Committee operates under procedures approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Fair Value Pricing Committee is to determine the fair value of securities for which current market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee's determinations are reviewed by the Board.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY BOARD MEMBERS. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund 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 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOLLAR RANGE OF AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF SHARES NAME FUND SHARES (FUND)(1) (ALL FUNDS IN THE FUND COMPLEX) (1,2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERESTED TRUSTEE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William M. Doran None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon C. Hunt None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thomas P. Lemke None $10,001 - $50,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay C. Nadel None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Randall S. Yanker None None ------------------ --------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ |
(1) Valuation date is December 31, 2015.
(2) The Trust is the only investment company in the Fund Complex.
BOARD COMPENSATION. The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PENSION OR RETIREMENT BENEFITS ACCRUED ESTIMATED ANNUAL ESTIMATED TOTAL AGGREGATE COMPENSATION AS PART OF BENEFITS UPON COMPENSATION NAME FROM THE TRUST FUND EXPENSES RETIREMENT FROM THE TRUST(1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William M. Doran $0 N/A N/A $0 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jon C. Hunt $40,375 N/A N/A $40,375 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas P. Lemke $40,375 N/A N/A $40,375 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jay C. Nadel(2) $23,750 N/A N/A $23,750 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randall S. Yanker $40,375 N/A N/A $40,375 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
(1) The Trust is the only investment company in the Fund Complex
(2) Joined the Board on June 9, 2016.
TRUST OFFICERS. Set forth below are the names, year of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as executive officers of the Trust. There is no stated term of office for the officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust for his services.
Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one or more mutual funds for which SEI Investments Company or its affiliates act as investment manager, administrator or distributor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND YEAR POSITION WITH TRUST AND LENGTH OF PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OF BIRTH TIME SERVED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Beattie President Director of Client Service, SEI Investments (Born: 1965) (since 2014) Company, since 2004. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert Nesher Vice Chairman SEI employee 1974 to present; currently performs (Born: 1946) (since 2014) various services on behalf of SEI Investments for which Mr. Nesher is compensated. Vice Chairman of Winton Series Trust, Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) and Gallery Trust. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. President and Director of SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP. President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP, June 2007 to September 2013. President and Director of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010. Vice Chairman of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND YEAR POSITION WITH TRUST AND LENGTH OF PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OF BIRTH TIME SERVED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Connors Treasurer, Controller and Chief Director, SEI Investments, Fund Accounting since (Born: 1984) Financial Officer December 2014. Audit Manager, Deloitte & (since 2015) Touche LLP, from 2011 to 2014. Audit Supervisor, BBD, LLP (formerly Briggs, Bunting & Dougherty, LLP), from 2007 to 2011. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dianne M. Vice President and Secretary Counsel at SEI Investments since 2010. Associate Descoteaux (since 2014) at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP from 2006 to (Born: 1977) 2010. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Russell Emery Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Structured Credit (Born: 1962) (since 2014) Fund, LP since June 2007. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP from June 2007 to September 2013. Chief Compliance Officer of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, Winton Series Trust, Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed- end investment company), Gallery Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. until 2010. Chief Compliance Officer of O'Connor EQUUS (closed- end investment company) until 2016. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lisa Whittaker Vice President and Assistant Secretary Attorney, SEI Investments Company (2012- (Born: 1978) (since 2014) present). Associate Counsel and Compliance Officer, The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A. (2011-2012). Associate, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-2011). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John Y. Kim Vice President and Assistant Secretary Attorney, SEI Investments Company (2014- (Born: 1981) (since 2014) present). Associate, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (2009-2014). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bridget E. Sudall Privacy Officer Senior Associate and AML Officer, Morgan (Born: 1980) (since 2015) Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (2011- 2015). Investor Services Team Lead, Morgan Anti-Money Laundering Officer Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (2007- (since 2015) 2011). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Purchases and redemptions may be made through the Transfer Agent on any day the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business. Shares of the Fund are offered and redeemed on a continuous basis. Currently, the Trust is closed for business when the following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is currently the Trust's policy to pay all redemptions in cash. The Trust retains the right, however, to alter this policy to provide for redemptions in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. Shareholders may incur brokerage charges on the sale of any such securities so received in payment of redemptions.
The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption and/or to postpone the date of payment upon redemption during times when the NYSE is closed, other than during customary weekends or holidays, for any period on which trading on the NYSE is restricted (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation), or during the existence of an emergency (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation) as a result of which disposal or valuation of the Fund's securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC has by order permitted. The Trust also reserves the right to suspend sales of shares of the Fund for any period during which the NYSE, the Adviser, the Administrator, the Transfer Agent and/or the Custodian are not open for business.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
GENERAL POLICY. The Fund adheres to Section 2(a)(41), and Rule 2a-4 thereunder, of the 1940 Act with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value, and all other securities are valued at fair value in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. In complying with the 1940 Act, the Trust relies on guidance provided by the SEC and by the SEC staff in various interpretive letters and other guidance.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on an exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on the valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time if such exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES AND OTHER DEBT SECURITIES. If available, money market securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing
agents may also value debt securities by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board.
FOREIGN SECURITIES. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. Exchange rates are provided daily by recognized independent pricing agents.
DERIVATIVES AND OTHER COMPLEX SECURITIES. Exchange traded options on securities and indices purchased by the Fund generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last bid price. Exchange traded options on securities and indices written by the Fund generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last asked price. In the case of options traded in the over-the-counter market, if the OTC option is also an exchange traded option, the Fund will follow the rules regarding the valuation of exchange traded options. If the OTC option is not also an exchange traded option, the Fund will value the option at fair value in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board.
Futures and swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are traded. The daily settlement prices for financial futures are provided by an independent source. On days when there is excessive volume or market volatility, or the future or centrally cleared swap does not end trading by the time the Fund calculates net asset value, the settlement price may not be available at the time at which the Fund calculates its net asset value. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last sales price) may be used to value the Fund's futures or centrally cleared swaps position.
Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate, and the thirty, sixty, ninety and one-hundred eighty day forward rates provided by an independent source.
If available, non-centrally cleared swaps, collateralized debt obligations, collateralized loan obligations and bank loans are priced based on valuations provided by an independent third party pricing agent. If a price is not available from an independent third party pricing agent, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board.
USE OF THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT PRICING AGENTS AND INDEPENDENT BROKERS. Pursuant to contracts with the Administrator, prices for most securities held by the Fund are provided daily by third-party independent pricing agents that are approved by the Board. The valuations provided by third-party independent pricing agents are reviewed daily by the Administrator.
If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Administrator shall seek to obtain a bid price from at least one independent broker.
FAIR VALUE PROCEDURES. Securities for which market prices are not "readily available" or which cannot be valued using the methodologies described above are valued in accordance with Fair Value Procedures established by the Board and implemented through the Fair Value Pricing Committee. The members of the Fair Value Pricing Committee report, as necessary, to the Board regarding portfolio valuation determinations. The Board, from time
to time, will review these methods of valuation and will recommend changes which may be necessary to assure that the investments of the Fund are valued at fair value.
Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate a security being valued using Fair Value Procedures include: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de-listed from a national exchange; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the security's primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; trading of the security is subject to local government-imposed restrictions; or a significant event with respect to a security has occurred after the close of the market or exchange on which the security principally trades and before the time the Fund calculates net asset value. When a security is valued in accordance with the Fair Value Procedures, the Fair Value Pricing Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Fair Value Pricing Committee.
TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that is intended to supplement the discussion contained in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
QUALIFICATION AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY ("RIC"). The Fund intends to qualify and elects to be treated as a RIC. By following such a policy, the Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be subject. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC, it will generally not be subject to federal income taxes on the net investment income and net realized capital gains that it timely distributes to its shareholders. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
In order to qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must distribute annually
to its shareholders at least 90% of its net investment income (which, includes
dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains
over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses) and at least 90% of
its net tax exempt interest income, for each tax year, if any (the
"Distribution Requirement") and also must meet certain additional requirements.
Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund's
gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest,
payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or
other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income
(including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts)
derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or
currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly
traded partnership (the "Qualifying Income Test"); and (ii) at the close of
each quarter of the Fund's taxable year: (A) at least 50% of the value of the
Fund's total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government
securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other
securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than
5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and that does not represent more
than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the
equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (B) not more
than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets is invested in the securities
(other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "Asset Test").
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income or Asset Tests in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain DE MINIMIS failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period. If the Fund fails to maintain qualification as a RIC for a tax year, and the relief provisions are not available, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In such case, its shareholders would be taxed as if they received ordinary dividends, although corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends received deduction (subject to certain limitations) and individuals may be able to benefit from the lower tax rates available to qualified dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.
The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Fund is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If the 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 the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.
FEDERAL EXCISE TAX. Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, which generally requires the Fund to distribute at least 90% of its annual investment company taxable income and the excess of its exempt interest income (but does not require any minimum distribution of net capital gain), the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax to the extent it fails to distribute, by the end of the calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (the excess of short- and long-term capital gains over short- and long-term capital losses) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year (including any retained amount from the prior calendar year on which the Fund paid no federal income tax). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions to avoid liability for federal excise tax, but can make no assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the Adviser might not
otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS. The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by the Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares.
Distributions by the Fund are currently eligible for the reduced maximum tax
rate to individuals of 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax
brackets) to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income on the
securities it holds and the Fund reports the distributions as qualified
dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from
taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign
corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain
countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock
of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United
States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the
extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend
was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the
date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become "ex-dividend"
(which is the day on which declared distributions (dividends or capital gains)
are deducted from the Fund's assets before it calculates the net asset value)
with respect to such dividend, (ii) the Fund has not satisfied similar holding
period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the
dividends distributed to the shareholder), (iii) the shareholder is under an
obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related
payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iv) the
shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section
163(d)(4)(B) of the Code. Therefore, if you lend your shares in the Fund, such
as pursuant to a securities lending arrangement, you may lose the ability to
treat dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified
dividend income. Distributions that the Fund receives from an ETF or an
underlying fund taxable as a RIC or a REIT will be treated as qualified
dividend income only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund or
REIT.
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gain distributions consisting of the Fund's net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders currently set at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund.
In the case of corporate shareholders, Fund distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividends-received deduction to the extent such distributions are so reported and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. All such qualifying dividends (including the deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. However, the Fund does not expect a significant portion of its distributions to qualify for the dividends-received deduction for shareholders that are corporations.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a "substitute payment") with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.
A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares reduces the net asset value of the shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the shareholder. If the net asset value of shares were reduced below the shareholder's cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends or distributions would be a return of investment though taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions.
The Fund (or its administrative agent) will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may designate and distribute to you, as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gain, a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income earned during the period of your investment in the Fund.
Dividends declared to shareholders of record in October, November or December and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as having been received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared. Under this rule, therefore, a shareholder may be taxed in one year on dividends or distributions actually received in January of the following year.
SALES, EXCHANGES OR REDEMPTIONS. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale, exchange, or redemption of shares of the Fund by a shareholder who is not a dealer in securities will generally, for individual shareholders, be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than twelve months and otherwise will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a net capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the net capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract to or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including any capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund).
The Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders the cost basis information for purchases of Fund shares. In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund is also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, the Fund will permit shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average basis method. In the absence of an election, the Fund will use the average basis method as its default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by the Fund shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method
for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how cost basis reporting applies to them. Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
TAX TREATMENT OF COMPLEX SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of its foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund.
Certain derivative investment by the Fund, such as exchange-traded products and over-the-counter derivatives, may not produce qualifying income for purposes of the "Qualifying Income Test" described above, which must be met in order for the Fund to maintain its status as a RIC under the Code. In addition, the determination of the value and the identity of the issuer of such derivative investments are often unclear for purposes of the "Asset Test" described above. The Fund intends to carefully monitor such investments to ensure that any non-qualifying income does not exceed permissible limits and to ensure that it is adequately diversified under the Asset Test. The Fund, however, may not be able to accurately predict the non-qualifying income from these investments and there are no assurances that the IRS will agree with the Fund's determination of the "Asset Test" with respect to such derivatives. Failure of the Asset Test might also result from a determination by the IRS that financial instruments in which the Fund invests are not securities.
The Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. These provisions may also require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and for avoiding the excise tax discussed above. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.
In general, for purposes of the Qualifying Income Test described 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 the 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, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its
income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and
(iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income
described in (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.
CERTAIN FOREIGN CURRENCY TAX ISSUES. The 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 the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirements and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make the appropriate tax elections, and intends to make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the 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 the Qualifying Income Test described above if such gains are not directly related to the 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 the 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.
If the 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. The Fund intends to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.
FOREIGN TAXES. Dividends and interest received by the Fund may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on the Fund's stocks or securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these taxes. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.
If more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to and intends to file an election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source 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.
Foreign tax credits, if any, received by the Fund as a result of an investment in another RIC (including an ETF which is taxable as a RIC) will not be passed through to you unless the Fund qualifies as a "qualified fund-of-funds" under the Code. If the Fund is a "qualified fund-of-funds" it will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that will enable the Fund to pass along these foreign tax credits to its shareholders. The Fund will be treated as a "qualified fund-of-funds" under the Code if at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets (at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs.
TAX-EXEMPT SHAREHOLDERS. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified
pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements,
401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal
income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income
("UBTI"). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being
realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the
foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an
investment in the Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual
interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits ("REMICs"), (ii) the Fund
invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool ("TMP") or that has a
subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC,
or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of
the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code.
Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult
their tax advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and
prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly
encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at a 28% withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who: (i) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all; (ii) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends; (iii) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding; or (iv) has failed to certify to the Fund that the shareholder is a U.S. person (including a resident alien).
NON-U.S. INVESTORS. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest-related dividend" or a "short-term capital gain dividend," which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the 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. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
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. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.
TAX SHELTER REPORTING REGULATIONS. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, generally, 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 such as the Fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. 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.
STATE TAXES. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by the Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of such 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 the Fund will not be liable for any corporate tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by the Fund. Investment in Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporate shareholders. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in the Fund.
The Fund's shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder's tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Fund.
FUND TRANSACTIONS
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS. Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer's mark up or reflect a dealer's mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.
In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the
Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions.
BROKERAGE SELECTION. The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.
To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by the Adviser in connection with the Fund or any other specific client account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.
In some cases the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.
From time to time, the Adviser may purchase new issues of securities for clients, including the Fund, in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).
BROKERAGE WITH FUND AFFILIATES. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund or the Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. The 1940 Act requires that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
SECURITIES OF "REGULAR BROKER-DEALERS." The Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that the Fund held during its most recent fiscal year. Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund did not hold any securities of its "regular brokers or dealers."
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE. Portfolio turnover rate is defined under SEC rules as the greater of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one-year. The Fund may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has approved a policy and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Fund's portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Fund's shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's Adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person of the Fund, its Adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized the Adviser's Chief Compliance Officer (the "Authorized Person") to authorize the release of the Fund's portfolio holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles. The Authorized Person, either directly or through reports by the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, reports quarterly to the Board regarding the operation and administration of such policies and procedures.
Pursuant to applicable law, the Fund is required to disclose its complete portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter (currently, each December 31, March 31, June 30 and September 30). The Fund will discloses a complete or summary schedule of investments (which includes the Fund's 50 largest holdings in unaffiliated issuers and each investment in unaffiliated issuers that exceeds one percent of the Fund's net asset value ("Summary Schedule")) in its Semi-Annual and Annual Reports which are distributed to Fund shareholders. The Fund's complete schedule of investments following the first and third fiscal quarters will be available in quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q, and the Fund's complete schedule of investments following the second and fourth fiscal quarters will be available in shareholder reports filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR.
Reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q and Form N-CSR are not distributed to Fund shareholders but are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Should the Fund
include only a Summary Schedule rather than a complete schedule of investments in its Semi-Annual and Annual Reports, its Form N-CSR will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-RWC-FUND.
In addition to the quarterly portfolio holdings disclosure required by applicable law, the Fund will post its holdings within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter, on the internet at https://www.rwcpartners.com/us/. The Adviser may exclude any portion of the portfolio holdings from such publication when deemed in the best interest of the Fund. The portfolio holdings information placed on the Fund's website generally will remain there until replaced by new postings as described above.
In addition to information provided to shareholders and the general public, portfolio holdings information may be disclosed as frequently as daily to certain service providers, such as the Custodian, Administrator or Transfer Agent, in connection with their services to the Fund. From time to time rating and ranking organizations, such as S&P, Lipper and Morningstar, Inc., may request non-public portfolio holdings information in connection with rating the Fund. Similarly, institutional investors, financial planners, pension plan sponsors and/or their consultants or other third-parties may request portfolio holdings information in order to assess the risks of the Fund's portfolio along with related performance attribution statistics. The lag time for such disclosures will vary. The Fund believes that these third parties have legitimate objectives in requesting such portfolio holdings information.
The Fund's policies and procedures provide that the Authorized Person may authorize disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information to such parties at differing times and/or with different lag times. Prior to making any disclosure to a third party, the Authorized Person must determine that such disclosure serves a reasonable business purpose, is in the best interests of the Fund's shareholders and that to the extent conflicts between the interests of the Fund's shareholders and those of the Adviser, principal underwriter, or any affiliated person of the Fund exist, such conflicts are addressed. Portfolio holdings information may be disclosed no more frequently than monthly to ratings agencies, consultants and other qualified financial professionals or individuals. The disclosures will not be made sooner than three days after the date of the information. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer will regularly review these arrangements and will make periodic reports to the Board regarding disclosure pursuant to such arrangements.
With the exception of disclosures to rating and ranking organizations as described above, the Fund requires any third party receiving non-public holdings information to enter into a confidentiality agreement with the Adviser. The confidentiality agreement provides, among other things, that non-public portfolio holdings information will be kept confidential and that the recipient has a duty not to trade on the non-public information and will use such information solely to analyze and rank the Fund, or to perform due diligence and asset allocation, depending on the recipient of the information.
The Trust's policies and procedures prohibit any compensation or other consideration from being paid to or received by any party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information, including the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates or recipients of the Fund's portfolio holdings information.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund, each of which represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional fund and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing
shares will not be issued. The Fund's shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, and any person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee's individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures.
The Adviser's policy and procedures for voting proxies applies to those client accounts for which the Adviser provides discretionary investment management services for and for which authority to vote such proxies has been granted to it via the applicable investment advisory agreement. The policy and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of those client accounts, as determined by the Adviser in good faith after appropriate review.
The decision to vote proxies resides with the relevant investment management team within the Adviser. These teams will utilize their knowledge of the issuer company, including meetings with management, in reaching a voting decision that will be in the best interests of the client. The investment management teams also have recourse to ISS, an independent advisory firm, who may provide research and voting recommendations. The Adviser is not, however, obligated in any way to follow such recommendation if it does not feel it would be in the clients' best interests. In addition to research, the Adviser may utilize ISS for vote execution, reporting and record keeping.
Inherent in its obligations under this policy, the Adviser will seek to identify and effectively manage any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise by virtue of its authority to vote proxies on behalf of its clients. The Adviser maintains a register of conflicts and has procedures in place to ensure their effective management. In the management of conflicts, the Adviser has a range of actions at its disposal, including, but not limited to, the removal of a conflicted individual from participating in or having an influence on the evaluation of a proxy vote or following the voting recommendation of an independent third party advisory firm such as ISS. Appropriate records are retained to evidence the rationale behind all voting decisions.
As an investment advisor investing in markets globally, the Adviser may find that, due to local market customs, its ability to vote proxies in certain jurisdictions could either be restricted or entails significant costs. As such, voting in such jurisdictions is done on a best endeavors basis after due consideration of the various contributing factors by the investment management team.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund's complete proxy voting record during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 on Form N-PX. This voting record is available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-RWC-FUND and (ii) on the SEC's website at HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board on behalf of the Trust has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees ("Access Persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under each Code of Ethics, Access Persons are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain Access Persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.
5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS
Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund did not have any beneficial owners to report.
The Adviser or its affiliates (a "Seed Investor") may provide initial funding to or otherwise invest in the Fund. When a Seed Investor provides "seed capital" or other capital for the Fund, it may do so with the intention of redeeming all or part of its interest in the Fund at a future point in time or when it deems that sufficient additional capital has been invested in that Fund. The timing of a redemption by a Seed Investor could benefit the Seed Investor. For example, the Seed Investor may choose to redeem its shares at a time when the Fund's portfolio is more liquid than at other times when other investors may wish to redeem all or part of their interests.
In addition, a consequence of any redemption of a significant amount, including by a Seed Investor, is that investors remaining in the Fund will bear a proportionately higher share of Fund expenses following the redemption.
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The following descriptions of securities ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), Standard & Poor's ("S&P"), and Fitch Ratings ("Fitch"), respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S GLOBAL RATINGS
Ratings assigned on Moody's global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default.
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATINGS
Aaa Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
NOTE: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
HYBRID INDICATOR (HYB)
The hybrid indicator (hyb) is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATINGS
P-1 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S U.S. MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS
The Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") scale is used to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer's long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels--MIG 1 through MIG 3--while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
Moody's U.S. municipal short-term obligation ratings are as follows:
MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S DEMAND OBLIGATION RATINGS
In the case of variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody's evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody's evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ("demand feature"). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG") scale.
Moody's demand obligation ratings are as follows:
VMIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
DESCRIPTION OF S&P'S ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS
An S&P's issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days--including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P's analysis of the following considerations:
o Likelihood of payment--capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
o Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and the promise S&P imputes;
o Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
DESCRIPTION OF S&P'S LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGSo
AAA An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB; B; CCC; CC; AND C Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.
D An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
oThe ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
DESCRIPTION OF S&P'S SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS
A-1 A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2 A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3 A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
DESCRIPTION OF S&P'S MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS
An S&P's U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P's opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P's analysis will review the following considerations:
o Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and
o Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
S&P's municipal short-term note ratings are as follows:
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH'S CREDIT RATINGS
Fitch's credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested.
The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade). The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. "Investment grade" categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the "speculative" categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
Fitch's credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ABILITY of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the OBLIGATION to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instrument's documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a
higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation's documentation). In such cases, the agency will make clear the assumptions underlying the agency's opinion in the accompanying rating commentary.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH'S LONG-TERM CORPORATE FINANCE OBLIGATIONS RATINGS
AAA Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
B Highly speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
CCC Substantial credit risk. 'CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
CC Very high levels of credit risk. 'CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
C Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. 'C' ratings indicate exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned 'RD' or 'D' ratings, but are instead rated in the 'B' to 'C' rating categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.
Note: The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below 'CCC'.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH'S SHORT-TERM RATINGS
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months
for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
Fitch's short-term ratings are as follows:
F1 Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2 Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3 Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. EXHIBITS:
(a)(1) The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III's (the "Registrant") Certificate of
Trust, dated December 4, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(a)(1) of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
333-192858), filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-13-000669 on December 13, 2013.
(a)(2) Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated December 4, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-13-000669 on December 13, 2013.
(b) Registrant's Amended and Restated By-Laws, dated September 18, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(c) Not Applicable.
(d)(1)(i) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated February 19, 2014, between the Registrant and NorthPointe Capital LLC, relating to the NorthPointe Small Cap Value Fund and NorthPointe Large Cap Value Fund (together, the "NorthPointe Funds"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(d)(1)(ii) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 11, 2014, between the Registrant and Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. ("NAM USA"), relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000034 on January 28, 2015.
(d)(1)(iii) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 17, 2014, between the Registrant and Rothschild Larch Lane Management Company LLC ("Rothschild Larch Lane"), relating to the Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(d)(1)(iv) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 15, 2014, between the Registrant and Logan Circle Partners L.P. ("Logan Circle Partners"), relating to the Logan Circle Partners Core Plus Fund and Logan Circle Partners Multi-Sector Fixed Income Fund (together, the "Logan Circle Partners Funds"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000799 on December 24, 2014.
(d)(1)(v) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated February 26, 2015, between the
Registrant and Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC ("Knights of Columbus
Asset Advisors"), relating to the Knights of Columbus Core Bond Fund, Knights
of Columbus Limited Duration Bond Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Growth
Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Value Fund, Knights of Columbus Small Cap
Equity Fund and Knights of Columbus International Equity Fund (together, the
"Knights of Columbus Funds"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(1)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000079 on February 26, 2015.
(d)(1)(vi) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 30, 2015, between the
Registrant and Chiron Investment Management, LLC ("Chiron"), relating to the
Chiron Capital Allocation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(1)(vii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-15-000852 on November 23, 2015.
(d)(1)(vii) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 30, 2015, between the Registrant and PineBridge Investments LLC ("PineBridge"), relating to the PineBridge Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(viii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000935 on December 23, 2015.
(d)(1)(viii) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated September 22, 2016, between the Registrant and Strategic Global Advisors, LLC ("Strategic Global Advisors"), relating to the SGA International Equity Fund, SGA International Equity Plus Fund, SGA International Small Cap Equity Fund and SGA Global Equity Fund (together, the "Strategic Global Advisors Funds"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(viii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(d)(1)(ix) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC ("RWC"), relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(1)(x) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and Chilton Investment Company, LLC ("Chilton"), relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(1)(xi) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and GQG Partners LLC ("GQG Partners"), relating the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(i) Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated
December 11, 2014, between NAM USA and Nomura Corporate Research and Asset
Management Inc. ("NCRAM") is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(2)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-15-000034 on January 28, 2015.
(d)(2)(ii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rothschild Larch Lane and Ellington Management Group, L.L.C. ("Ellington"), to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(iii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 17, 2014, between Rothschild Larch Lane and Karya Capital Management LP ("Karya"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(d)(2)(iv) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rothschild Larch Lane and Mizuho Alternative Investments, LLC ("MAI"), to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(v) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 17, 2014, between Rothschild Larch Lane and Winton Capital Management Ltd. ("Winton"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000655 on October 7, 2014.
(d)(2)(vi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated November 10, 2014, between Rothschild Larch Lane and Winton Capital US LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(d)(2)(vii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated February 26, 2015, between Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors and Boston Advisors, LLC ("Boston Advisors"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000079 on February 26, 2015.
(d)(3)(i) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated February 19, 2014, between the Registrant and NorthPointe Capital LLC, relating to the NorthPointe Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000204 on March 19, 2014.
(d)(3)(ii) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and NAM USA, relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 001135428-14-000692 on November 4, 2014.
(d)(3)(iii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated July 17, 2014, between the Registrant and Rothschild Larch Lane, relating to the Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(d)(3)(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 15, 2014, between the Registrant and Logan Circle Partners, relating to the Logan Circle Partners Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000799 on December 24, 2014.
(d)(3)(v) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement, dated June 24, 2015, between the Registrant and Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, relating to the Knights of Columbus Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(d)(3)(vi) Amended Schedule A, amended as of February 29, 2016 to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement, dated June 24, 2015, between the Registrant and Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, relating to the Knights of Columbus Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001068 on February 26, 2016.
(d)(3)(vii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated October 20, 2015, between the Registrant and Chiron, relating to the Chiron Capital Allocation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(vii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000852 on November 23, 2015.
(d)(3)(viii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 23, 2015, between the Registrant and PineBridge, relating to the PineBridge Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(viii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000935 on December 23, 2015.
(d)(3)(ix) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated September 22, 2016, between the Registrant and Strategic Global Advisors, relating to the Strategic Global Advisors Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(ix) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(d)(3)(x) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and RWC, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(3)(xi) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and Chilton, relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(3)(xii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and GQG Partners, relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(e) Distribution Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(f) Not Applicable.
(g)(1)(i) Custodian Agreement, dated February 19, 2014, between the Registrant and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank, N.A.) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(g)(1)(ii) Amended Schedule I, dated October 1, 2014, to the Custodian Agreement, dated February 19, 2014, between the Registrant and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank, N.A.) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 001135428-14-000692 on November 4, 2014.
(g)(2) Custodian Agreement, dated November 25, 2014, between the Registrant and
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(g)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(g)(2)(i) Amended Schedule I, dated September 27, 2016, to the Custodian Agreement, dated November 25, 2014, between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(h)(1)(i) Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("SEI GFS"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(h)(1)(ii) Amendment No. 1, dated March 31, 2016, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(h)(1)(iii) Amendment No. 2, dated June 23, 2016, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(h)(1)(iv) Series Schedule relating to the NorthPointe Funds, dated March 14, 2014, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(h)(1)(v) Series Schedule relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, dated March
27, 2014, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the
Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(h)(1)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 001135428-14-000692 on November 4, 2014.
(h)(1)(vi) Series Schedule relating to the Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund, dated April 30, 2014, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(h)(1)(vii) Series Schedule relating to the Logan Circle Partners Funds, dated November 30, 2014, to the Administration Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SEI GFS, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000799 on December 24, 2014.
(h)(2)(i) Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(h)(2)(i)(a) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the NorthPointe Funds, dated March 13, 2014, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000574 on August 26, 2015.
(h)(2)(i)(b) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund, dated July 25, 2014, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000574 on August 26, 2015.
(h)(2)(i)(c) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, dated November 5, 2014, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000574 on August 26, 2015.
(h)(2)(i)(d) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Logan Circle Partners Funds, dated December 18, 2014, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(d) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000574 on August 26, 2015.
(h)(2)(i)(e) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Knights of Columbus Funds, dated January 21, 2015, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(2)(i)(f) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Strategic Global Advisors Funds, dated [ ], to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(2)(i)(g) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, dated [ ], to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(2)(i)(h) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, dated [ ], to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(2)(ii) Transfer Agency Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000574 on August 26, 2015.
(h)(2)(ii)(a) Amendment, dated November 3, 2015, to the Transfer Agency
Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic
Shareholder Services, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(h)(2)(ii)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000852 on November 23, 2015.
(h)(2)(ii)(b) Amendment, dated [ ], to the Transfer Agency Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(3)(i) Amended and Restated Shareholder Services Plan, dated December 10, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001068 on February 26, 2016.
(h)(3)(ii) Amended Exhibit A, dated September 15, 2016, to the Amended and Restated Shareholder Services Plan, dated December 10, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(j) Not Applicable.
(k) Not Applicable.
(l) Initial Capital Agreement, dated March 4, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000199 on March 18, 2014.
(m)(1) Amended and Restated Distribution Plan, dated March 3, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(1) of the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(m)(2) Amended Schedule A, dated September 15, 2016, to the Amended and Restated Distribution Plan, dated March 3, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(n)(1) Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan, dated February 12, 2014, including Schedules and Certificates of Class Designation thereto, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000655 on October 7, 2014.
(n)(2) Schedule D and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the
Knights of Columbus Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(n)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(n)(3) Schedule F and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the PineBridge Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000935 on December 23, 2015.
(n)(4) Schedule G and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the
Strategic Global Advisors Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(n)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(n)(5) Schedule H and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(n)(6) Schedule I and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(o) Not Applicable.
(p)(1) Registrant's Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000079 on February 20, 2014.
(p)(2) SEI Investments Distribution Co. Code of Ethics, dated September 1, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001002 on January 28, 2016.
(p)(3) SEI Investments GFS Code of Ethics, dated February 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001002 on January 28, 2016.
(p)(4) NorthPointe Capital, LLC Code of Ethics, dated March 2013, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(4) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000079 on February 20, 2014.
(p)(5) NAM USA and NCRAM Code of Ethics, dated August 2013, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000226 on March 31, 2014.
(p)(6) Rothschild Larch Lane Code of Ethics, dated April 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(p)(7) Ellington Code of Ethics, dated September 10, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000093 on February 27, 2015.
(p)(8) Karya Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(p)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(p)(9) MAI Code of Ethics, dated December 31, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001068 on February 26, 2016.
(p)(10) Winton Code of Ethics, dated January 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000491 on July 25, 2014.
(p)(11) Logan Circle Partners Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000655 on October 7, 2014.
(p)(12) Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors Code of Ethics, dated December 1, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000079 on February 26, 2015.
(p)(13) Boston Advisors Code of Ethics, dated December 2013, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000079 on February 26, 2015.
(p)(14) Chiron Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(p)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-15-000852 on November 23, 2015.
(p)(15) PineBridge Code of Ethics, dated May 12, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000935 on December 23, 2015.
(p)(16) Strategic Global Advisors Code of Ethics, dated December 29, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001760 on September 28, 2016.
(p)(17) RWC Code of Ethics, dated April 2016, is filed herewith.
(p)(18) Chilton Code of Ethics, dated [ ], to be filed by amendment.
(p)(19) GQG Partners Code of Ethics, dated [ ], to be filed by amendment.
(q)(1) Powers of Attorney, each dated February 12, 2014, for Michael Beattie, William M. Doran, Jon C. Hunt, Thomas P. Lemke and Randall S. Yanker, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-14-000079 on February 20, 2014.
(q)(2) Power of Attorney, dated September 17, 2015, for Mr. Stephen Connors, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000803 on October 9, 2015.
(q)(3) Power of Attorney, dated June 27, 2016, for Mr. Jay Nadel, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001473 on July 15, 2016.
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT:
Not Applicable.
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION:
A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in Article VII of the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust and any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a trustee, officer, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Trust's By-Laws.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or the Trustees shall look only to the assets of the appropriate Series, or, if the Trustees have yet to establish Series, of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or Trustees by any of them in connection with the Trust shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to his or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, and such Trustee or Trustees shall not be personally liable thereon. At the Trustees' discretion, any note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers may give notice that the Certificate of Trust is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and that a limitation on the liability of each Series exists and such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or made on behalf of the Trust or by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust or a Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") may be permitted to directors, 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 1933 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 director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, 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 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS:
The following lists any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each investment adviser (including sub-advisers), and each director, officer or partner of that investment adviser (or sub-adviser), is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee. Unless noted below, none of the investment advisers (or sub-advisers) and/or directors, officers or partners of each investment adviser (or sub-adviser) is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
BOSTON ADVISORS, LLC
Boston Advisors, LLC ("Boston Advisors") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Knights of Columbus Large Cap Growth Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Value Fund, Knights of Columbus Small Cap Equity Fund and Knights of Columbus International Equity Fund. The principal address of Boston Advisors is One Liberty Square, 10th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. Boston Advisors is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015, no director, officer or partner of Boston Advisors engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, LLC
Chilton Investment Company, LLC ("Chilton") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund. The principal address of Chilton is 1290 East Main Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06902. Chilton is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of [date]. [To be updated by amendment].
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
CHIRON INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
Chiron Investment Management, LLC ("Chiron") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Chiron Capital Allocation Fund. The principal address of Chiron is 1350 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 700, New York, New York 10019. Chiron is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015. None of the directors, officers or partners of Chiron listed below currently holds or is engaged in the business, profession, vocation or employment listed adjacent to his or her name.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enrico Gaglioti Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Global Head of Equities Sales Chief Executive Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryan Caldwell Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. Portfolio Manager Chief Investment Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Irizarry Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Equity Research Analyst Chief Administrative Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shailendra P. Panchal Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Senior Risk Manager Chief Risk Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kirsten Pickens Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc. Senior Vice President and Head Partner and Head of of National Accounts and Distribution Retirement Sales ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kristen A. Richards Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. Senior Vice President, Associate Chief Compliance Officer General Counsel and Chief and Managing Director Compliance Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
ELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP, L.L.C.
Ellington Management Group, L.L.C. ("Ellington") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Ellington is 53 Forest Avenue, Old Greenwich, Connecticut 06870. Ellington is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Ellington has a number of affiliates which undertake investment advisory related activities, including, without limitation, several SEC registered investment adviser entities and entities which act as the general partner or in a similar capacity for the private fund managed by Ellington (together, the "Ellington Affiliates"). The executive officers of Ellington generally act in the same capacity for the Ellington Affiliates as they do for Ellington. Ellington also has an affiliated FINRA registered broker-dealer for which certain executive officers of Ellington serve as officers. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Geanakoplos Yale University James Tobin Professor of Managing Director, New Haven, CT 06520 Economics Head of Research ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
GQG PARTNERS LLC
GQG Partners LLC ("GQG Partners") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund. The principal address of GQG Partners is 350 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 1100, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. GQG Partners is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of [date]. [To be updated by amendment.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
KARYA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP
Karya Capital Management LP ("Karya") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Karya is 1330 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 520, New York, New York 10019. Karya is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rajiv Sobti The Wharton School of the Advisory Board Member, Managing Partner and University of Pennsylvania Huntsman Program Chief Investment Officer 3620 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Laura Pentimone Ardmore Academy of Irish Owner, Member, President Chief Compliance Officer Dance LLC 300 Park Avenue Rutherford, NJ 07070 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ASSET ADVISORS LLC
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC ("Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Knights of Columbus Core Bond Fund, Knights of Columbus Limited Duration Bond Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Growth Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Value Fund, Knights of Columbus Small Cap Equity Fund and Knights of Columbus International Equity Fund. The principal address of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors is One Columbus Plaza, New Haven, Connecticut 06510. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony V. Minopoli, Knights of Columbus Chief Investment Officer President and Chief Investment Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. Neill Jordan, Knights of Columbus Vice President, Fixed Income Portfolio Manager -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gilles A. Marchand Jr., Knights of Columbus Portfolio Manager of Credit Portfolio Manager Investments -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael P. Votto, Knights of Columbus Associate General Counsel General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
LOGAN CIRCLE PARTNERS L.P.
Logan Circle Partners L.P. ("Logan Circle Partners") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Logan Circle Partners Core Plus Fund and Logan Circle Partners Multi-Sector Fixed Income Fund. The principal address of Logan Circle Partners is Three Logan Square, 1717 Arch Street, Suite 1500, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Logan Circle Partners is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015, no director, officer or partner of Logan Circle Partners engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
MIZUHO ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS, LLC
Mizuho Alternative Investments, LLC ("MAI") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund. The principal address of MAI is 757 Third Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10017. MAI is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Masanobu Yamaguchi Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. Senior Vice President, Mizuho President and Chief Otemachi Tower, 1--5--5 Bank, Ltd. (through Apr 2014) Executive Officer Otemachi, Chiyoda--ku, Tokyo 100--8176, Japan Managing Director, Mizuho Capital Markets Corporation (from Apr 2014 through Apr 2015) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ksenia Portnoy Guggenheim Fund Solutions Director, Senior Legal and General Counsel and Chief LLC Compliance Counsel Compliance Officer 135 East 57th Street, 21st Floor New York, NY 10022 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. ("NAM USA") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Nomura High Yield Fund. The principal address of NAM USA is Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019. NAM USA is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. NAM USA also acts as an investment manager to Korea Equity Fund, Inc. and Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund, Inc. (U.S. registered closed-end investment companies). The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marti G. Subrahmanyam, New York University Charles E. Merrill Professor of Board of Directors Stern School of Business Finance, Economics and 44 West Fourth Street #9-68 International Business New York, NY 10012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yutaka Itabashi, Board of Nomura Global Alpha LLC President and Chief Executive Directors, President and Worldwide Plaza Officer Chief Executive Officer 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiromichi Aoki, Board of Nomura Global Alpha LLC Chief Administrative Officer Directors, Managing Worldwide Plaza Director and Chief 309 West 49th Street Administrative Officer New York, NY 10019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil A. Daniele, Managing Nomura Global Alpha LLC Chief Compliance Officer Director, Chief Worldwide Plaza Compliance Officer and 309 West 49th Street Secretary New York, NY 10019 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Corporate Research and Chief Compliance Officer Asset Management Inc. Worldwide Plaza 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Funds Research and Chief Compliance Officer Technologies America, Inc. Worldwide Plaza 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
NOMURA CORPORATE RESEARCH AND ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc. ("NCRAM") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Nomura High Yield Fund. The principal address of NCRAM is Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019. NCRAM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Mair Findlay, Chief Nomura Holdings, Inc. Senior Managing Director* Executive Officer, 1-9-1 Nihonbashi President, Chief Legal Chuo-ku Officer and Chairman of Tokyo 103-8645 the Board Japan ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Holding America, Inc. Director, Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Plaza President, Chief Legal Officer, 309 West 49th Street Secretary and Senior Managing New York, NY 10019 Director** ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Instinet Holdings Incorporate Director (Non-Executive) and 1095 Avenue of the Americas Secretary New York, NY 10036 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven Zoric, Chief Nomura Holding America Inc Managing Director and Senior Operating Officer, General Worldwide Plaza Counsel** Counsel, Secretary and 309 West 49th Street Managing Director New York, NY 10019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nomura Securities (Bermuda) Ltd. Vice President and Director Chesney House 96 Pitts Bay Road Pembroke HM 08 Bermuda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil A. Daniele Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Managing Director, Chief Chief Compliance Officer Inc. Compliance Officer and Secretary Worldwide Plaza 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Global Alpha LLC Chief Compliance Officer Worldwide Plaza 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Funds Research and Chief Compliance Officer Technologies America, Inc. Worldwide Plaza 309 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* Nomura Holdings, Inc. is a corporate holding company of various subsidiaries to which Mr. Findlay serves as Senior Managing Director or a similar position.
** Nomura Holding America Inc. is a corporate holding company of various subsidiaries to which Mr. Findlay serves as Director, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary and Senior Managing Director or similar positions and Mr. Zoric serves as Managing Director and Senior Counsel or similar positions.
NORTHPOINTE CAPITAL, LLC
NorthPointe Capital, LLC ("NorthPointe") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's NorthPointe Small Cap Value Fund and NorthPointe Large Cap Value Fund. The principal address of NorthPointe is 39400 Woodward Avenue, Suite 190, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304. NorthPointe is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION WITH NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jeffrey Petherick, Partner Albion College Board of Trustees 611 E Porter St Albion, MI 49224 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
PINEBRIDGE INVESTMENTS LLC
PineBridge Investments LLC ("PineBridge") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's PineBridge Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund. The principal address of PineBridge is 399 Park Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10022. PineBridge is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is provided as of [date]. [To be updated by amendment]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
ROTHSCHILD LARCH LANE MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC
Rothschild Larch Lane Management Company LLC ("Rothschild Larch Lane") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Rothschild Larch Lane is 800 Westchester Ave., S-528, Rye Brook, New York 10573. Rothschild Larch Lane is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION WITH NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Jurish Larch Lane Advisors LLC Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Committee Member 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Investment Officer, Partner Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Geoffrey Doyle Larch Lane Advisors LLC Director of Research, Partner Investment Committee Member 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Charles Korchinski Larch Lane Advisors LLC Research Analyst, Partner Investment Committee Member 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ross Weissman Larch Lane Advisors LLC Chief Financial Officer, Partner Management Committee Member 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Katz Larch Lane Advisors LLC President, Chief Operating Management Committee Member 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Officer, Partner Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alexandra Lyras Marino Partners LLP Attorney Chief Compliance Officer 15 Fisher Lane White Plains, NY 10603 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tom Rawlings Rothschild Asset Management Inc. Chief Operating Officer Management Committee Member 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 --------------------------- -------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Marc Romano Rothschild HDF Investment Director General, Chief Executive Management Committee Member Solutions Officer 3, rue de Messine 75008 Paris France ------------------------------------------------------------------- Guthoga-Romano Owner and Director 209 rue Francoise Dolto 34070 Montpellier France ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shakil Riaz Rothschild Asset Management Inc. Managing Director and the Head of Investment Committee Member 1251 Avenue of the Americas U.S. Alternative Portfolio New York, NY 10020 Management and Global CIO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION WITH NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nicolas de Croisset Rothschild Asset Management Inc. Managing Director, Portfolio Investment Committee Member 1251 Avenue of the Americas Manager New York, NY 10020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ki Akrami Rothschild Asset Management Inc. Managing Director, Portfolio Investment Committee Member 1251 Avenue of the Americas Manager New York, NY 10020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen McShea Larch Lane Advisors LLC Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer 800 Westchester Ave., S-528 Rye Brook, NY 10017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Tang Rothschild Asset Management Chief Compliance Officer Compliance Officer Inc. 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Tamasco Rothschild Asset Management Managing Director, Co-Head Management Committee Inc. Member 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Christophe Jaubert Rothschild HDF Investment Staff, Portfolio Manager Investment Committee Member Solutions 3, rue de Messine 75008 Paris France ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
RWC ASSET ADVISORS (US) LLC
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC ("RWC") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund. The principal address of RWC is 2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201, Miami, Florida 33133. RWC is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 and 2016, no director, officer or partner of RWC engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS, LLC
Strategic Global Advisors, LLC ("Strategic Global Advisors") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's SGA International Equity Fund, SGA International Equity Plus Fund, SGA International Small Cap Equity Fund and SGA Global Equity Fund. The principal address of Strategic Global Advisors is 100 Bayview Circle, Suite 650, Newport Beach, California 92660. Strategic Global Advisors is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended July 31, 2015 and 2016, no director, officer or partner of Strategic Global Advisors engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
WINTON CAPITAL US LLC
Winton Capital US LLC ("Winton") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Rothschild Larch Lane Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Winton is 375 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10152. Winton is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014 and 2015, no director, officer or partner of Winton engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
(a) Furnish the name of each investment company (other than the Registrant) for which each principal underwriter currently distributing the securities of the Registrant also acts as a principal underwriter, distributor or investment adviser.
The Registrant's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), acts as distributor for:
SEI Daily Income Trust July 15, 1982 SEI Tax Exempt Trust December 3, 1982 SEI Institutional Managed Trust January 22, 1987 SEI Institutional International Trust August 30, 1988 The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund November 14, 1991 The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II January 28, 1993 Bishop Street Funds January 27, 1995 SEI Asset Allocation Trust April 1, 1996 SEI Institutional Investments Trust June 14, 1996 City National Rochdale Funds (f/k/a CNI Charter Funds) April 1, 1999 Causeway Capital Management Trust September 20, 2001 ProShares Trust November 14, 2005 Community Capital Trust (f/k/a Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund) January 8, 2007 TD Asset Management USA Funds July 25, 2007 SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP July 31, 2007 Global X Funds October 24, 2008 ProShares Trust II November 17, 2008 Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust) August 7, 2009 Schwab Strategic Trust October 12, 2009 RiverPark Funds Trust September 8, 2010 Adviser Managed Trust December 10, 2010 New Covenant Funds March 23, 2012 Cambria ETF Trust August 30, 2012 Highland Funds I (f/k/a Pyxis Funds I) September 25, 2012 KraneShares Trust December 18, 2012 LocalShares Investment Trust May 6, 2013 SEI Insurance Products Trust September 10, 2013 The KP Funds September 19, 2013 J.P. Morgan Exchange-Traded Fund Trust April 1, 2014 Winton Series Trust December 11, 2014 SEI Catholic Values Trust March 24, 2015 SEI Hedge Fund SPC June 26, 2015 SEI Energy Debt Fund June 30, 2015 Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund September 1, 2015 Gallery Trust January 8, 2016 RiverPark Commercial Real Estate Fund August 12, 2016 |
The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments. These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions ("MarketLink").
(b) Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 25 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456.
POSITION AND OFFICE POSITIONS AND OFFICES NAME WITH UNDERWRITER WITH REGISTRANT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William M. Doran Director Trustee Paul F. Klauder Director -- Wayne M. Withrow Director -- Kevin P. Barr Director, President, & Chief Executive Officer -- Maxine J. Chou Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer, & Treasurer -- Karen E. LaTourette Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money Laundering Officer & Assistant Secretary -- John C. Munch General Counsel & Secretary -- Mark J. Held Senior Vice President -- John P. Coary Vice President & Assistant Secretary -- Lori L. White Vice President & Assistant Secretary -- Judith A. Hirx Vice President -- Jason McGhin Vice President -- Gary Michael Reese Vice President -- Robert M. Silvestri Vice President -- |
(c) Not Applicable.
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:
(a) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1); (2)(a) and (b); (3); (6); (8);
(12); and 31a-1(d), the required books and records are maintained at the
offices of the Registrant's custodians:
MUFG Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank, N.A.)
350 California Street
6th Floor
San Francisco, California 94104
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
40 Water Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3661
(b) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1), (4); (2)(C) and (D); (4); (5);
(6); (8); (9); (10); (11); and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are
maintained at the offices of the Registrant's administrator:
SEI Investments Global Funds Services
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1(b)(5), (6), (9) and (10) and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are maintained at the principal offices of the Registrant's advisers:
Boston Advisors, LLC
One Liberty Square
10th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Chilton Investment Company, LLC
1290 East Main Street
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
Chiron Investment Management, LLC
1350 Avenue of the Americas
Suite 700
New York, New York 10019
Ellington Management Group, L.L.C.
53 Forest Avenue
Old Greenwich, Connecticut 06870
GQG Partners LLC
350 East Las Olas Boulevard
Suite 1100
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
Karya Capital Management LP
1330 Avenue of the Americas
Suite 520
New York, New York 10019
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
One Columbus Plaza
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
Logan Circle Partners L.P.
Fortress Investment Group LLC
Three Logan Square
1717 Arch Street, Suite 1500
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Mizuho Alternative Investments, LLC
757 Third Avenue
8th Floor
New York, New York 10017
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc.
Worldwide Plaza
309 West 49th Street
New York, New York 10019
Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc.
Worldwide Plaza
309 West 49th Street
New York, New York 10019
NorthPointe Capital, LLC
39400 Woodward Ave, Suite 190
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304
PineBridge Investments LLC
399 Park Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Rothschild Larch Lane Management Company LLC
800 Westchester Ave.
Rye Brook, New York 10573
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC
2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201
Miami, Florida 33133
Strategic Global Advisors, LLC
100 Bayview Circle
Suite 650
Newport Beach, California 92660
Winton Capital US LLC
375 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10152
ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES:
None.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS:
Not Applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to Registration Statement No. 333-192858 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Oaks, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the 21st day of October, 2016.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
By: * -------------------------------- Michael Beattie President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated.
* Trustee October 21, 2016 --------------------- William M. Doran * Trustee October 21, 2016 --------------------- Jon C. Hunt * Trustee October 21, 2016 --------------------- Thomas P. Lemke * Trustee October 21, 2016 --------------------- Jay Nadel * Trustee October 21, 2016 --------------------- Randall S. Yanker * President October 21, 2016 --------------------- Michael Beattie * Treasurer, Controller & October 21, 2016 --------------------- Chief Financial Officer Stephen Connors * By: /s/ Dianne M. Descoteaux ------------------------ Dianne M. Descoteaux Attorney-in-Fact |
EXHIBIT INDEX
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (n)(5) Schedule H and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (p)(17) RWC Code of Ethics, dated April 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
MORGAN LEWIS
October 21, 2016
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), a Delaware statutory trust, in connection with the above-referenced registration statement (as amended, the "Registration Statement"), which relates to the Trust's units of beneficial interest, with no par value per share (collectively, the "Shares"), of the following portfolio of the Trust: RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund (the "Fund"). This opinion is being delivered to you in connection with the Trust's filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registration Statement (the "Amendment") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). With your permission, all assumptions and statements of reliance herein have been made without any independent investigation or verification on our part except to the extent otherwise expressly stated, and we express no opinion with respect to the subject matter or accuracy of such assumptions or items relied upon.
In connection with this opinion, we have reviewed, among other things, copies of the following documents:
(a) a certificate of the State of Delaware certifying that the Trust is validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware;
(b) the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Amended and Restated By-Laws;
(c) a certificate executed by Dianne M. Descoteaux, the Secretary of the Trust, certifying as to, and attaching copies of, the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Amended and Restated By-Laws and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust authorizing the issuance of the Shares of the Fund; and
(d) a printer's proof of the Amendment.
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP
1701 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921 T +1.215.963.5000 United States F +1.215.963.5001 |
In our capacity as counsel to the Trust, we have examined the originals, or certified, conformed or reproduced copies, of all records, agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed relevant or necessary as the basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In all such examinations, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons executing documents, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all original or certified copies, and the conformity to original or certified copies of all copies submitted to us as conformed or reproduced copies. As to various questions of fact relevant to such opinion, we have relied upon, and assume the accuracy of, certificates and oral or written statements of public officials and officers and representatives of the Trust. We have assumed that the Amendment, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, will be in substantially the form of the printer's proof referred to in paragraph (d) above.
Based upon, and subject to, the limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the terms of purchase described in the Registration Statement, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable under the laws of the State of Delaware.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not concede that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP ------------------------------- |
SCHEDULE H
DATED SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
TO
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
AMENDED AND RESTATED RULE 18F-3 MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
DATED FEBRUARY 12, 2014
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
(a Fund to which RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC serves as investment adviser)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTITUTIONAL FUND SHARES CLASS N SHARES CLASS I SHARES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund X X X ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
EXHIBIT H.1
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
CERTIFICATE OF CLASS DESIGNATION
Institutional Shares
1. CLASS-SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS, OTHER EXPENSES
Institutional Shares are sold without a load or sales charge and are not subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee or a shareholder service fee.
2. ELIGIBILITY OF PURCHASERS
Institutional Shares are available to individual and institutional investors and may require a minimum initial investment, as described in the Fund's prospectus(es).
3. VOTING RIGHTS
Each shareholder of Institutional Shares will have one vote for each full
Institutional Share held and a fractional vote for each fractional
Institutional Share held. Shareholders of Institutional Shares will have:
(i) exclusive voting rights regarding any matter submitted to shareholders
that relates solely to Institutional Shares (such as a Rule 12b-1
Distribution Plan or Shareholder Service Plan relating to Institutional
Shares); (ii) separate voting rights on any other matter submitted to
shareholders in which the interests of the shareholders of Institutional
Shares differ from the interests of holders of any other Class; and (iii)
in all other respects the same rights and obligations as any other Class.
4. CONVERSION RIGHTS
a. Conversion at the Option of a Shareholder
Shareholders of Institutional Shares of the Fund may convert such Institutional Shares into another Class of shares of the Fund (an "Intra-Fund Conversion"), if and to the extent an applicable Intra-Fund Conversion right is disclosed in the prospectus(es) for the Fund and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the prospectus(es) of the Fund, provided that the shareholder requesting the Intra-Fund Conversion meets the eligibility requirements of the Class of shares into which such shareholder seeks to have his/her/its shares converted, as set forth in the Fund's prospectus(es).
b. Conversion at the Option of the Fund
In the event that a shareholder no longer meets the eligibility requirements for investment in Institutional Shares, the Fund may, in its discretion, elect to convert such shareholder's Institutional Shares into a Class of shares for which such shareholder does meet the eligibility requirements. If such investor meets the eligibility requirements for more than one other Class, then such shareholder's Institutional Shares shall be convertible into shares of the Class having the lowest total operating expenses for which such shareholder meets the eligibility requirements.
5. LIMITATION ON CONVERSION RIGHTS
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Class Designation, conversion rights may not be available with respect to shares purchased through a financial intermediary who (i) has made arrangements with the Trust or the principal underwriter for the Fund to make available for investment only certain Classes of shares of the Fund, or (ii) has made arrangements with a shareholder to purchase a specific Class or Classes of shares on behalf of such shareholder.
EXHIBIT H.2
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
CERTIFICATE OF CLASS DESIGNATION
Class N Shares
1. CLASS-SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS, OTHER EXPENSES
Class N Shares are sold without a load or sales charge, but are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee and a service fee that is payable under a Shareholder Service Plan.
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will make monthly payments to the Distributor under the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan approved by the Board of Trustees at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Class N Shares. The Distributor will use the Rule 12b-1 fees for expenses associated with the promotion and sale of the Fund's Class N Shares including, without limitation, travel and communication expenses and expenses for the compensation of and benefits for sales personnel.
Under the terms of the Shareholder Service Plan, the Fund is permitted to compensate, out of the Class N Shares' assets, in an annual amount up to 0.15% of the average daily net assets of the Class N Shares, Service Providers (as defined in the Shareholder Service Plan) that have established a shareholder servicing relationship with the Fund on behalf of their customers who are Class N Shares shareholders, as described in the Fund's prospectus(es).
2. ELIGIBILITY OF PURCHASERS
Class N Shares are available to individual and institutional investors and may require a minimum initial investment, as described in the Fund's prospectus(es).
3. VOTING RIGHTS
Each shareholder of Class N Shares will have one vote for each full Class N Share held and a fractional vote for each fractional Class N Share held. Shareholders of Class N Shares will have: (i) exclusive voting rights regarding any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to Class N Shares (such as a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan or Shareholder Service Plan relating to Class N Shares); (ii) separate voting rights on any other matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of the shareholders of Class N Shares differ from the interests of holders of any other Class; and (iii) in all other respects the same rights and obligations as any other Class.
4. CONVERSION RIGHTS
a. Conversion at the Option of a Shareholder
Shareholders of Class N Shares of the Fund may convert such Class N Shares into another Class of shares of the same Fund (an "Intra-Fund Conversion"), if and to the extent an applicable Intra-Fund Conversion right is disclosed in the prospectus(es) for the Fund and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the prospectus(es) of the Fund, provided that the shareholder requesting the Intra-Fund Conversion meets the eligibility requirements of the Class of shares into which such shareholder seeks to have his/her/its shares converted, as set forth in the Fund's prospectus(es).
b. Conversion at the Option of the Fund
In the event that a shareholder no longer meets the eligibility requirements for investment in Class N Shares, the Fund may, in its discretion, elect to convert such shareholder's Class N Shares into a Class of shares for which such shareholder does meet the eligibility requirements. If such investor meets the eligibility requirements for more than one other Class, then such shareholder's Class N Shares shall be convertible into shares of the Class having the lowest total operating expenses for which such shareholder meets the eligibility requirements.
5. LIMITATION ON CONVERSION RIGHTS
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Class Designation, conversion rights may not be available with respect to shares purchased through a financial intermediary who (i) has made arrangements with the Trust or the principal underwriter for the Fund to make available for investment only certain Classes of shares of the Fund, or (ii) has made arrangements with a shareholder to purchase a specific Class or Classes of shares on behalf of such shareholder.
EXHIBIT H.3
RWC GLOBAL EMERGING EQUITY FUND
CERTIFICATE OF CLASS DESIGNATION
Class I Shares
1. CLASS-SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS, OTHER EXPENSES
Class I Shares are sold without a load or sales charge and are not subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee, but are subject to a shareholder service fee that is payable under a Shareholder Service Plan.
Under the terms of the Shareholder Service Plan, the Fund is permitted to compensate, out of the Class I Shares' assets, in an annual amount up to 0.15% of the average daily net assets of the Class I Shares, Service Providers (as defined in the Shareholder Service Plan) that have established a shareholder servicing relationship with the Fund on behalf of their customers who are Class I Shares shareholders, as described in the Fund's prospectus(es).
2. ELIGIBILITY OF PURCHASERS
Class I Shares are available to individual and institutional investors and may require a minimum initial investment, as described in the Fund's prospectus(es).
3. VOTING RIGHTS
Each shareholder of Class I Shares will have one vote for each full Class I Share held and a fractional vote for each fractional Class I Share held. Shareholders of Class I Shares will have: (i) exclusive voting rights regarding any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to Class I Shares (such as a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan or Shareholder Service Plan relating to Class I Shares); (ii) separate voting rights on any other matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of the shareholders of Class I Shares differ from the interests of holders of any other Class; and (iii) in all other respects the same rights and obligations as any other Class.
4. CONVERSION RIGHTS
a. Conversion at the Option of a Shareholder
Shareholders of Class I Shares of the Fund may convert such Class I Shares into another Class of shares of the Fund (an "Intra-Fund Conversion"), if and to the extent an applicable Intra-Fund Conversion right is disclosed in the prospectus(es) for the Fund and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the prospectus(es) of the Fund, provided that the shareholder requesting the Intra-Fund Conversion meets the eligibility requirements of the Class of shares into which such shareholder seeks to have his/her/its shares converted, as set forth in the Fund's prospectus(es).
b. Conversion at the Option of the Fund
In the event that a shareholder no longer meets the eligibility requirements for investment in Class I Shares, the Fund may, in its discretion, elect to convert such shareholder's Class I Shares into a Class of shares for which such shareholder does meet the eligibility requirements. If such investor meets the eligibility requirements for more than one other Class, then such shareholder's Class I Shares shall be convertible into shares of the Class having the lowest total operating expenses for which such shareholder meets the eligibility requirements.
5. LIMITATION ON CONVERSION RIGHTS
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Class Designation, conversion rights may not be available with respect to shares purchased through a financial intermediary who (i) has made arrangements with the Trust or the principal underwriter for the Fund to make available for investment only certain Classes of shares of the Fund, or (ii) has made arrangements with a shareholder to purchase a specific Class or Classes of shares on behalf of such shareholder.
RWC
RWC April 2016 | 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Code of Ethics CONTENTS Contents .................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ............................................................. 2 2. Application .............................................................. 2 3. Insider Trading .......................................................... 3 4. Restrictions on Personal Account Dealing ('PAD' or 'PA dealing') and Holdings Disclosure .................................................. 3 5. Periodic Holdings Disclosures ............................................ 4 6. Protection of MNPPSI ..................................................... 4 7. Annual Certification of Compliance........................................ 4 8. Sanctions ................................................................ 4 9. Exceptions ............................................................... 4 Please do not distribute this Manual externally without express permission from Compliance. |
RWC April 2016 | 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Code of Ethics |
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The Code of Ethics (the 'Code') is adopted pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ('Advisers Act').
1.2. The Advisers Act makes it unlawful for investment advisers to engage in fraudulent personal securities transactions (commonly referred to within RWC as 'personal account dealing').
1.3. Rule 204A-1 (the 'Rule') under the Advisers Act requires an investment adviser covered by the Rule to adopt a Code that contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent it and its Access Persons from engaging in conduct prohibited by the principles of the Rule.
1.4. The Rule also requires that reasonable diligence be used and procedures be instituted which are reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the Code.
1.5. This Code is based on fundamental principles that RWC must put client interests first. As an investment adviser, RWC has fiduciary responsibilities to its client, including the private funds (collectively the 'clients') for which it serves as investment adviser. Among RWC's fiduciary responsibilities is the responsibility to ensure that its staff conduct their personal account dealing in a manner which does not interfere or appear to interfere with any client transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship to clients. All staff must adhere to this fundamental principle as well as comply with the specific provisions set forth herein. Staff are expected to seek to avoid both actual and potential conflicts between their personal interests and dealings and the interests and dealings of clients. It is RWC policy to place the interest of clients above all others.
2. APPLICATION
2.1. This Code is applied to the following RWC entities (collectively referred to as the Firm or RWC). It is reviewed and restated on an at least annual basis.
2.1.a. RWC Partners Limited
2.1.b. RWC Asset Management LLP
2.1.c. RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC
2.1.d. RWC Focus Asset Management Limited
2.1.e. RWC Singapore (PTE) Limited
2.2. This Code applies to all RWC Access Persons ("staff"), (including Directors, Partners, employees, on-site full time contractors or temps) and their Relevant Persons. For the remainder of this policy, this group of people are referred to as "you" or "your".
2.3. Relevant Persons includes:
2.3.a. Partners and spouses;
2.3.b. Dependants;
2.3.c. Relatives living in the same household;
2.3.d. Any other person whose relationship with you or the Relevant Person means that either of you has a direct or indirect interest in the outcome of the trade
2.3.e. Anyone else you or your Relevant Persons advise, control, influence or assist in managing investments or with investment decisions or considerations regardless of whether this in an informal or formal capacity
Please do not distribute this Manual externally without express permission from Compliance.
2.4. Whilst this Code is adopted pursuant to U.S. securities' law, it is expected that all RWC staff irrespective of their location or the RWC entity with which they are contracted observe the principles and rules the Code details herein.
2.5. If you are unsure how or if these obligations apply to you, please contact compliance@rwcpartners.com who can advise you accordingly. It is ultimately your responsibility to seek further guidance or clarity from Compliance.
3. INSIDER TRADING
3.1. All staff are subject to RWC's Policy regarding the misuse of material non-public information (the 'Market Conduct Policy'), which is considered an integral part of this Code.
3.2. The Market Conduct Policy prohibits staff from buying or selling any security while in the possession of material non-public price sensitive information ('MNPPSI').
3.3. The policy also prohibits staff from communicating to third parties any MNPPSI about any security or issuer of securities.
3.4. Additionally, no member of staff may use inside information about RWC's activities to benefit clients or gain personal benefit.
3.5. Any violation of the Market Conduct Policy may result in sanctions which could include termination of employment with RWC.
4. RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL ACCOUNT DEALING ('PAD' OR 'PA DEALING') AND HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE
4.1. To reiterate, this Code should be read in conjunction with the RWC PAD Policy.
4.2. It is the responsibility of every member of staff to ensure that a particular personal account deal being considered is not subject to a restriction contained in this Code, by any other RWC policy or procedure, or otherwise prohibited by any applicable laws.
4.3. PAD may be carried out only in accordance with the provisions of this Code and the RWC PAD Policy.
4.4. For the avoidance of doubt, staff members are strictly prohibited from PA dealing in the issuers or securities included on the RWC Restricted List.
4.5. Issuers on the Restricted List include the issuers of securities that RWC has come into contact with MNPPS.
4.6. In the event you own a security of an issuer prior to that issuer being added to the Restricted List, you may not PA deal in the issuer until it is no longer on the Restricted List.
4.7. Staff members associated directly with the constructive activist strategies are prohibited from PA dealing in the same positions as the funds they manage. In the event that a member of the constructive activist team owns a security prior to employment at RWC, and such security is held in a constructive activist fund, the team member will not be allowed to trade in the position at all until such time that the constructive activist fund has exited the position.
4.8. Staff members associated directly with the emerging and frontier markets ('EMF') teams are prohibited from PA dealing in securities with the EMF investment universe.
4.9. You must obtain prior approval from Compliance before dealing in Relevant Holdings for yours or your Relevant Persons' personal account UNLESS:
4.9.a. the PA deal is effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan;
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4.9. b.you have no direct or indirect influence over the account transacting the securities; or
4.9. c.the PA deal is effected under a discretionary portfolio management
services where there is no prior communication to the manager 4.9.
d.the security is categorised in the PAD Policy as permissible without
approval from Compliance
4.10. For instructions on how to seek approval, and for a comprehensive list Relevant Holdings (those securities that do and do not require Compliance pre-approval), please refer to the PAD Policy.
5. PERIODIC HOLDINGS DISCLOSURES
5.1. As noted above (2.2), the requirements outlined in this section will apply to all personal account dealing in accounts in your name, and in the name of your partner, dependents, and anyone else whom you advise, control, influence, or assist in managing investments or with the investment decision or considerations regardless of whether this is in an informal or formal capacity.
5.2. All staff members are required to provide Initial and Annual Holdings Disclosures upon request by Compliance.
6. PROTECTION OF MNPPSI
6.1. In addition to other provisions of the Code and the RWC Compliance Manual, all staff members should be mindful of RWC's duty to safeguard material, non-public information about securities and/or investment recommendations provide to (or made on behalf of) its clients.
6.2. Staff should refer to and comply with the RWC Market Conduct Policy to ensure MNPPSI is treated appropriately.
6.3. If there are any questions about the sharing of MNPPSI about securities and/or investment recommendations made by RWC, please contact compliance@rwcpartners.com.
7. ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE
7.1. You will be asked to certify annually that:
7.1.a. You have read and understood and agree to abide by this Code;
7.1.b. You have complied with all the requirements of this Code
7.1.c. You have reported all personal account deals required to be reported under this Code
8. SANCTIONS
8.1. Potential violations of this Code of Ethics must be brought to the attention of Compliance. Potential violations are investigated and, if appropriate, sanctions imposed.
8.2. Upon completion of the investigation, if necessary, the matter may also be reviewed by the CCO who will determine whether any further sanctions should be imposed.
9. EXCEPTIONS
9.1. An exception to any of the policies, restrictions, or requirements set forth herein may be granted only if you are able to demonstrate that you would suffer extreme financial hardship should an exception not be granted. Changes to your investment objectives, tax strategies, or a special new investment opportunity will not constitute acceptable reason for an exception.
9.2. For the avoidance of doubt, under no circumstances will you be permitted to trade in a security on the Restricted List.
Please do not distribute this Manual externally without express permission from Compliance.