AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 28, 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. 77 /X/
AND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 81 /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 29, 2016
CHILTON STRATEGIC EUROPEAN
EQUITIES FUND
CHEUX
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, 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 CHILTON STRATEGIC EUROPEAN EQUITIES FUND ................................. 1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE ............................................... 1 FUND FEES AND EXPENSES ............................................. 1 PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES .................................... 2 PRINCIPAL RISKS .................................................... 2 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ............................................ 5 INVESTMENT ADVISER ................................................. 5 PORTFOLIO MANAGER .................................................. 5 PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES ................................... 5 TAX INFORMATION .................................................... 5 PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ................................................. 6 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES ..................................................... 7 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK .............................................. 7 INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ..................................... 10 INVESTMENT ADVISER ....................................................... 10 PORTFOLIO MANAGER ........................................................ 11 PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES ....................................... 11 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ..................................... 14 OTHER POLICIES ........................................................... 15 DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS .............................................. 18 TAXES .................................................................... 18 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ..................................................... 21 HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND ...................... Back Cover |
CHILTON STRATEGIC EUROPEAN EQUITIES FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Chilton Strategic European Equities 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 shares of the Fund.
SHAREHOLDER FEES (FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENTS)
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE
OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fees 1.50% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses(1) 1.27% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividend and Interest Expenses on Securities Sold Short 1.00% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Operating Expenses 0.27% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2) 2.77% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) Chilton Investment Company, 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, Dividend and Interest Expenses on Securities Sold Short, acquired fund fees and expenses and non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 1.99% of the Fund's average daily net assets until February 28, 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 February 28, 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
$280 $859
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 European companies, and in other instruments, principally derivatives and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), that have economic characteristics similar to such securities or indices of such securities. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund considers a company to be a European company if: (i) at least 50% of the company's assets are located in Europe; (ii) at least 50% of the company's revenue is generated in Europe; (iii) the company maintains its principal place of business in Europe; (iv) the company's securities are traded principally on a European exchange; or (v) the company is included in the MSCI Europe Index or the STOXX Europe 600 Index. The Fund primarily takes long and short positions in common stocks of developed market companies, and may invest in companies with any market capitalization.
The Fund may utilize swaps to seek to gain or hedge (I.E. offset) exposure to certain securities or groups of securities, and may utilize other derivatives, principally foreign currency exchange forward contracts, to seek to gain or hedge currency exposure.
The Adviser combines a "bottom-up" fundamental research process with various investment styles (value, growth-at-a-reasonable price, and event driven (e.g., special situations)) to seek to identify attractive investment opportunities for the Fund. The Adviser seeks to invest in companies that have strong business models, that are undergoing positive changes, or that the Adviser otherwise believes are undervalued relative to their prospects. Likewise, the Adviser seeks to sell short companies that have the opposite characteristics. The Adviser will generally sell a stock or close out a short position when a company reaches its price target, there is a change in the company's perceived prospects, or the Adviser identifies a more attractive investment opportunity.
The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means that it may invest a larger percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund.
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 IT IS NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE 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 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 U.S. 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.
FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK -- Fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies, or between various foreign currencies, may negatively affect the Fund's performance. Adverse changes in exchange rates may erode or reverse any gains produced by foreign-currency denominated investments and may widen any losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and can be affected by, among other factors, the actions or inactions by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls, speculation, or general economic or political developments in the U.S. or a foreign country. The Fund may seek to reduce currency risk by hedging part or all of its exposure to various foreign currencies; however, even if such hedging techniques are employed, there is no assurance that they will be successful.
RISK OF INVESTING IN EUROPE -- The Fund is more exposed to the economic and political risks of Europe and of the European countries in which it invests than funds whose investments are more geographically diversified. Adverse economic and political events in Europe may cause the Fund's investments to decline in value. The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one country in Europe can have an adverse impact on other European countries. Certain of the Fund's investments may be in securities of issuers that are domiciled in, or have significant operations in, member countries of the European Union (the "EU") that are subject to economic and monetary controls that can adversely affect the Fund's investments. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years and these events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect other European countries. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant new uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the United Kingdom negotiates its exit from the EU.
SHORT SALES RISK -- A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Fund does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefore) at a later date at a lower price. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as "covering" the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. Investment in short sales may also cause the Fund to incur expenses related to borrowing securities. Reinvesting proceeds received from short selling may create leverage which can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund and, therefore, the Fund's share price. Theoretically, uncovered short sales have the potential to expose the Fund to unlimited losses.
DERIVATIVES RISK -- The Fund's use of forward contracts and swaps for all purposes, including speculative purposes, is subject to market risk, leverage risk, correlation risk, credit risk, valuation risk and liquidity risk. In addition, the Fund's use of derivatives for hedging purposes is subject to hedging risk. Market risk is the risk that the market value of an investment may move up and down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. 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. 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 the risk that certain instruments may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like. Hedging risk is the risk that derivative instruments used for hedging purposes may also limit any potential gain that may result from the increase in value of the hedged asset. To the extent that the Fund engages in hedging strategies, there can be no assurance that such strategy will be effective or that there will be a hedge in place at any given time. Each of these risks could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested in a derivative instrument.
ETFS RISK -- ETFs are pooled investment vehicles, such as registered investment companies and grantor trusts, whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs or derivatives thereon, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based or the ETF's other holdings, and the value of the Fund's investment will fluctuate in response to the performance of the underlying index or holdings. ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund.
Accordingly, the Fund's investments in ETFs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the ETFs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, shares may trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value and the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund's holdings at the most optimal time, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
LARGE PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION RISK -- Large purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares may force the Fund to purchase or sell securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, and may cause the Fund's portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs to rise, which may negatively affect the Fund's performance and have adverse tax consequences for Fund shareholders.
EVENT DRIVEN STRATEGIES RISK -- To the extent the Fund invests in securities based on anticipated events, such as bankruptcies, mergers, reorganizations or other events, the Fund may incur losses if the events do not occur as anticipated (including on the terms originally proposed), when anticipated, or at all, or if they are perceived to be less likely to occur. For example, if the Fund invests in securities in anticipation of a merger and the deal is terminated prior to closing, the Fund is likely to suffer losses.
GROWTH INVESTMENT STYLE RISK -- The Fund invests in equity securities of companies that the Adviser believes will increase their earnings at a certain rate that is generally higher than the rate expected for non-growth companies. If a growth company does not meet these expectations, the price of its stock may decline significantly, even if it has increased earnings. Many growth companies do not pay dividends. Companies that pay dividends often have lower stock price declines during market downturns. 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.
VALUE INVESTMENT STYLE RISK -- Value investing focuses on companies with stocks that appear undervalued in light of factors such as the company's earnings, book value, revenues or cash flow. If the Adviser's assessment of market conditions, or a company's value or its prospects for exceeding earnings expectations is inaccurate, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, "value stocks" can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK - The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means it may invest a larger percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in a smaller number of issuers, the Fund will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those issuers than a diversified fund.
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 by calling 1-877-446-3847.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Chilton Investment Company, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Frederic Gautier, Portfolio Manager, 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 $10,000,000. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. There is no minimum amount for subsequent investments.
Shares of the Fund are offered exclusively to (i) participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser and (ii) the Adviser and its affiliates. Shares can normally be redeemed only by contacting the broker or other financial intermediary through which you own 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. The Fund is non-diversified, meaning that it may invest a large percentage of its assets in a single issuer or a relatively small number of issuers.
EQUITY RISK -- Equity securities include common stocks, 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. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles, such as registered investment companies and grantor trusts, whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. 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 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 RISK -- Investments in securities of foreign companies 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.
RISK OF INVESTING IN EUROPE -- The Fund is more exposed to the economic and political risks of Europe and of the European countries in which it invests than are funds whose investments are more geographically diversified. Adverse economic and political events in Europe may cause the Fund's investments to decline in value. The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one country in Europe can have an adverse impact on other European countries. Certain of the Fund's investments may be in securities of issuers that are domiciled in, or have significant operations in, member countries of the EU. The EU requires compliance by member countries with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates and debt levels, as well as fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe, including those countries that are not members of the EU. Changes in imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro (the common currency of certain EU countries), the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years due to concerns about economic downturns or rising government debt levels in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect other European countries. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant new uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the United Kingdom negotiates its exit from the EU. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe also could impact financial markets. The impact of these events is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and adversely affect the value of the Fund.
SHORT SALES RISK -- Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security it does not own. The Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be higher or lower than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. If the underlying security goes down in price between the time the Fund sells the security and buys it back, the Fund will realize a gain on the transaction. Conversely, if the underlying security goes up in price during the period, the Fund will realize a loss on the transaction. Because the market price of the security sold short could increase without limit, the Fund could be subject to a theoretically unlimited loss. The risk of such price increases is the principal risk of engaging in short sales.
In addition, the Fund's investment performance may suffer if the Fund is required to close out a short position earlier than it had intended. This would occur if the securities lender required the Fund to deliver the securities the Fund borrowed and the Fund was unable to borrow the securities from another securities lender or otherwise obtain the security by other means. Moreover, the Fund may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as costs of borrowing and margin account maintenance costs associated with the Fund's open short positions. These expenses negatively impact the performance of the Fund. For example, when the Fund short sells an equity security that pays a dividend, it is obligated to pay the dividend on the security it has sold. Furthermore, the Fund may be required to pay a premium or interest to the lender of the security. The foregoing types of short sale expenses are sometimes referred to as the "negative cost of carry," and will tend to cause the Fund to lose money on a short sale even in instances where the price of the underlying security sold short does not change over the duration of the short sale. The Fund is also required to segregate other assets on its books to cover its obligation to return the security to the lender which means that those other assets may not be available to meet the Fund's needs for immediate cash or other liquidity.
DERIVATIVES RISK -- The Fund's use of forward contracts 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, forwards 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.
FORWARD CONTRACTS. A forward contract involves a negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific security or asset at a future date (with or without delivery required), which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a particular security or asset for the Fund's account. Risks associated with forwards may include: (i) an imperfect or no correlation between the movement in prices of forward contracts and the securities or assets underlying them; (ii) an illiquid market for forwards; (iii) difficulty in obtaining an accurate value for the forwards; and (iv) the risk that the counterparty to the forward contract will default or otherwise fail to honor its obligation. Because forwards require only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit or margin, they also involve a high degree of leverage.
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.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Chilton Investment Company, LLC (the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company founded in 2005, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is located at 1290 East Main Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06902. As of September 30, 2016, the Adviser had approximately $2.2 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.
In rendering investment advisory services to the Fund, the Adviser may use the portfolio management, research, and other resources of Chilton Investment Company Limited ("Chilton U.K."), a foreign (non-U.S.) affiliate of the Adviser that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). One or more Chilton U.K. employees provide services to the Fund through a "participating affiliate" arrangement, as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing U.S. registered investment advisers to use portfolio management or research resources of unregistered advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered investment adviser. Under the participating affiliate arrangement, Chilton U.K. and its employees are considered "associated persons," as that term is defined in the Advisers Act, of the Adviser for purposes of the Adviser's required supervision.
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 1.50% 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, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses and non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 1.99% of the Fund's average daily net assets until February 28, 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 February 28, 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.
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 April 30, 2017, which will cover the period from the Fund's inception to April 30, 2017.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Frederic Gautier is the Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Prior to joining Chilton U.K. in 2010, Mr. Gautier worked for 12 years at Fidelity Investments in London and worked for four years at Theorema Asset Management. Mr. Gautier received his undergraduate degree in Finance from the ESLSCA Business School, and his MBA from the INSEAD Business School, both in Paris.
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") 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 PURCHASE FUND SHARES
Shares of the Fund are offered exclusively to (i) participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser and (ii) the Adviser and its affiliates.
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.
PURCHASES IN-KIND
Subject to the approval of the Fund and the Adviser, 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 $10,000,000. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. There is no minimum amount for subsequent investments.
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 TICKER SYMBOL CUSIP FUND CODE
Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund CHEUX 00771X435 264-701
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
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
Shares can only be redeemed by contacting the broker or other financial intermediary that sponsors the advisory program through which you own your shares.
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.
RECEIVING YOUR MONEY
Normally, the Fund will send sale proceeds to participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser within one business day after the Fund receives a redemption request in proper form, but may take up to seven days.
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.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS OF YOUR SHARES
If your account balance drops below $10,000,000 because of redemptions, you may be required to sell your shares. The Fund generally will provide you at least 30 days' written notice to give you time to add to your account and avoid the involuntary redemption of your shares. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum account value requirement in its sole discretion. If your Fund shares are redeemed for this reason within 30 days of their purchase, the redemption fee will not be applied.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. If a shareholder exceeds this amount, the Fund and/or its service providers may, at their discretion, reject any additional purchase orders. 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. Participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser are not subject to this restriction.
o A redemption fee of 2.00% of the value of the shares sold will be imposed on shares redeemed within 30 days or less after their date of purchase. As discussed below in "Redemption Fees," redemptions by participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser, along with certain other categories of redemptions, are not subject to the redemption fee.
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) may 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.
REDEMPTION FEE
In an effort to discourage short-term trading and defray costs incurred by shareholders as a result of short-term trading, the Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on redemptions of shares that have been held for less than 30 days. The redemption fee is deducted from the Fund's sale proceeds and cannot be paid separately, and any proceeds of the fee are credited to the assets of the Fund from which the redemption was made. The fee does not apply to shares purchased with reinvested dividends or distributions. In determining how long shares of the Fund have been held, the Fund assumes that shares held by the investor the longest period of time will be sold first.
The redemption fee is applicable to Fund shares purchased through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries may be placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. The Fund requests that financial intermediaries assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and collect and remit the proceeds to the Funds. However, the Fund recognizes that due to operational and systems limitations, intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the Fund's. Therefore, to the extent that financial intermediaries are unable to collect the redemption fee, the Fund may not be able to defray the expenses associated with those short-term trades made by that financial intermediary's customers.
The Fund reserves the right to waive its redemption fee at its discretion when it believes such waiver is in the best interests of the Fund, including with respect to certain categories of redemptions that the Fund reasonably believes may not raise frequent trading or market timing concerns. These categories currently include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) participants in certain group retirement plans whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (ii) participants in advisory programs approved by the Adviser; (iii) redemptions resulting from certain transfers upon the death of a shareholder; (iv) redemptions by certain pension plans as required by law or by regulatory authorities; and (v) retirement loans and withdrawals.
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.
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 or not you reinvest them. 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 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. 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 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. 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
CHILTON STRATEGIC EUROPEAN EQUITIES FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Chilton Investment Company, LLC
1290 East Main Street, 1st Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
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 28, 2016, as
it may be amended from time to time, includes detailed information about the
Chilton Strategic European Equities 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: 1-877-446-3847 BY MAIL: Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund c/o Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Ground Floor Portland, ME 04101 BY INTERNET: The Fund does not have a website, but you can obtain the SAI, Annual or Semi-Annual Report, when available, by mail or telephone. 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.
CHL-PS-001-0100
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CHILTON STRATEGIC EUROPEAN EQUITIES FUND
CHEUX
A SERIES OF
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
OCTOBER 29, 2016
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, 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 Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund (the "Fund"). This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated October 28, 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 Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, P.O. Box 588, Portland, ME 04112 (Express Mail Address: Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, c/o Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Ground Floor, Portland, ME 04101) or calling the Fund at 1-877-446-3847.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST ................................................................ S-1 DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS ..................................... S-2 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS ................................................... S-33 THE ADVISER .............................................................. S-35 THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER .................................................... S-36 THE ADMINISTRATOR ........................................................ S-38 THE DISTRIBUTOR .......................................................... S-39 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ..................................... S-39 THE TRANSFER AGENT ....................................................... S-40 THE CUSTODIAN ............................................................ S-40 INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ............................ S-40 LEGAL COUNSEL ............................................................ S-40 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST ....................................... S-40 PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES .......................................... S-48 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE ......................................... S-49 TAXES .................................................................... S-50 FUND TRANSACTIONS ........................................................ S-57 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ....................................................... S-59 DESCRIPTION OF SHARES .................................................... S-60 LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY ........................................ S-61 PROXY VOTING ............................................................. S-61 CODES OF ETHICS .......................................................... S-61 5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS .................................................. S-61 APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS ..................................... A-1 APPENDIX B -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ....................... B-1 CHL-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.
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.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION. The Fund is non-diversified, as that term is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a "diversified" fund, which increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a "diversified" fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the value of the shares of the Fund may be more susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than the shares of a "diversified" fund would be. The Fund intends to satisfy the diversification requirements necessary to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). For more information, see "Taxes" below.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. 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.
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.
o 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.
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.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS ("REITS"). A REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and distribute annually 90% or more of its otherwise taxable income to shareholders. Although the REIT structure originated in the U.S., a number of countries around the world have adopted, or are considering adopting, similar REIT and REIT-like structures.
REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings; a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.
REITs in which the Fund invests may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which the Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further,
Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
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 in IPOs of common stock or other primary or secondary syndicated offerings of equity or debt securities issued by a corporate issuer. 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.
MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ("MLPS"). MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Code. These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. To the extent that an MLP's interests are concentrated in a particular industry or sector, such as the energy sector, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry or sector. MLPs that are formed as limited partnerships generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners, while MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members.
The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests are not publicly traded and generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management. Common units are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount ("minimum quarterly distributions" or "MQD"). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.
FOREIGN SECURITIES. Foreign securities include equity securities of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks, including, without limitation, European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, European Bankers' Acceptances, Canadian Time Deposits, Europaper and Yankee Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper and foreign securities. 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.
EMERGING MARKETS. An "emerging country" is generally a country that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank") and the International Finance Corporation would consider to be an emerging or developing country. Typically, emerging markets are in countries that are in the process of
industrialization, with lower gross national products ("GNP") than more developed countries. There are currently over 130 countries that the international financial community generally considers to be emerging or developing countries, approximately 40 of which currently have stock markets.
Investing in emerging markets may magnify the risks of foreign investing. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may:
o Have relatively unstable governments;
o Present greater risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets;
o Offer less protection of property rights than more developed countries; and
o Have economies that are based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates.
Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
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 countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging 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.
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.
EUROPEAN UNION RISK. In June 2016, the United Kingdom (the "UK") voted in a referendum to leave the European Union ("EU"). Although the precise timeframe for "Brexit" is uncertain, it is currently expected that the UK will seek to withdraw from the EU by invoking article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty with an anticipated completion date within two years from notifying the European Council of the UK's intention to withdraw. It is unclear how withdrawal negotiations will be conducted and what the potential consequences may be. In addition, it is possible
that measures could be taken to revote on the issue of Brexit, or that portions of the UK could seek to separate and remain a part of the EU. As a result of the political divisions within the UK and between the UK and the EU that the referendum vote has highlighted and the uncertain consequences of a Brexit, the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significantly impacted, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth on markets in the UK, Europe and globally that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. Municipal securities, including municipal bonds and municipal notes, consist of: (i) debt obligations issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to be used for various public facilities, for refunding outstanding obligations, for general operating expenses and for lending such funds to other public institutions and facilities, and (ii) certain private activity and industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated facilities.
Municipal bonds are debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Municipal bonds include general obligation bonds, revenue or special obligation bonds, private activity and industrial development bonds, moral obligation bonds and participation interests in municipal bonds. General obligation bonds are backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality. Revenue or special obligation bonds are backed by the revenues of a project or facility, such as tolls from a toll bridge. Private activity or industrial development bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to finance various privately-owned or -operated facilities for business and manufacturing, housing, sports and pollution control. These bonds are also used to finance public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, parking or sewage or solid waste disposal facilities and certain other facilities. The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is dependent solely on the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and personal property financed as security for such payment. Moral obligation bonds are normally issued by special purpose authorities. Moral obligation bonds are not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality, but are generally backed by the agreement of the issuing authority to request appropriations from the municipality's legislative body. Certificates of participation represent an interest in an underlying obligation or commitment, such as an obligation issued in connection with a leasing arrangement.
Municipal notes consist of general obligation notes, tax anticipation notes (notes sold to finance working capital needs of the issuer in anticipation of receiving taxes on a future date), revenue anticipation notes (notes sold to provide needed cash prior to receipt of expected non-tax revenues from a specific source), bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, certificates of indebtedness, demand notes and construction loan notes. The maturities of the instruments at the time of issue will generally range from three months to one year.
The Fund will invest in municipal securities in reliance at the time of purchase on an opinion of bond counsel to the issuer that the interest paid on those securities will be excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, and the Fund will not independently verify that opinion. Subsequent to the Fund's acquisition of such a municipal security, however, the security may be determined to pay, or to have paid, taxable income. As a result, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Fund as "exempt-interest dividends" could be adversely affected, subjecting the Fund's shareholders to increased federal income tax liabilities. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") may determine that a municipal bond issued as tax-exempt should in fact be taxable. If the Fund held such a bond, it might have to distribute taxable ordinary income dividends or reclassify income previously distributed as exempt-interest dividends, as taxable. Distributions of ordinary taxable income (including any net short-term capital gain) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (and not eligible for favorable taxation as "qualified dividend income"), and capital gain dividends will be subject to capital gains taxes.
COMMERCIAL PAPER. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.
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 BANKERS' ACCEPTANCES. Bankers' acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. Corporations use bankers' acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar exchange. Maturities are generally six months or less.
o CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity. They are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Certificates of deposit with penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.
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.
LOWER RATED SECURITIES. Lower-rated bonds or non-investment grade bonds are commonly referred to as "junk bonds" or high-yield/high-risk securities. Lower rated securities are defined as securities rated below the fourth highest rating category by an NRSRO. Such obligations are speculative and may be in default.
Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of an issuer's ability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation (credit risk), and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). Lower rated or unrated (I.E., high yield) securities are more likely to react to developments affecting market and credit risk than are more highly rated securities, which primarily react to movements in the general level of interest rates. Yields and market values of high yield securities will fluctuate over time, reflecting not only changing interest rates but the market's perception of credit quality and the outlook for economic growth. When economic conditions appear to be deteriorating, medium to lower rated securities may decline in value due to heightened concern over credit quality, regardless of prevailing interest rates. Investors should carefully consider the relative risks of investing in high yield securities and understand that such securities are not generally meant for short-term investing.
Adverse economic developments can disrupt the market for high yield securities, and severely affect the ability of issuers, especially highly leveraged issuers, to service their debt obligations or to repay their obligations upon maturity, which may lead to a higher incidence of default on such securities. In addition, the secondary market for high yield securities may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities. As a result, the Adviser could find it more difficult to sell these securities or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if such securities were highly liquid. Furthermore, the Fund may experience difficulty in valuing certain securities at certain times. Prices realized upon the sale of such lower rated or unrated securities, under these circumstances, may be less than the prices used in calculating the Fund's net asset value. Prices for high yield securities may also be affected by legislative and regulatory developments.
Lower rated or unrated fixed income obligations also present risks based on payment expectations. If an issuer calls the obligations for redemption, the Fund may have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors. If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its higher rated securities, resulting in a decline in the overall credit quality of the Fund's investment portfolio and increasing the exposure of the Fund to the risks of high yield securities.
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.
TYPES OF DEBT SECURITIES:
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.
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Mortgage-backed securities are interests in pools of mortgage loans that various governmental, government-related and private organizations assemble as securities for sale to investors. Unlike most debt securities, which pay interest periodically and repay principal at maturity or on specified call dates, mortgage-backed securities make monthly payments that consist of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Since homeowners usually have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is often shorter than is stated.
Governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers may insure or guarantee the timely payment of interest and principal of these pools through various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan,
title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The Adviser will consider such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets its investment quality standards. It is possible that the private insurers or guarantors will not meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements.
Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
COMMERCIAL BANKS, SAVINGS AND LOAN INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURANCE COMPANIES, MORTGAGE BANKERS AND OTHER SECONDARY MARKET ISSUERS. Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional mortgage loans. In addition to guaranteeing the mortgage-related security, such issuers may service and/or have originated the underlying mortgage loans. Pools created by these issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than pools created by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because they are not guaranteed by a government agency.
RISKS OF MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional debt securities in a variety of ways. The most significant differences of mortgage-backed securities are: 1) payments of interest and principal are more frequent (usually monthly) and 2) falling interest rates generally cause individual borrowers to pay off their mortgage earlier than expected, which results in prepayments of principal on the securities, thus forcing the Fund to reinvest the money at a lower interest rate. In addition to risks associated with changes in interest rates, a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors, such as the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, can cause investors to repay the loans underlying a mortgage-backed security sooner than expected. When prepayment occurs, the Fund may have to reinvest its principal at a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing mortgage-backed securities.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. These securities are interests in pools of a broad range of assets other than mortgages, such as automobile loans, computer leases and credit card receivables. Like mortgage-backed securities, these securities are pass-through. In general, the collateral supporting these securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience substantial prepayments with interest rate fluctuations, but may still be subject to prepayment risk.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in the related assets, which raises the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on these securities. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which allow debtors to reduce their balances by offsetting certain amounts owed on the credit cards. Most issuers of asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables permit the servicers of such receivables to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related asset-backed securities. Due to the quantity of vehicles involved and requirements under state laws, asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all of the obligations backing such receivables.
To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, the entity administering the pool of assets may agree to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion ("liquidity protection"). In addition, asset-backed securities may obtain insurance, such as guarantees, policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, for some or all of the assets in the pool ("credit support"). Delinquency or loss more than that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security.
The Fund may also invest in residual interests in asset-backed securities, which consist of the excess cash flow remaining after making required payments on the securities and paying related administrative expenses. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a particular issue of asset-backed securities depends in part on the characteristics of the underlying assets, the coupon rates on the securities, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the actual prepayment experience on the underlying assets.
BANK LOANS. Bank loans typically are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions or a group of lenders which are represented by one or more lenders acting as agent. The agent is often a commercial bank that originates the loan and invites other parties to join the lending syndicate. The agent will be primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement and will have responsibility for the documentation and ongoing administration of the loan on behalf of the lenders after completion of the loan transaction. The Fund can invest in a bank loan either as a direct lender or through an assignment or participation.
When the Fund acts as a direct lender, it will have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and may participate in structuring the loan, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have voting, consent and set-off rights under the loan agreement.
Loan assignments are investments in all or a portion of certain bank loans purchased from the lenders or from other third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically will acquire direct rights against the borrower under the loan. While the purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning lender under the loan agreement, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and assignors, or other third parties whose interests are being assigned, the rights and obligations acquired by the Fund may differ from and be more limited than those held by the assigning lender.
A holder of a loan participation typically has only a contractual right with the seller of the participation and not with the borrower or any other entities interpositioned between the seller of the participation and the borrower. As such, the purchaser of a loan participation assumes the credit risk of the seller of the participation, and any intermediary entities between the seller and the borrower, in addition to the credit risk of the borrower. When the Fund holds a loan participation, it will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees to which it may be entitled only from the seller of the participation and only upon receipt of the seller of such payments from the borrower or from any intermediary parties between the seller and the borrower. Additionally, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, will have no voting, consent or set-off rights under the loan agreement and may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan although lenders that sell participations generally are required to distribute liquidation proceeds received by them pro rata among the holders of such participations. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, a loan participation may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of improper conduct by the seller or intermediary. If the borrower fails to pay principal and interest when due, the Fund may be subject to greater delays, expenses and risks that those that would have been involved if the Fund had purchased a direct obligation of such borrower.
Direct loans, assignments and loan participations may be considered liquid, as determined by the Adviser based on criteria approved by the Board.
The Fund may have difficulty disposing of bank loans because, in certain cases, the market for such instruments is not highly liquid. The lack of a highly liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such instruments and on the Fund's ability to dispose of the bank loan in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. Furthermore, transactions in many loans settle on a delayed basis, and the Fund may not receive the proceeds from the sale of a loan for a substantial period of time after the sale. As a result, those proceeds will not be available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations.
Bank loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
The Adviser may from time to time have the opportunity to receive material, non-public information ("Confidential Information") about the borrower, including financial information and related documentation regarding the borrower that is not publicly available. Pursuant to applicable policies and procedures, the Adviser may (but is not required to) seek to avoid receipt of Confidential Information from the borrower so as to avoid possible restrictions on its ability to purchase and sell investments on behalf of the Fund and other clients to which such Confidential Information relates (e.g., publicly traded securities issued by the borrower). In such circumstances, the Fund (and other clients of the Adviser) may be disadvantaged in comparison to other investors, including with respect to the price the Fund pays or receives when it buys or sells a bank loan. Further, the Adviser's abilities to assess the desirability of proposed consents, waivers or amendments with respect to certain bank loans may be compromised if it is not privy to available Confidential Information. The Adviser may also determine to receive such Confidential Information in certain circumstances under its applicable policies and procedures. If the Adviser intentionally or unintentionally comes into possession of Confidential Information, it may be unable, potentially for a substantial period of time, to purchase or sell publicly traded securities to which such Confidential Information relates.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with
financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the
Fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S.
government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance, or a certificate of
deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees
to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date
(normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes
collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be
considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The
acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the
underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the
securities is collateralized fully. The Fund follows certain procedures
designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures
include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial
institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The
repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund will provide that the underlying
collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale
price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under
Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance
with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by the
Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying
collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial
institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the
exercising of the Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve
certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a
default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price,
the Fund could suffer a loss. The Fund may also enter into "tri-party"
repurchase agreements. In "tri-party" repurchase agreements, an unaffiliated
third party custodian maintains accounts to hold collateral for the Fund and
its counterparties and, therefore, the Fund may be subject to the credit risk
of those custodians. It is the current policy of the Fund not to invest in
repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such
investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund, amounts
to more than 15% of the Fund's total assets. The investments of the Fund in
repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the
Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund sells portfolio securities to financial institutions, such as banks and broker-dealers, and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price that is higher than the original sale price. Reverse repurchase agreements are similar to a fully collateralized borrowing by the Fund. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will earmark on the books of the Fund or place in a segregated account cash or liquid securities having a value equal to the repurchase price (including accrued interest) and will subsequently monitor the
account to ensure that such equivalent value is maintained.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve risks. Reverse repurchase agreements are a form of leverage, and the use of reverse repurchase agreements by the Fund may increase the Fund's volatility. Reverse repurchase agreements are also subject to the risk that the other party to the reverse repurchase agreement will be unable or unwilling to complete the transaction as scheduled, which may result in losses to the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which it is obligated to repurchase the securities. In addition, when the Fund invests the proceeds it receives in a reverse repurchase transaction, there is a risk that those investments may decline in value. In this circumstance, the Fund could be required to sell other investments in order to meet its obligations to repurchase the securities.
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:
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.
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 PURCHASING PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund purchases a put option, it buys the right to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the "option premium"). The Fund may purchase put options to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of its securities ("protective puts") or to benefit from a decline in the price of securities that it does not own. The Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs. However, if the price of the underlying
instrument does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer would lose the premium and related transaction costs.
Call options are similar to put options, except that the Fund obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. The Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities it owns or wants to buy. The Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying instrument exceeded the exercise price plus the premium paid and related transaction costs. Otherwise, the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.
The purchaser of an option may terminate its position by:
o Allowing it to expire and losing its entire premium;
o Exercising the option and either selling (in the case of a put option) or buying (in the case of a call option) the underlying instrument at the strike price; or
o Closing it out in the secondary market at its current price.
o SELLING (WRITING) PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund writes a call option it assumes an obligation to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. Similarly, when the Fund writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. The Fund may terminate its position in an exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to the one it has written. Similarly, the Fund may cancel an OTC option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to the option.
The Fund could try to hedge against an increase in the value of securities it would like to acquire by writing a put option on those securities. If security prices rise, the Fund would expect the put option to expire and the premium it received to offset the increase in the security's value. If security prices remain the same over time, the Fund would hope to profit by closing out the put option at a lower price. If security prices fall, the Fund may lose an amount of money equal to the difference between the value of the security and the premium it received. Writing covered put options may deprive the Fund of the opportunity to profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities it would like to acquire.
The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that call writers expect to profit if prices remain the same or fall. The Fund could try to hedge against a decline in the value of securities it already owns by writing a call option. If the price of that security falls as expected, the Fund would expect the option to expire and the premium it received to offset the decline of the security's value. However, the Fund must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, which may deprive it of the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the securities it holds.
The Fund is permitted to write only "covered" options. At the time of selling a call option, the Fund may cover the option by owning, among other things:
o The underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying security without additional consideration), index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract;
o A call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser exercise price;
o A call option on the same security or index with a greater exercise price, provided that the Fund also segregates cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise prices;
o Cash or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the optioned securities, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract; or
o In the case of an index, the portfolio of securities that corresponds to the index.
At the time of selling a put option, the Fund may cover the option by, among other things:
o Entering into a short position in the underlying security;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract with the same or greater exercise price;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract with a lesser exercise price and segregating cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise prices; or
o Maintaining the entire exercise price in liquid securities.
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 CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS
An option on a credit default swap ("CDS") gives the holder the right to enter into a CDS at a specified future date and under specified terms in exchange for a purchase price or premium. The writer of the option bears the risk of any unfavorable move in the value of the CDS relative to the market value on the exercise date, while the purchaser may allow the option to expire unexercised.
o OPTIONS ON FUTURES
An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to buy a futures contract (in the case of a call option) or sell a futures contract (in the case of a put option) at a fixed time and price. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option (in the case of a call option) or a corresponding long position (in the case of a put option). If the option is exercised, the parties will be subject to the futures contracts. In addition, the writer of an option on a futures contract is subject to initial and variation margin requirements on the option position. Options on futures contracts are traded on the same contract market as the underlying futures contract.
The buyer or seller of an option on a futures contract may terminate the option early by purchasing or selling an option of the same series (i.e., the same exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or sold. The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the trader's profit or loss on the transaction.
The Fund may purchase put and call options on futures contracts instead of selling or buying futures contracts. The Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract for the same reasons it would sell a futures contract. It also may purchase such a put option in order to hedge a long position in the underlying futures contract. The Fund may buy a call option on a futures contract for the same purpose as the actual purchase of a futures contract, such as in anticipation of favorable market conditions.
The Fund may write a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a decline in the prices of the instrument underlying the futures contracts. If the price of the futures contract at expiration were below the exercise price, the Fund would retain the option premium, which would offset, in part, any decline in the value of its portfolio securities.
The writing of a put option on a futures contract is similar to the purchase of the futures contracts, except that, if the market price declines, the Fund would pay more than the market price for the underlying instrument. The premium received on the sale of the put option, less any transaction costs, would reduce the net cost to the Fund.
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 they could use foreign currency exchange forward 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 COMBINED POSITIONS
The Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts or swap agreements, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, the Fund could construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract by purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument. Alternatively, the Fund could write a call option at one strike price and buy a call option at a lower price to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE FORWARD CONTRACTS. A foreign currency exchange forward 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. Foreign currency exchange forward 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.
EQUITY-LINKED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single stock (referred to as "equity-linked securities"). These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
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 EQUITY SWAPS
In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index or basket of stocks in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the return on the interest rate that the Fund will be committed to pay.
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 INTEREST RATE SWAPS
Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are "fixed-for-floating rate swaps," "termed basis swaps" and "index amortizing swaps." Fixed-for floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for-floating rate swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met.
As with a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.
o CURRENCY SWAPS
A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. The Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the agreement and returned at the end of the agreement. Changes in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
o INFLATION SWAPS
Inflation swaps are fixed-maturity, over-the-counter derivatives where one party pays a fixed rate in exchange for payments tied to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. The fixed rate, which is set by the parties at the initiation of the swap, is often referred to as the "breakeven inflation" rate and generally represents the current difference between treasury yields and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap agreement. Inflation swaps are typically designated as "zero coupon," where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. The value of an inflation swap is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. An inflation swap can lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (the
breakeven inflation rate) the investor agreed to pay at the initiation of the swap.
o CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS
A credit default swap is an agreement between a "buyer" and a "seller" for credit protection. The credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not then held by the Fund. The protection buyer is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront payment and/or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement until a credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If no default occurs, the seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the full notional amount (the "par value") of the swap.
o CAPS, COLLARS AND FLOORS
Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3 % of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser or its affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.
The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third party for acting as the Fund's securities lending agent, but will bear all of any losses from the investment of collateral.
By lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. Investing cash collateral subjects the Fund to market risk. The Fund remains obligated to return all collateral to the borrower under the terms of its securities lending arrangements, even if the value of investments made with the collateral decline. Accordingly, if the value of a security in which the cash collateral has been invested declines, the loss would be borne by the Fund, and the Fund may be required to liquidate other investments in order to return collateral to the borrower at the end of the loan. The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or equivalent securities of the type discussed above from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund's administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. In such instances, the Adviser will vote the securities in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures. The Board has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be
met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying 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.
SHORT SALES. The Fund may engage in short sales that are either "uncovered" or "against the box." A short sale is "against the box" if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.
Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.
Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund may: (a) segregate cash or liquid securities at such a level that the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund's short position.
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 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 (including REITs).
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:
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. Chilton Investment Company, LLC (the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company founded in 2005, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is majority-owned by Chilton Investment Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation founded in 1992 that is controlled by Richard L. Chilton, Jr. The Adviser is located at 1290 East Main Street, Stamford Connecticut, 06902. As of September 30, 2016, the Adviser had approximately $2.2 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.
In rendering investment advisory services to the Fund, the Adviser may use the portfolio management, research, and other resources of Chilton Investment Company Limited ("Chilton U.K."), a foreign (non-U.S.) affiliate of the Adviser that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). One or more Chilton U.K. employees provide services to the Fund through a "participating affiliate" arrangement, as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing U.S. registered investment advisers to use portfolio management or research resources of unregistered advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered investment adviser. Under the participating affiliate arrangement, Chilton U.K. and its employees are considered "associated persons," as that term is defined in the Advisers Act, of the Adviser for purposes of the Adviser's required supervision.
ADVISORY AGREEMENT. The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement dated October 19, 2016 (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, including 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; or (ii) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. 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, in each case upon at least 15 days' written notice to Adviser; 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 1.50% 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, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses and non-routine expenses (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 1.99% of the Fund's average daily net assets until February 28, 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 February 28, 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. Investment professionals are compensated with salary, performance bonus and, in some cases, share ownership in the Adviser. Bonuses are based on numerous factors including the profit and loss of long and short ideas contributed, the overall performance of the strategy and the firm, and consideration of a professional's long-term potential at the firm. Other employees are compensated with salary, performance bonus and, in some cases, share ownership in the Adviser. Bonuses are generally based on individual performance and the overall performance of the firm. In all categories above, a significant portion of the bonus compensation may be subject to a three year deferral period.
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. The information below is provided as of September 30, 2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTERED OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES OTHER ACCOUNTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NAME ACCOUNTS (IN MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS (IN MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS (IN MILLIONS) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederic Gautier 0 $0 4(1) $310 0 $0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) These accounts are subject to performance-based advisory fees.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. The employees and principals of the Adviser and its affiliates are not obligated to devote their full time to the Fund, but will devote such time as the Adviser, in its sole discretion, deems necessary to carry out the operations of the Fund effectively.
The Adviser, its affiliates and their employees and principals act as investment managers for other investment funds and accounts, and may conduct any other business activities, including any business with respect to securities.
In connection with managing certain funds and accounts, the Adviser and its affiliates receive performance-based compensation. This may create a conflict of interest for the Adviser or its affiliates in rendering advice because they may have an incentive to choose riskier investments for and/or favor the funds and accounts for which they are entitled to performance-based compensation over those funds or accounts which charge only an asset-based fee. The Adviser and its affiliates endeavor to design, implement and consistently apply procedures, including detailed allocation procedures, to ensure that, over time, all funds and accounts are treated fairly and equitably and to prevent conflicts from unduly influencing the allocation of investment opportunities among client accounts. Further, the Adviser and its affiliates from time to time review the allocations among funds and accounts and the performance of funds and accounts in an effort to ensure that higher fee paying funds and accounts are not unfairly favored.
Certain of the employees and principals of the Adviser and its affiliates may acquire substantial investments in certain other investment funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates and conflicts of interest may arise in allocating management time, services or functions among the Fund, on the one hand, and such other funds, including ones in which the Adviser's or its affiliates' employees and/or principals may have a greater financial interest, on the other hand.
There may also be a conflict of interest in the allocation of investment opportunities among the Fund and any other investment funds or accounts (including proprietary accounts) managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. For example, there may be instances where an investment opportunity is limited or the availability of an investment at an acceptable price may be limited. The Adviser and its affiliates will attempt to allocate investment opportunities in a manner that is in the best interests of all the investment funds or accounts involved in light of the circumstances prevailing at that time and the Adviser's and its affiliates' applicable fiduciary duties. However, there can be no assurance that an investment opportunity that comes to the attention of the Adviser and its affiliates will not be allocated (i) wholly or primarily to another fund or account (including a proprietary account) managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, with the Fund being unable to participate in such investment opportunity or participating only on a limited basis, or (ii) wholly or primarily to the Fund, with any other fund or account (including a proprietary account) managed by the Adviser or its affiliates not sharing the risks of such investment.
The Adviser or its affiliates may on occasion give advice or take action with respect to other investment funds or accounts that differs from the advice given with respect to the Fund (especially where the investment policies differ). For example, the Fund could take a long position on a security while another fund or account managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, whether for hedging or other purposes, takes a short position on such security. Thus, the transactions and portfolio strategies the Adviser and its affiliates may use for other clients could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed by the Adviser in managing the Fund and affect the prices and
availability of the securities and other financial instruments in which the Fund invests. Further, the Fund may, from time to time, make an investment in a company in which one or more other clients of the Adviser or its affiliates invests in a different part of the capital structure of such company. There may be instances where such a portfolio company becomes insolvent or bankrupt and where the interest of the Fund and the other clients of the Adviser and/or its affiliates conflict. It is possible that in a bankruptcy proceeding, the Fund's interest may be subordinated or otherwise adversely affected by virtue of such other clients' involvement and actions relating to its investment taken by the Adviser or its affiliates. In addition, certain principals and employees of the Adviser or its affiliates may serve on creditor or equity committees or in an advisory role for a company that is anticipating filing or has filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (or similar non-U.S. law). Under these circumstances, the Adviser or its affiliate may be limited in making investment decisions on behalf of the Fund if the Fund holds an interest in such company, and the Fund may be adversely affected by the actions taken by the principals or employees of the Adviser or the affiliate in connection with carrying out their duties on such committees or in such roles.
The Adviser, its affiliates or their employees or principals may come into possession of material nonpublic information (including in connection with managing other clients' accounts). The possession of such information may limit the ability of the Fund to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity.
The Fund may participate in transactions in which the Adviser (or any of its affiliates or their employees and principals or shareholders) is directly or indirectly interested. In connection with such transactions, the Fund, on the one hand, and the Adviser, its affiliates, their employees and principals or shareholders, on the other hand, may have conflicting interests.
The Adviser, its affiliates, their employees or principals are not prohibited from investing for their own account. As a result, the Adviser, its affiliates and their employees and principals may take or hold investment positions different from, or contrary to, those taken by 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
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.
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
Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine 04101 (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
Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 700, 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 Liquid Asset 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 three
(3) 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 October 31, 2015.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PENSION OR RETIREMENT TOTAL BENEFITS ACCRUED ESTIMATED ANNUAL COMPENSATION AGGREGATE COMPENSATION AS PART OF BENEFITS UPON FROM THE TRUST AND NAME FROM THE TRUST FUND EXPENSES RETIREMENT FUND COMPLEX(1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William M. Doran $0 N/A N/A $0 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jon C. Hunt $23,833 N/A N/A $23,833 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas P. Lemke $23,833 N/A N/A $23,833 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jay C. Nadel(2) N/A N/A N/A N/A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randall S. Yanker $23,833 N/A N/A $23,833 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. 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 Liquid Asset 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND YEAR POSITION WITH TRUST AND LENGTH OF PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OF BIRTH TIME SERVED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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.
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 OR REDEMPTIONS. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale 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 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.
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 of shares of the Fund).
The Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the 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. These rules also apply to any similar investments made by an ETF or an underlying fund taxable in which the Fund invests.
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.
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.
The Fund may invest in certain MLPs which may be treated as qualified publicly traded partnerships. Income from qualified publicly traded partnerships is qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Test, but the Fund's investment in one or more of such qualified publicly traded partnerships is limited under the Asset Test to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund's assets. The Fund will monitor its investment in such qualified publicly traded partnerships in order to ensure compliance with the Qualifying Income and Asset Tests. MLPs and other partnerships that the Fund may invest in will deliver Form K-1s to the Fund to report its share of income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of the MLP or other partnership. These Form K-1s may be delayed and may not be received until after the time that the Fund issues its tax reporting statements. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues you your tax reporting statement.
The Fund may invest in REITs. Investments in REIT equity securities may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. The Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to the Fund's shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by a REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a REIT to the Fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income or qualify for the dividends received deduction. If a REIT is operated in a manner such that it fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the REIT would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits.
REITs in which the Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the Fund until after the time that the Fund issues a tax reporting statement. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
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.
Under legislation generally known as "FATCA" (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends they pay, and, after December 31, 2018, 30% of the gross proceeds of share redemptions and certain Capital Gain Dividends it pays, to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. individual that timely provides the certifications required by the Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions ("FFIs"), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities ("NFFEs"). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
TAX 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 excise, income or franchise 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 the best combination of 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).
COMMISSION SHARING ARRANGEMENTS. The Fund has commission sharing arrangements (CSA) in place with some broker-dealers pursuant to which a specified percentage of the total commissions paid on qualifying trades are contributed to a CSA pool. The Adviser may utilize the related commissions in the CSA pool to pay for certain brokerage and research services provided by independent research providers or broker-dealers with whom the Adviser either does not trade or does not trade at significant levels.
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 Fund'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 January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31). The Fund will disclose 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 1-877-446-3847.
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 portfolios 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 exists, 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 Fund'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, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI.
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 1-877-446-3847 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.
APPENDIX B
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. PROXY VOTING RESPONSIBILITY
As a registered investment adviser exercising discretionary management authority over client accounts, Chilton Investment Company, LLC ("CHILTON") acknowledges its fiduciary obligation to vote proxies on behalf of those client accounts that have delegated proxy voting authority to Chilton ("CLIENTS"). Chilton will, in a prudent and diligent manner, vote proxies solely in the best interest of Clients, consistent with their investment objectives.
It should be noted that although the proxy voting process is well established in the United States, voting the proxies of foreign companies may involve a number of logistical problems that may prevent or interfere with Chilton' ability to vote such proxies. The logistical problems include language barriers, untimely or inadequate notice of shareholder meetings, restrictions on a foreigner's ability to exercise votes, and requirements to vote in person or through re-registration of shares out of "street name" that could impact liquidity. Such proxies are voted on a best-efforts basis given the above logistical problems.
II. PROXY VOTING COMMITTEE
Chilton has established a Proxy Voting Committee (the "PROXY VOTING COMMITTEE"). The Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for creating and implementing Chilton's proxy voting policies and procedures for determining the manner in which proxies are voted on behalf of Client accounts and, in this regard, has expressly adopted the policies and procedures set forth herein. The organization, functions and responsibilities of the Proxy Voting Committee include the following:
1. The Proxy Voting Committee will consist of at least 3 members designated by Chilton's management. A member of Chilton's Legal and Compliance department will be a non-voting member of the Proxy Voting Committee and will serve as the Proxy Voting Committee's secretary.
2. The Proxy Voting Committee may delegate its authority to a subcommittee or, as forth herein, to certain designees.
3. The Proxy Voting Committee has the authority to utilize the services of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. ("ISS") or another outside service provider selected by the Proxy Voting Committee at its sole discretion, provided that the Proxy Voting Committee determines that the instructions given to such service provider are in the best interests of each Client.
4. The Proxy Voting Committee will have the authority to amend, as necessary, these proxy voting policies and procedures consistent with Chilton's obligation to vote proxies in a prudent and diligent manner in the best interests of each Client.
5. The Proxy Voting Committee will meet periodically to review generally these proxy voting policies and procedures, to review voting recommendations made from time to time by ISS, and otherwise as needed, to address any outstanding or special proxy voting issues. The Proxy Voting Committee has the exclusive authority to oversee all proxy decisions delegated to Chilton by Clients. The Proxy Voting Committee may delegate to a member of Chilton's Legal and Compliance department the responsibility to supervise, on a day-to-day basis, the proxy voting process and ISS's implementation of voting instructions from Chilton.
6. The Proxy Voting Committee will timely advise ISS of any differences between Chilton's most recent proxy voting policies and those of ISS, and will promptly cause to be communicated to ISS any special vote determinations made by, or authorized by, the Proxy Voting Committee.
7. The Proxy Voting Committee may, at any time, request the assistance of the Chilton's Legal and Compliance department in connection with any matters before the Proxy Voting Committee. The Proxy Voting Committee may also request analyses and advice from investment professionals within Chilton and outside sources to the extent that the Proxy Voting Committee deems it appropriate.
8. The Proxy Voting Committee or its designees will document in writing all of its decisions and actions, which documentation will be maintained by the Proxy Voting Committee, or its designees, for a period of at least 6 years from the date of entry.
III. CHILTON'S PROXY VOTING POLICY AND GUIDELINES
It is Chilton's policy in voting proxies to consider and, where applicable, vote each proposal in accordance with the investment objectives of each Client. To assist Chilton in its proxy voting responsibilities, Chilton has retained the services of ISS as experts in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. ISS specializes in providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy advisory and voting services. These services include the formulation of proxy voting guidelines on various corporate governance issues, and the provision of in-depth research, analysis and voting recommendations, as well as vote execution, auditing and consulting assistance for the handling of proxy voting responsibility and corporate governance-related efforts.
To ensure that proxy votes are cast in the best interests of Clients as well as to ensure consistency in voting proxies on behalf of Clients and to help avoid conflicts of interests that might arise between Chilton and its Clients, Chilton has generally adopted ISS's proxy voting guidelines which Chilton believes are in the best interests of its Clients. These guidelines, certain of which are described below, address a broad range of issues, including, among other things, board size and composition, executive compensation, anti-takeover proposals, capital structure proposals and social responsibility issues, and are meant to be general voting parameters on issues that arise most frequently. A complete listing of the proxy voting guidelines used by ISS and Chilton will be maintained, either electronically or physically, in
the records of the Proxy Voting Committee and updated from time to time by the Legal and Compliance department.
In certain instances, Chilton may vote on a Client's behalf on a proxy proposal in a manner other than by following the pre-determined general guidelines. ISS may, at times, advise Chilton that ISS is unable to make a vote recommendation with respect to a particular proxy matter. Also, because proxy proposals and individual company facts and circumstances may vary, Chilton may, in certain cases, if it believes that it would be in its Clients' best interest to do so, determine to vote on a particular proxy matter in a manner that is contrary to the predetermined general guidelines. Situations may also arise in which Chilton may cast different votes on behalf of two or more Chilton Client accounts that follow different investment strategies or objectives but that are invested in the same company.
In each of the foregoing instances, the Proxy Voting Committee will review and evaluate the proxy proposal first to assess whether a conflict of interest of interest exists between Chilton and any Client. In cases where the Proxy Voting Committee determines that no conflict of interest exists, the Proxy Voting Committee may designate a portfolio manager at Chilton to determine how to vote the proxy in the best interests of the Client, provided that the Proxy Voting Committee reasonably believes, based on such review as it considers appropriate, that the designated portfolio manager does not have a personal or other relationship that could present an actual or potential conflict of interest with the Client's interests, and that he or she has not received any communication with respect to the proxy that would violate any Chilton written policy on information barriers. In cases where the Proxy Voting Committee determines that a conflict of interest does exist or potentially exists, the Proxy Voting Committee will determine how to vote the proxy in the best interests of the Client. In voting the proxy, the Proxy Voting Committee may determine whether the conflict of interest will be disclosed to the Client, whether the Client's consent will be obtained prior to voting (if applicable), and whether guidance should be obtained from independent third parties.
The Proxy Voting Committee may also determine to abstain from voting if, based on factors such as expense or difficulty of exercise, it determines that a Client's interests are better served by an abstention than by voting such proxies.
THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS A GUIDELINE FOR EACH OF THE IDENTIFIED PRINCIPAL POLICY ISSUES:
ROUTINE PROPOSALS --"Routine proposals" includes such issues as the approval of auditors and election of directors. Generally, these proposals will be voted with management. As a matter of policy, it is Chilton's intention to hold corporate officers accountable for actions, either on the basis of specific actions taken as an individual, or as part of a committee, that conflict with the goal of maximizing shareholder value.
NON-ROUTINE PROPOSALS --"Non-routine proposals" includes issues that could have a long-term impact on the way a corporation handles certain matters. Examples of these proposals include: restructuring efforts, changes to the number of directors, name changes, mergers & acquisitions (or equivalent actions), changes in the issuance of common or preferred stock, stock options plans, etc. Again, these proposals will be analyzed with a goal of maximizing
shareholder value. However, as a general rule, Chilton does not intend to substitute its judgment for that of management's.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PROPOSALS --This category includes poison pills, golden parachutes, cumulative voting, classified boards, limitations of officer and director liabilities, etc. Generally speaking, these are issues proposed by an entrenched management looking to maximize their own best interests at the expense of shareholders at large. These proposals will be analyzed with a goal of maximizing shareholder value and may generate negative responses from Chilton.
SOCIAL ISSUES PROPOSALS --These proposals range from divestment from geographical or industrial representation to environmental or other matters, either internal or external. Chilton's policy is that the merit of the social issues should not take precedence over financial ones. Chilton will consider voting for issues that have redeeming social merit that neither compromises the company's competitive position within an industry, nor adversely impacts the goal of maximizing shareholder value.
OTHER SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS -- These proposals, excluding those referenced above, usually deal with subjects such as compensation, employee hiring, and corporate governance issues. These proposals will be viewed in the light of voting in a manner that Chilton believes maximizes shareholder value.
IV. ADMINISTRATION
All proxy votes on behalf of Chilton's Clients will be entered electronically into ISS's ProxyMaster system.
A description of these policies and procedures is incorporated into Part 2 of Chilton's Form ADV. The description will offer a complete copy of these policies and procedures by contacting the Chief Compliance Officer in writing and requesting such information. Clients over which Chilton has contractual authority to manage the account's investments and which includes authority to vote proxies on behalf of the Managed Accounts may also request in writing from the Chief Compliance Officer information concerning the manner in which proxy votes have been cast on behalf of such Client's account(s) during the prior annual period with respect to portfolio securities held in such accounts. Such information will be provided as soon as is practicable.
Chilton will retain the following books and records relating to its proxy voting activities on behalf of Client accounts in accordance with the requirements of Rule 204-2(c)(2) under the Advisers Act:
1. A copy of these proxy voting policies and procedures and of the descriptions hereof provided to Investors or owners of Managed Accounts.
2. A copy of each proxy statement received by Chilton regarding Client securities unless a copy thereof is maintained by ISS on Chilton's behalf or available on the SEC's EDGAR system.
3. A record of each vote cast by Chilton on behalf of a Client unless such record is maintained by ISS on Chilton's behalf.
4. A copy of any document created by Chilton that was material to Chilton's decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a Client or that memorializes the basis for that decision.
5. A copy of each WRITTEN request to Chilton for information on how Chilton voted proxies on behalf of a Client, and a copy of any WRITTEN response by Chilton to any WRITTEN OR ORAL request for information on how Chilton voted proxies on behalf of that Client.
To the extent that Chilton relies on the record keeping services of ISS for purposes of items 2 and 3 above, Chilton will obtain an undertaking from ISS to provide such information promptly upon Chilton's request.
The foregoing books and records will be maintained by Chilton, or its designee, for a period of six years from the date of entry.
The procedures set forth herein apply to the voting of proxies relating to publicly-traded securities held by Chilton's Clients. Chilton will generally administer the proxy voting for shares of privately-traded securities, or shares held in Chilton proprietary accounts, without using ISS.
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 October 19, 2016, between the Registrant and Chilton Investment Company, LLC ("Chilton"), relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, is filed herewith.
(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 October 19, 2016, between the Registrant and Chilton, relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, is filed herewith.
(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 September 30, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is filed herewith.
(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 October 2016, to the Transfer Agency Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, is filed herewith.
(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 Chilton Strategic European Equities 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 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(n)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-16-001783 on October 21, 2016.
(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 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001783 on October 21, 2016.
(p)(18) Chilton Code of Ethics, dated September 2015, is filed herewith.
(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 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton Trust Company Founder, Chairman, Chief 396 Royal Palm Way Investment Officer & Director Richard L. Chilton, Jr. Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & Chilton Investment Services Founder, Chairman, Chief Chief Investment Officer 1290 East Main Street Investment Officer & Director Stamford, Connecticut 06902 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton International (BVI) Ltd. Director Chilton Strategic Value International Director II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton European International (BVI) Director Ltd. Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Director International (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Investment Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Opportunity Trust, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Strategic Value Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Partners, L.P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton International (BVI) Ltd. Director Chilton Strategic Value International Director II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton European International (BVI) Director Ltd. Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Director International (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Investment Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Opportunity Trust, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Strategic Value Partners, L.P. Partnership Board James Steinthal Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Director, President, Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Chief Operating Officer Partners, L.P. & General Counsel Chilton Investment Company, Ltd. Director, Vice President, 33 Sackville Street Compliance Officer, FATCA London W1S 3EB Responsible Officer & Secretary United Kingdom Chilton Trust Company Executive Vice President, 396 Royal Palm Way General Counsel Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Chilton Investment Services Executive Vice President, 1290 East Main Street General Counsel Stamford, CT 06880 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jennifer Foster Director, Executive Vice Chilton Trust Company Executive Vice President, Co- President-Co-Chief 396 Royal Palm Way Chief Investment Officer & Investment Officer, Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Portfolio Manager, Equities Portfolio Manager -------------------------- -------------------------------------- ------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton Investment Services Executive Vice President, Co- 1290 East Main Street Chief Investment Officer & Stamford, CT 06880 Portfolio Manager, Equities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton International (BVI) Ltd. Director Chilton Strategic Value International Director II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton European International (BVI) Director Ltd. Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Director Patricia Mallon International (BVI) Ltd. Director Chilton Investment Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Opportunity Trust, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Strategic Value Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Partners, L.P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Senior Counsel One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281 Chilton Trust Company Director 396 Royal Palm Way Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Chilton Investment Services Director 1290 East Main Street Stamford, Connecticut 06902 Jonathan Wainwright Chilton International (BVI) Ltd. Director Director Chilton Strategic Value International Director II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton European International (BVI) Director Ltd. Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Director International (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Investment Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Opportunity Trust, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Strategic Value Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Partners, L.P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Kim Senior Vice President- Chilton Trust Company Senior Vice President, Assistant ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assistant General Counsel 396 Royal Palm Way General Counsel and Chief Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Compliance Officer Chilton Investment Services Senior Vice President, Assistant 1290 East Main Street General Counsel and Chief Stamford, CT 06880 Compliance Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allison Schachter Vice President-Treasurer Chilton Investment Company, Ltd. Director, Vice President & & Chief Financial Officer- 33 Sackville Street Treasurer Management Company London W1S 3EB United Kingdom ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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. 77 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 28th 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 28, 2016 --------------------- William M. Doran * Trustee October 28, 2016 --------------------- Jon C. Hunt * Trustee October 28, 2016 --------------------- Thomas P. Lemke * Trustee October 28, 2016 --------------------- Jay Nadel * Trustee October 28, 2016 --------------------- Randall S. Yanker * President October 28, 2016 --------------------- Michael Beattie * Treasurer, Controller & October 28, 2016 --------------------- Chief Financial Officer Stephen Connors * By: /s/ Dianne M. Descoteaux ------------------------ Dianne M. Descoteaux Attorney-in-Fact |
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION (d)(1)(x) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 19, 2016, between the Registrant and Chilton Investment Company, LLC ("Chilton"), relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund (d)(3)(xi) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated October 19, 2016, between the Registrant and Chilton, relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund (h)(2)(i)(f) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Strategic Global Advisors Funds, dated September 30, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014 (h)(2)(ii)(b) Amendment, dated October 2016, to the Transfer Agency Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC (i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund (p)(18) Chilton Code of Ethics, dated September 2015 |
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") made as of this 19th day of October, 2016 by and between The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), a Delaware statutory trust registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and Chilton Investment Company, LLC (the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business at 1290 East Main Street Stamford, Connecticut 06902.
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the Trust has selected the Adviser to act as investment adviser to the Trust on behalf of the series set forth on Schedule A to this Agreement (the "Fund"), as such Schedule may be amended from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties, and to provide certain related services, as more fully set forth below, and to perform such services under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and benefits set forth herein, the Trust and the Adviser do hereby agree as follows:
1. THE ADVISER'S SERVICES.
(a) DISCRETIONARY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES. The Adviser shall act as investment adviser with respect to the Fund. In such capacity, the Adviser shall, subject to the supervision of the Board, regularly provide the Fund with investment research, advice and supervision and shall furnish continuously an investment program for the Fund, consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. The Adviser shall determine, from time to time, what securities shall be purchased for the Fund, what securities shall be held or sold by the Fund and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested in cash, subject always to the provisions of the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and its registration statement on Form N-1A (the "Registration Statement") under the 1940 Act, and under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), covering Fund shares, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), and to the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect. To carry out such obligations, the Adviser shall exercise full discretion and act for the Fund in the same manner and with the same force and effect as the Fund itself might or could do with respect to purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other such things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. No reference in this Agreement to the Adviser having full discretionary authority over the Fund's investments shall in any way limit the right of the Board, in its sole discretion, to establish or revise policies in connection with the management of the Fund's assets or to otherwise exercise its right to control the overall management of the Fund. The Fund acknowledges that in rendering investment advisory services to the Fund, the Adviser may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, use the portfolio management, research, and other resources of Chilton Investment Company Limited ("Chilton U.K."), a foreign (non-U.S.) affiliate of the Adviser that is not
registered under the Advisers Act, but which is a "participating affiliate" of the Adviser and subject to the regulatory supervision of the Adviser. For the avoidance of doubt, the Adviser's use of the portfolio management, research, and other resources of Chilton U.K. shall not relieve the Adviser of any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(b) COMPLIANCE. The Adviser agrees to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the Commodity Exchange Act and the respective rules and regulations thereunder, as applicable, as well as with all other applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and case law that relate to the services and relationships described hereunder and to the conduct of its business as a registered investment adviser. The Adviser also agrees to comply with the objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, of the Fund, and with any policies, guidelines, instructions and procedures approved by the Board and provided to the Adviser with reasonable notice prior to implementation. In selecting the Fund's portfolio securities and performing the Adviser's obligations hereunder, the Adviser shall cause the Fund to comply with the diversification and source of income requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), for qualification as a regulated investment company. The Adviser shall maintain compliance procedures that it reasonably believes are adequate to ensure its compliance with the foregoing. No supervisory activity undertaken by the Board shall limit the Adviser's full responsibility for any of the foregoing.
(c) PROXY VOTING. The Board has the authority to determine how proxies with respect to securities that are held by the Fund shall be voted, and the Board has initially determined to delegate the authority and responsibility to vote proxies for the Fund's securities to the Adviser. So long as proxy voting authority for the Fund has been delegated to the Adviser, the Adviser shall exercise its proxy voting responsibilities. The Adviser shall carry out such responsibility in accordance with any instructions that the Board shall provide from time to time, and at all times in a manner consistent with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and its fiduciary responsibilities to the Trust. The Adviser shall provide periodic reports and keep records relating to proxy voting as the Board may reasonably request or as may be necessary for the Fund to comply with the 1940 Act and other applicable law. Any such delegation of proxy voting responsibility to the Adviser may be revoked or modified by the Board at any time.
The Adviser is authorized to instruct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to forward promptly to the Adviser, or its designated service provider, copies of all proxies and shareholder communications relating to securities held in the portfolio of a Fund (other than materials relating to legal proceedings against the Fund). The Adviser may also instruct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to provide reports of holdings in the portfolio of the Fund. The Adviser has the authority to engage a service provider to assist with administrative functions related to voting Fund proxies. The Trust shall direct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to provide any assistance requested by the Adviser in facilitating the use of a service provider. In no event shall the Adviser have any
responsibility to vote proxies that are not received on a timely basis. The Trust acknowledges that the Adviser, consistent with the Adviser's written proxy voting policies and procedures, may refrain from voting a proxy if, in the Adviser's discretion, refraining from voting would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
(d) RECORDKEEPING. The Adviser shall not be responsible for the provision of administrative, bookkeeping or accounting services to the Fund, except as otherwise provided herein or as may be necessary for the Adviser to supply to the Trust or its Board the information required to be supplied under this Agreement.
The Adviser shall maintain separate books and detailed records of all matters pertaining to Fund assets advised by the Adviser required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act (other than those records being maintained by any administrator, custodian or transfer agent appointed by the Fund) relating to its responsibilities provided hereunder with respect to the Fund, and shall preserve such records for the periods and in a manner prescribed therefore by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act (the "Fund Books and Records"). The Fund Books and Records shall be available to the Board at any time upon request, shall be delivered to the Trust upon the termination of this Agreement and shall be available without delay during any day the Trust is open for business; provided that the Adviser may make and retain copies of any such records prior to providing them to the Board or the Trust.
(e) HOLDINGS INFORMATION AND PRICING. The Adviser shall provide regular reports regarding Fund holdings as reasonably requested by the Fund, and may, on its own initiative, furnish the Trust and its Board from time to time with whatever information the Adviser believes is appropriate for this purpose. The Adviser agrees to notify the Trust promptly if the Adviser reasonably believes that the value of any security held by the Fund may not reflect fair value. The Adviser agrees to provide upon request any pricing information of which the Adviser is aware to the Trust, its Board and/or any Fund pricing agent to assist in the determination of the fair value of any Fund holdings for which market quotations are not readily available or as otherwise required in accordance with the 1940 Act or the Trust's valuation procedures for the purpose of calculating the Fund net asset value in accordance with procedures and methods established by the Board.
(f) COOPERATION WITH AGENTS OF THE TRUST. The Adviser agrees to cooperate with and provide reasonable assistance to the Trust, any Trust custodian or foreign sub-custodians, any Trust pricing agents and all other agents and representatives of the Trust with respect to such information regarding the Fund as such entities may reasonably request from time to time in the performance of their obligations, provide prompt responses to reasonable requests made by such persons and establish appropriate interfaces with each so as to promote the efficient exchange of information and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
2. CODE OF ETHICS. The Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics that it reasonably believes complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which it
has provided to the Trust. The Adviser shall ensure that its Access Persons (as defined in the Adviser's Code of Ethics) comply in all material respects with the Adviser's Code of Ethics, as in effect from time to time. Upon request, the Adviser shall provide the Trust with a (i) copy of the Adviser's current Code of Ethics, as in effect from time to time, and (ii) certification that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from engaging in any conduct prohibited by the Adviser's Code of Ethics. Annually, upon request, the Adviser shall furnish a written report, which complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1, concerning the Adviser's Code of Ethics to the Trust's Board. The Adviser shall respond to requests for information from the Trust as to violations of the Code by Access Persons and the sanctions imposed by the Adviser. The Adviser shall immediately notify the Trust of any material violation of the Code, whether or not such violation relates to a security held by the Fund.
3. INFORMATION AND REPORTING. The Adviser shall provide the Trust and its officers with such periodic reports concerning the obligations the Adviser has assumed under this Agreement as the Trust may from time to time reasonably request.
(a) NOTIFICATION OF BREACH / COMPLIANCE REPORTS. The Adviser shall
notify the Trust's chief compliance officer immediately upon detection of
(i) any material failure to manage the Fund in accordance with its
investment objectives and policies or any applicable law; or (ii) any
material breach of any of the policies, guidelines or procedures of the
Fund or of the Adviser that relate to the Fund. In addition, the Adviser
shall provide a quarterly report regarding the Fund's compliance with its
investment objectives and policies, applicable law, including, but not
limited to the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code, and the Fund's
policies, guidelines or procedures as applicable to the Adviser's
obligations under this Agreement. The Adviser agrees to correct any such
failure promptly and to take any action that the Board may reasonably
request in connection with any such breach applicable to Adviser's
obligations under the Agreement. Upon request, the Adviser shall also
provide the officers of the Trust with supporting certifications in
connection with such certifications of Fund financial statements and
disclosure controls pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Adviser will
promptly notify the Trust in the event (i) the Adviser is served or
otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, public board,
or body, involving the affairs of the Trust (excluding class action suits
in which the Fund is a member of the plaintiff class by reason of the
Fund's ownership of shares in the defendant) or the compliance by the
Adviser with the federal or state securities laws (excluding industry wide
sweeps) that could reasonably be viewed as material to Adviser's ability to
provide services to the Fund or (ii) an actual change in control of the
Adviser resulting in an "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act) has
occurred or is otherwise reasonably expected to occur.
(b) BOARD AND FILINGS INFORMATION. The Adviser will provide the Trust with any information reasonably requested regarding its management of the Fund required for any meeting of the Board, or for any shareholder report, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q, Form N-PX, Form N-SAR, amended registration statement, proxy statement, or prospectus supplement to be filed by the Trust with the Commission and the Trust shall receive Adviser's review and approval prior to making any such filings referring to the Fund. The
Adviser will make its officers and employees available to meet with the Board from time to time on due notice to review its investment management services to the Fund in light of current and prospective economic and market conditions and shall furnish to the Board such information as may reasonably be necessary in order for the Board to evaluate this Agreement or any proposed amendments thereto.
(c) TRANSACTION INFORMATION. The Adviser shall furnish to the Trust, upon reasonable request, such information concerning portfolio transactions as may be necessary to enable the Trust or its designated agent to perform such compliance testing on the Fund and the Adviser's services as the Trust may, in its sole discretion, determine to be appropriate. The provision of such information by the Adviser to the Trust or its designated agent in no way relieves the Adviser of its own responsibilities under this Agreement.
4. BROKERAGE.
(a) PRINCIPAL TRANSACTIONS. In connection with purchases or sales of securities for the account of the Fund, neither the Adviser nor any of its directors, officers or employees will act as a principal or agent or receive any commission except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
(b) PLACEMENT OF ORDERS. The Adviser shall arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund's account with brokers or dealers selected by the Adviser. In the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, the Adviser is directed at all times to seek for the Fund best execution under the circumstances. It is also understood that it is desirable for the Fund that the Adviser have access to brokerage and research services provided by brokers who may execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to the Fund than may result when allocating brokerage to other brokers, consistent with section 28(e) of the 1934 Act and any Commission staff interpretations thereof. Therefore, the Adviser is authorized to place orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund with such brokers, subject to review by the Board from time to time with respect to the extent and continuation of this practice. It is understood that the services provided by such brokers may be useful to the Adviser in connection with its or its affiliates' services to other clients.
(c) AGGREGATED TRANSACTIONS. On occasions when the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Adviser, the Adviser may, to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations, aggregate the order for securities to be sold or purchased. In such event, the Adviser will allocate securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, in the manner the Adviser reasonably considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients under the circumstances.
(d) AFFILIATED BROKERS. The Adviser or any of its affiliates may act as broker in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or other investments for the Fund,
subject to: (a) the requirement that the Adviser seek to obtain best execution within the policy guidelines determined by the Board and set forth in the Fund's current Registration Statement; (b) the provisions of the 1940 Act; (c) the provisions of the Advisers Act; (d) the provisions of the 1934 Act; and (e) other provisions of applicable law. These brokerage services are not within the scope of the duties of the Adviser under this Agreement. Subject to the requirements of applicable law and any procedures adopted by the Board, the Adviser or its affiliates may receive brokerage commissions, fees or other remuneration from the Fund for these services in addition to the Adviser's fees for services under this Agreement.
(e) CONTRACTING AUTHORITY. In the name of the Fund, and which shall be binding on the Fund, the Adviser is hereby given the authority to negotiate and enter into agreements and contracts (including, but not limited to, brokerage agreements, International Swap Dealers Association ("ISDA") master agreements and schedules thereto, futures agreements, clearing agreements, Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements, other master agreements, other transaction agreements, investment transactions, confirmations of investment transactions and related documents for investment transactions and modifications thereto), and make representations (including representations regarding the purchase of securities or other assets for investment) that the Adviser deems appropriate to carry out its duties and services hereunder
5. CUSTODY. Nothing in this Agreement shall permit the Adviser to take or receive physical possession of cash, securities or other investments of the Fund.
6. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES. The Adviser will bear its own costs of providing services hereunder. Other than as herein specifically indicated, the Adviser shall not be responsible for the Fund's expenses, including brokerage and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments.
7. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS.
(a) PROPERLY REGISTERED. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and will remain so registered for the duration of this Agreement. The Adviser is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, and to the best knowledge of the Adviser, there is no proceeding or investigation that is reasonably likely to result in the Adviser being prohibited from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement. The Adviser agrees to promptly notify the Trust of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify the Adviser from serving as an investment adviser to an investment company. The Adviser is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state law in connection with its investment management operations.
(b) ADV DISCLOSURE. The Adviser has provided the Trust with a copy of its Form ADV Part 1 as most recently filed with the SEC and its current Part 2A and will, promptly after filing any amendment to its Form ADV with the SEC updating its Part 2A, furnish a copy of such Part 2A amendments or updates to the Trust. The information contained in the Adviser's Form ADV is accurate and complete in all material respects and does not omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Trust agrees that the Adviser may provide its Form ADV in electronic form.
(c) FUND DISCLOSURE DOCUMENTS. The Adviser has reviewed, and Trust will in the future provide for Adviser's review upon reasonable prior notice and Adviser shall so review, the Registration Statement, summary prospectus, prospectus, statement of additional information, periodic reports to shareholders, reports and schedules prior to filing with the Commission (including any amendment, supplement or sticker to any of the foregoing) and advertising and sales material relating to the Fund (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") and the Adviser represents and warrants that such Disclosure Documents contain or will contain no untrue statement of any material fact and do not and will not omit any statement of material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) USE OF THE NAME "CHILTON The Adviser has the right to use the name "Chilton" in connection with its services to the Trust and that, subject to the terms set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement, the Trust shall have the right to use the name "Chilton" in connection with the management and operation of the Fund. The Adviser is not aware of any threatened or existing actions, claims, litigation or proceedings that would adversely affect or prejudice the rights of the Adviser or the Trust to use the name "Chilton."
(e) INSURANCE. The Adviser maintains errors and omissions insurance coverage in an appropriate amount and shall provide prior written notice to the Trust (i) of any material adverse changes in its insurance policies or insurance coverage; or (ii) if any material claims are made on its insurance policies that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the coverage related to its management of the Trust. Furthermore, the Adviser shall, upon reasonable request, provide the Trust with any information it may reasonably require concerning the amount of or scope of such insurance.
(f) NO DETRIMENTAL AGREEMENT. The Adviser represents and warrants that it has no arrangement or understanding with any party, other than the Trust, that would influence the decision of the Adviser with respect to its selection of securities for the Fund, and that all selections shall be done in accordance with what is in the best interest of the Fund.
(g) CONFLICTS. The Adviser shall act honestly, in good faith and in the best interests of the Trust including requiring any of its personnel with knowledge of Fund activities to place the interest of the Fund first, ahead of their own interests, in all personal trading scenarios that may involve a conflict of interest with the Fund, consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
(h) REPRESENTATIONS. The representations and warranties in this
Section 7 shall be deemed to be made on the date this Agreement is executed
and at the time of delivery of the quarterly compliance report required by
Section 3(a), whether or not specifically referenced in such report.
8. THE NAME "CHILTON". The Adviser grants to the Trust a license to use the name "Chilton" (the "Name") as part of the name of the Fund. The foregoing authorization by the Adviser to the Trust to use the Name as part of the name of the Fund is not exclusive of the right of the Adviser itself to use, or to authorize others to use, the Name; the Trust acknowledges and agrees that, as between the Trust and the Adviser, the Adviser has the right to use, or authorize others to use, the Name. The Trust shall (1) only use the Name in a manner consistent with uses approved by the Adviser; (2) use its best efforts to maintain the quality of the services offered using the Name; (3) adhere to such other specific quality control standards as the Adviser may from time to time promulgate; and (4) protect the reputation and goodwill of the Name. The Trust acknowledges that the name Chilton and the trademark associated therewith are the valuable property of the Adviser The Trust will (a) submit to Adviser for review and preapproval prior to use any promotional materials using the Name; and (b) change the name of the Fund within one month of its receipt of the Adviser's request, or such other shorter time period as may be required under the terms of a settlement agreement or court order, so as to eliminate all reference to the Name and will not thereafter transact any business using the Name in the name of the Fund; provided, however, that to the extent required by law, the Trust may continue to use beyond such date any supplies of prospectuses, marketing materials and similar documents that the Trust had on the date of such name change in quantities not exceeding those historically produced and used in connection with such Fund
9. ADVISER'S COMPENSATION. The Fund shall pay to the Adviser, as compensation for the Adviser's services hereunder, a fee, determined as described in Schedule A that is attached hereto and made a part hereof. Such fee shall be computed daily and paid not less than monthly in arrears by the Fund.
The method for determining net assets of the Fund for purposes hereof shall be the same as the method for determining net assets for purposes of establishing the offering and redemption prices of Fund shares as described in the Fund's prospectus. In the event of termination of this Agreement, the fee provided in this Section shall be computed on the basis of the period ending on the last business day on which this Agreement is in effect subject to a pro rata adjustment based on the number of days elapsed in the current month as a percentage of the total number of days in such month.
10. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. In the performance of its duties hereunder, the Adviser is and shall be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or otherwise authorized in writing, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed to be an agent of the Trust or the Fund. If any occasion should arise in which the Adviser gives any advice to its clients concerning the shares of the Fund, the Adviser will act solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of the Fund.
11. ASSIGNMENT AND AMENDMENTS. This Agreement shall automatically terminate, without the payment of any penalty, in the event of its assignment (as defined in section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act); provided that such termination shall not relieve the Adviser of any liability incurred hereunder.
This Agreement may not be added to or changed orally and may not be modified or rescinded except by a writing signed by the parties hereto and in accordance with the 1940 Act, when applicable.
12. DURATION AND TERMINATION.
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date executed and shall
remain in full force and effect continually thereafter, subject to renewal as
provided in Section 12(c) and unless terminated automatically as set forth in
Section 11 hereof or until terminated as follows:
(a) The Trust may cause this Agreement to terminate either (i) by vote of its Board or (ii) with respect to the Fund, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, in each case upon at least 15 days' written notice to Adviser ; or
(b) The Adviser may at any time terminate this Agreement by not more than sixty (60) days' nor less than thirty (30) days' written notice delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, to the Trust; or
(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate two years from the date of its execution unless its renewal is specifically approved at least annually thereafter by (i) a majority vote of the Trustees, including a majority vote of such Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or the Adviser, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; provided, however, that if the continuance of this Agreement is submitted to the shareholders of the Fund for their approval and such shareholders fail to approve such continuance of this Agreement as provided herein, the Adviser may continue to serve hereunder as to the Fund in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and
(d) Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section shall be without payment of any penalty.
In the event of termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Adviser shall, immediately upon notice of termination or on such later date as may be specified in such notice, cease all activity on behalf of the Fund and with respect to any of its assets, except as otherwise required by any fiduciary duties of the Adviser under applicable law. In addition, the Adviser shall deliver the Fund Books and Records to the Trust by such means and in accordance with such schedule as the Trust shall direct (and may retain a copy of such books and records) and shall otherwise cooperate, as reasonably directed by the Trust, in the transition of portfolio asset management to any successor of the Adviser.
13. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this Agreement:
(a) "Affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund" shall have the meaning as set forth in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Commission under the 1940 Act or any
interpretations of the Commission staff.
(b) "Interested persons" and "Assignment" shall have their respective meanings as set forth in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Commission under the 1940 Act or any interpretations of the Commission staff.
14. LIABILITY OF THE ADVISER.
(a) The Adviser shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness in all material respects (and liability for the lack thereof) of statements in the Fund's Disclosure Documents relating to the Adviser and its affiliates, the Fund's investment strategies and related risks and other information supplied by Adviser for inclusion therein.
The Adviser shall not be deemed by virtue of this Agreement to have made any representation or warranty that any level of investment performance or level of investment results will be achieved or that Adviser's overall management of the Fund will be successful. The Fund understands that investment decisions made for the Fund by the Adviser are subject to various market, currency, economic, political and business risks, and that those investment decisions will not always be profitable.
(c) The Adviser shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, each
affiliated person of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the
1940 Act, and each person who controls the Trust within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act (any such person, an "Trust Indemnified Party")
against any and all losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities
(including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged
loss, claim, damage, expense or liability and reasonable counsel fees
incurred in connection therewith) to which any such person may become
subject under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act or other federal or
state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) a material breach by
the Adviser of this Agreement or of the representations and warranties made
by the Adviser herein; (ii) any Improper Investment; (iii) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Disclosure Document or the omission or alleged omission from a Disclosure
Document of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading; or (iv) the Adviser's negligent
performance or non-performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however,
that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect the Trust or any Trust
Indemnified Party who is a Trustee or officer of the Trust against any
liability to the Trust or to its shareholders to which the Trust or such
Trust Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of such person's office with the Trust or its
duties under this Agreement.
15. ENFORCEABILITY. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms or provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
16. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all litigation arising hereunder, whether direct or indirect, and of any and every nature whatsoever shall be satisfied solely out of the assets of the affected Fund and that no Trustee, officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund shall be personally liable for any of the foregoing liabilities.
17. CHANGE IN THE ADVISER'S CONTROL OR MANAGEMENT. The Adviser agrees that it shall notify the Trust of any actual change in control or management of Chilton within the meaning of Rules 2a-6 and 202(a)(1)-1 under the 1940 Act and Advisers Act, respectively, either prior to or promptly after such change.
18. TRACK RECORD. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary herein, the Adviser shall retain a right to use the investment performance and track record of the Fund (including in marketing materials) to the extent permitted by law. Further, for the avoidance of doubt, the Adviser shall be entitled to retain a copy and use records of each of its transactions and other records pertaining to the Fund as are necessary to support any such uses of the investment performance and track record.
19. JURISDICTION. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Delaware and the Sub-Adviser consents to the jurisdiction of courts, both state and federal, in Delaware, with respect to any dispute under this Agreement.
20. PARAGRAPH HEADINGS. The headings of paragraphs contained in this Agreement are provided for convenience only, form no part of this Agreement and shall not affect its construction.
21. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be signed on their behalf by their duly authorized officers as of the date first above written.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III, on behalf of the Fund(s) listed on Schedule A
By: /s/ Michael Beattie ------------------- Name: Michael Beattie Title: President |
Chilton Investment Company, LLC
By: /s/ James Steinthal ------------------- Name: James Steinthal Title: President & COO |
SCHEDULE A
TO THE
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
DATED OCTOBER 19, 2016 BETWEEN
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
AND
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, LLC
The Trust will pay to the Adviser as compensation for the Adviser's services rendered, a fee, computed daily at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund in accordance the following fee schedule:
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT, effective as of October 19, 2016 by and between Chilton Investment Company, LLC (the "Adviser") and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust") (the "Agreement"), on behalf of the series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A attached hereto (the "Funds").
WHEREAS, the Trust is a Delaware statutory Trust organized under an Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated December 4, 2013 (the "Declaration of Trust"), and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management company of the series type, and the Funds are each a series of the Trust;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 19, 2016 (the "Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Funds for compensation based on the value of the average daily net assets of the Funds;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders to maintain the expenses of the Funds at a level at or below the level to which each Fund would normally be subject in order to maintain each Fund's expense ratio at the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit (as hereinafter defined) specified for such Fund in Schedule A hereto;
NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. EXPENSE LIMITATION.
1.1. APPLICABLE EXPENSE LIMIT. To the extent that the aggregate expenses of every character incurred by a Fund in any fiscal year, including but not limited to investment advisory fees of the Adviser (but excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund's business) and expenses for which payment has been made through the use of all or a portion of brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by that Fund ("Fund Operating Expenses"), exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit, as defined in Section 1.2 below, such excess amount (the "Excess Amount") shall be the liability of the Adviser.
1.2. MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT. The Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit with respect to the Fund shall be the amount specified in Schedule A based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for the Fund contemplates that certain expenses for the Fund may be paid through the use of all or a portion of brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by the Fund.
1.3. METHOD OF COMPUTATION. To determine the Adviser's liability with respect to the Excess Amount, each month the Fund Operating Expenses for the Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses for any month of the Fund exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, the Adviser shall first waive or reduce its investment advisory fee for such month by an amount sufficient to reduce the annualized Fund Operating Expenses to an amount no higher than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit. If the amount of the waived or reduced investment advisory fee for any such month is insufficient to pay the Excess Amount, the Adviser may also remit to the Fund an amount that, together with the waived or reduced investment advisory fee, is sufficient to pay such Excess Amount.
1.4. YEAR-END ADJUSTMENT. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year (or the termination of this Agreement if sooner), an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the amount of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund with respect to the previous fiscal year shall equal the Excess Amount for such fiscal year.
2. REIMBURSEMENT OF FEE WAIVERS AND EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS.
2.1. REIMBURSEMENT. If in any year in which the Advisory Agreement is still in effect and the estimated aggregate Fund Operating Expenses of such Fund for the fiscal year are less than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for that year, the Adviser shall be entitled to reimbursement by such Fund, in whole or in part as provided below, of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Adviser to such Fund pursuant to Section 1 hereof. The total amount of reimbursement to which the Adviser may be entitled ("Reimbursement Amount") shall equal, at any time, the sum of all investment advisory fees previously waived or reduced by the Adviser and all other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund, pursuant to Section 1 hereof, during any of the previous three (3) fiscal years, less any reimbursement previously paid by such Fund to the Adviser, pursuant to this Section 2, with respect to such waivers, reductions, and payments. The Reimbursement Amount shall not include any additional charges or fees whatsoever, including, for example, interest accruable on the Reimbursement Amount.
2.2. BOARD NOTIFICATION. The Fund shall provide to the Board a quarterly report of any reimbursements paid to the Adviser pursuant to this agreement.
2.3. METHOD OF COMPUTATION. To determine the Fund's accrual, if any, to
reimburse the Adviser for the Reimbursement Amount, each month the Fund
Operating Expenses of the Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the
month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund for any month are
less than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, such Fund
shall accrue into its net asset value an amount payable to the Adviser
sufficient to increase the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of that Fund to an
amount no greater than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of that Fund,
provided that such amount paid to the Adviser will in no event exceed the total
Reimbursement Amount. For accounting purposes, amounts accrued pursuant to this
Section 2 shall be a liability of the Fund for purposes of determining the
Fund's net asset value.
2.4. PAYMENT AND YEAR-END ADJUSTMENT. Amounts accrued pursuant to this Agreement shall be payable to the Adviser as of the last day of each month. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the actual Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund for the prior fiscal year (including any reimbursement payments hereunder with respect to such fiscal year) do not exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for such fiscal year.
3. TERM AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to the Fund until the date indicated on Schedule A ("Initial Term End Date") and shall thereafter continue in effect from year to year for successive one-year periods, provided that this Agreement may be terminated, without payment of any penalty, with respect to the Fund:
(i) by the Trust, for any reason and at any time;
(ii) by the Adviser, for any reason, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust at its principal place of business, such termination to be effective as of the close of business on Initial Term End Date or as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one-year period; or at such earlier time provided that such termination is approved by majority vote of the Trustees and the Independent Trustees voting separately; and
(iii) automatically upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement.
4. MISCELLANEOUS.
4.1. CAPTIONS. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no other way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
4.2. INTERPRETATION. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust or the Fund to take any action contrary to the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-Laws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trust's Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust or the Fund.
4.3. DEFINITIONS. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the investment advisory fee, the computations of net asset values, and the allocation of expenses, having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from the terms and provisions of the Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act, shall have the same meaning as and be resolved by reference to such Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act.
4.4. ENFORCEABILITY. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms or
provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
4.5. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the conflicts of law principles thereof, and the parties consent to the jurisdiction of courts, both state or federal, in Delaware, with respect to any dispute under this Agreement.
4.6. AMENDMENT. This Agreement may not be amended except pursuant to a writing signed by the parties hereto and in accordance with the 1940 Act, when applicable.
4.7. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
4.8. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement, including any schedules hereto (each of which is incorporated herein and made a part hereof by these references), represents the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto, and shall supersede any prior agreements.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND III,
on behalf of the series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A
/s/ Dianne M. Descoteaux ------------------------ Name: Dianne M. Descoteaux Title: VP & Secretary |
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, LLC
/s/ James Steinthal ------------------- Name: James Steinthal Title: President |
SCHEDULE A
MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
This Agreement relates to the following Funds of the Trust:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME OF FUND MAXIMUM ANNUAL INITIAL TERM OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT END DATE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton Strategic European 1.99% February 28, 2018 Equities Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
DST SYSTEMS, INC.
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC FEE SCHEDULE
TERM: 3 YEARS
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 -- AUGUST 31, 2019
I. ACCOUNT SERVICE FEES
A. MINIMUM FEES
CUSIPS in the range 1 -- 7 Year 1 $18,000 per CUSIP per year Years 2-5 $24,000 per CUSIP per year CUSIPS in the range > 7 $12,000 per CUSIP per year Institutional Money Market CUSIPS $48,000 per CUSIP per year (NOTE: MINIMUM APPLIES UNLESS CHARGES INCLUDED IN SECTION B EXCEED THE MINIMUM.) B. ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE AND PROCESSING FEES Non Level 3 Open Accounts 0 -- 10,000 Accounts $22.00 per account per year 10,001 -- 30,000 Accounts $20.00 per account per year 30,001 + Accounts $18.00 per account per year Level 3 Open Accounts 0 -- 1,500 Accounts $12.00 per account per year 1,501 -- 3,000 Accounts $10.00 per account per year 3,001 -- 4,500 Accounts $8.00 per account per year > 4,501 Accounts $6.00 per account per year Closed Accounts $1.50 per account per year C. ONE TIME SET-UP FEES New Fund for Existing Management Company $1,030 per CUSIP New Management Company with a Single Fund $2,575 per mgt. company New Management Company with Multiple Funds $5,150 per mgt. company D. ASSET BASED FEE $0 -- $500,000,000 0.250 basis points per year $500,000,000 -- $1,000,000,000 0.100 basis points per year $1,000,000,000 and greater 0.025 basis points per year II. OPTIONAL SERVICE FEES(1) 12b-1 Processing $0.23 per open & closed acct per cycle ---------- (1) DST requires 120 days' notice to begin providing Optional Services, which time period may be reduced upon mutual agreement. DST requires 120 days' notice to cease supporting and billing for Optional Services. The Fund will be billed for Optional Services ended prior to the 120 days at the average monthly amount for the function from the prior six months invoices multiplied by the number of months or partial months to the full 120 day period. |
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC FEE SCHEDULE PAGE 2 OF 5 Institutional Manual Transactions $8.49 per item Lost Shareholder Compliance $1.50 per lost S/H account per year + $0.20 per database match Escheatment Costs $250 per CUSIP per filing + $5.00 per item + OOP Costs CDSC/Sharelot Processing $2.48 per account per year Personal Performance Minimum Fee $515 per run Account Fee $0.13 per run Ad-Hoc Reporting $250.00 per report Anti-Money Laundering Fees * Monthly Minimum $100 per management co Foreign Accounts $0.21 per open account per year Non-Foreign Accounts $0.16 per open account per year Short Term Trader Fees * 90 Days or Less $0.070 per account per year 91 Days -- 180 Days $0.130 per account per year 181 Days -- 270 Days $0.190 per account per year 271 Days -- 366 Days $0.250 per account per year 367 Days -- 2 Years $0.370 per account per year TA2000 Data Transmission to non-DSTO print vendors $0.02 per record Aged History Retention Fee - Online $5.00 per 1,000 lines Aged History Retention Fee - Offline $3.50 per 1,000 lines Reimbursable and Other Expenses Exhibit A NSCC * Exhibit B Vision(TM) -- REQUIRES SEPARATE AGREEMENT Exhibit C Financial Intermediary / TPA Fees * Exhibit D Fund Closing / Deconversion * Exhibit E Cash Utilization Exhibit F |
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC FEE SCHEDULE PAGE 3 OF 5 III. COMPUTER/TECHNICAL SUPPORT (STANDARD 2016 RATES) * Business Analyst/Tester: Dedicated $130,493 per year (1,690 hours) On-Request $115.75 per hour COBOL Programmer: Dedicated $220,020 per year (1,690 hours) On-Request $174.73 per hour Workstation Programmer: Dedicated $252,173 per year (1,690 hours) On-Request $206.99 per hour WEB Developer Dedicated $269,201 per year (1,690 hours) On-Request $222.62 per hour Full Service Support: Senior Staff Support $77.50 per hour Staff Support $57.50 per hour Clerical Support $47.50 per hour Conversion/Acquisition Costs -- reimbursable and other expenses including, but not limited to travel and accommodations, programming, training, equipment installation, etc. |
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC
FEE SCHEDULE
NOTES:
A. OPEN AND CLOSED ACCOUNTS FEES
The monthly fee for an open account shall be charged in the month during which
an account is opened through the month in which such account is closed. The
monthly fee for a closed account shall be charged in the month following the
month during which such account is closed and shall cease to be charged in the
month following the Purge Date, as hereinafter defined. The "Purge Date" for
any year shall be any day after June 1st of that year, as selected by the Fund,
provided that written notification is presented to DST at least forty-five (45)
days prior to the Purge Date.
B. NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY / FUND ESTABLISHMENT
Establishing a new Fund requires a minimum of 30 days advance notice.
Establishing a new management company requires a minimum of 60 days advance notice.
The One Time Set- Up fees will only be charged in the event that a new fund(s) and/or new management company does not go live, including seed money, during the month it was scheduled to go live. The One Time Set-Up fees for a new Management Company do not include the DST programming hours to set up the INVESTOR product nor do they include the DSTCC programming charges.
If a new Fund goes live after the 16th of the month with funded assets, including seed money, the CUSIP and Open Account charges for that month will be charged at a 50% discount of the current rate.
C. FEE INCREASES
The fees payable under each Advisor Complex Schedule shall increase annually,
effective as of each anniversary of the Effective Date of such Advisor Complex
Schedule, by an amount not to exceed the percentage increase, if any, in the
Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Kansas City,
Missouri-Kansas Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, All Items, Base
1982-1984=100, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since the last
anniversary date; provided, however, if the percentage increase in the CPI-U
since the last anniversary date exceeds five percent (5%) the fee increase
shall be limited to five percent (5%) and the amount by which the percentage
increase in the CPI-U exceeds five percent (5%) may be charged in later years,
provided in no year will the fee increase exceed five percent (5%). If the
Bureau of Labor Statistics ceases to publish such Consumer Price Index for all
Urban Consumers, DST shall in good faith select an alternate adjustment index.
Items marked by an "*" are subject to change with 60 days notice.
D. LATE FEES
Any fees or reimbursable and other expenses not paid within 30 days of the date
of the original invoice will be charged a late payment fee of 1.5% per month
until payment is received.
E. TERMINATION FEES
To be assessed by DST and paid by the Trust in accordance with the provisions
of Section 21 of the Agreement.
STRATEGIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC
FEE SCHEDULE
FEES ACCEPTED BY:
DST Systems, Inc. Strategic Global Advisors LLC By: /s/ Christopher G. Shaw By: /s/ Cynthia Tusan ----------------------- ----------------- Name: Christopher G. Shaw Name: Cynthia Tusan Title: Officer Title: President Date: 10/3/16 Date: 9/26/2016 |
EXHIBIT A
REIMBURSABLE AND OTHER EXPENSES
This schedule does not include reimbursable and other expenses that are incurred on the Fund's behalf.
Examples of reimbursable and other expenses include, but are not limited to the items listed below.
Forms
Postage (to be paid in advance if so requested)
Mailing Services
Computer Hardware and Software - specific to Fund or installed at remote
site at Fund's direction
Telecommunications Equipment and Lines/Long Distance Charges
Magnetic Tapes, Reels or Cartridges
Magnetic Tape Handling Charges
Microfiche/EFS/Microfilm
Freight Charges
Printing
Bank Wire and ACH Charges
Proxy Processing - per proxy mailed not including postage
Includes:
Proxy Card
Printing
Outgoing Envelope
Return Envelope
Tabulation and Certification
T.I.N. Certification (W8 & W9)
(Postage associated with the return envelope is included)
Disaster Recovery(1)* (Includes St. Louis Data center)
Off-site Record Storage
Travel, Per Diem and other Billables incurred by DST personnel traveling to, at and from the Fund at the request of the Fund.
Base Compliance Program Expense - $175,000(2)
(2) Will not increase by more than 10% in years 2 and 3 provided there are no material changes in the regulatory environment. DST and SEI will review annually the number of clients/management companies to determine whether or not there has been a material impact which would warrant a change in the Compliance Program expense.
EXHIBIT B
NSCC FEES AND OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
DST FEES
DST charges $1,764 per CUSIP per year for the NSCC platform.
NSCC PARTICIPANT FEES(1)
The NSCC charges $40 per month per NSCC Participant any for CPU access/shared line costs.
A combined participant base fee of $200 per month is charged for the following services:
FUND/SERV:
The NSCC charges an activity charge of $.175 per inputted transaction. Transactions include purchases, redemptions and exchanges.
NETWORKING:
- $.02 per account for funds paying dividends on a monthly basis
- $.01 per account for funds paying dividends other than monthly
COMMISSION SETTLEMENT:
- $.30 per hundred records, per month, for one to 500,000 records; there is a $50 per month minimum processing charge
- $.20 per hundred records, per month, for 500,001 to 1,000,000 records
- $.10 per hundred records, per month, for 1,000,001 records and above
MUTUAL FUND PROFILE SERVICE MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP FEE
- $325.00 per month
SETTLING BANK FEES
The fund may be charged fees by the Funds Settling Bank at which the net settlement account resides for monthly maintenance of this account. These are negotiated directly between the Fund and the Settling Bank.
EXHIBIT C, P.1
VISION
FEE SCHEDULE
Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all fees, charges and discounts will be applied separately to each individual affiliate of Customer that has been assigned a unique management code.
ID CHARGES NUMBER OF ID BREAKPOINTS ID CHARGE BREAKPOINTS ------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------- 1 - 500 $3.25 per month/per ID for each of the first 500 IDs 501 - 1,000 $3.00 per month/per ID for each of the next 500 IDs 1,001 - 2,000 $2.75 per month/per ID for each of the next 1,000 IDs 2,001 - 3,450 $2.50 per month/per ID for each of the next 1,450 IDs 3,451 - + No charge for each additional ID over 3,450 |
In accordance with the schedule above, ID Charges for each affiliate of Customer cannot exceed a monthly maximum of $9,500.
INQUIRY CHARGES
Initial Set-up Fee None Per View Charge(1) Standard $0.05 Reduced $0.025 STATEMENT CHARGES (OPTIONAL) Individual Statement Retrieval Charge $0.05 per statement Batch Statement Load Charge(2) $0.03 per image Monthly Statement Interface Support Charge(3) $1,300 |
The Statement Retrieval Charges do not cover any charges or expenses Customer may incur from its statement vendor.
(2)The Batch Statement Load charge and the Data Extract charge will only be assessed at the time the statements are provided to Vision by the statement vendor or at the time data files are retrieved by Vision, as applicable, not at the time of viewing or downloading.
(3) If Customer uses DST Output, LLC or a subsidiary of DST Output, LLC as its electronic statement vendor, the Monthly Statement Interface Support Charge will be waived.
EXHIBIT C, P.2
DATA EXTRACT CHARGES(2) Advisor Requests $0.12 per file Non-Advisor Requests $6.00 per file EMAIL ALERT CHARGES Per email charge $0.05 TRANSACTION PROCESSING CHARGES (OPTIONAL) Initial Set-up Fee None Purchase, Redemption, Exchange, Maintenance $0.10 per transaction NSCC Reject Processing $0.10 per transaction Workflow Response $0.10 per transaction New Account Establishment (each new account transaction $0.35 per transaction may contain one or more new accounts) New Account Web Service Image Delivery $0.65 per image Monthly Minimum(1) Greater of $500 or actual usage DEALER/BRANCH/REP UPDATES (OPTIONAL) Flat Fee(6) SalesConnect Customers (Rep level) Waived SalesConnect Customers (Branch level) and Non-SalesConnect Customers NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS FLAT FEE CHARGE 0 -- 25,000 $0 per month 25,001 -- 100,000 $250.00 per month 100,001 -- 500,000 $500.00 per month 500,001 -- 1,000,000 $1,000.00 per month 1,000,001 - + $2,000.00 per month Per Update SalesConnect Customers (Rep level) Waived SalesConnect Customers (Branch level) and Non-SalesConnect Customers $0.10 per transaction |
DST will combine accounts for all affiliates of Customer for purposes of determining the applicable Flat Fee for Customer's affiliated corporate complex. It is Customer's responsibility to notify DST in writing of qualifying company affiliations. Customer's number of accounts will be reviewed every January 1 for purposes of determining the monthly Flat Fee charges for that year.
EXHIBIT C, P.3
VOLUME DISCOUNTS
Discount Schedule (monthly)(1)
$7,500 - $15,000 20%
$15,001 - $30,000 25%
$30,001 - $45,000 30%
$45,001 - + 35%
The percentage discount is applied incrementally to the dollars associated with
each breakpoint.
PLATINUM/GOLD DISCOUNT
An additional discount shall be applied to the net Fees (i.e., after Volume
Discounts) paid by Customer for DST's Vision Services if Customer is utilizing
DST's Basic FAN Mail Services pursuant to the applicable Master Agreement for
DST FAN Mail Services, as follows:
At the beginning of the next calendar year following the first calendar year in which Customer has received Basic FAN Mail Services pursuant to the Service Exhibit to the Master Agreement for DST FAN Mail Services, and at the beginning of each calendar year thereafter, DST shall review the average combined annual usage fees actually paid by Customer for Basic FAN Mail Services and Vision Services for the previous calendar year. Customer shall receive the following discounts on Vision Services fees for the then current calendar year, in the event the total annual combined usage fees paid by Customer for Basic FAN Mail Services and Vision Services equal or exceed at least:
GOLD LEVEL
Qualification: $180,000.00 annually, but less than $300,000.00. Discount: The discount for each billing cycle equals 2 1/2% of Vision usage fees billed for such cycle. PLATINUM LEVEL Qualification: $300,000.00 annually, but less than $2,000,000.00. Discount: The discount for each billing cycle equals 5% of Vision usage fees billed for such cycle. |
PLATINUM PLUS LEVEL
Qualification: $2,000,000.00 annually.
Discount: The discount for each billing cycle equals 10% of Vision usage
fees billed for such cycle.
DST will combine qualified usage fees for all affiliates of Customer for purposes of determining the applicable discount for Customer's affiliated corporate complex. It is Customer's responsibility to notify DST in writing of qualifying company affiliations. DST will not combine an affiliate's usage fees with Customer's unless and until Customer has so notified DST. No retroactive adjustments to the Gold and Platinum discounts will be made based on previously undisclosed company affiliations. If Customer qualifies, the discount will be shown on each invoice issued to Customer.
EXHIBIT C, P.4
VISION
SECURITY PROCEDURES
1.A. ID/PASSWORD REQUIREMENTS - USERS
Authentication of a User in Vision is based on the Vision Operator ID and
Password.
Required - The Vision Operator ID, assigned by DST, shall have access
authorization as determined by Customer. This may include the following access
levels, at Customer's option, the contents of which shall be determined by
Customer:
Unrestricted Access - This allows the User to view any account information for all of Customer's Financial Products.
Dealer Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer number.
Dealer/Branch Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer and branch combination.
Dealer/Representative Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer and representative combination.
Tax ID Level Access -This allows the User to view any account with the authorized Social Security Number and/or TIN of the Unit Holder.
Trust/TPA Access -- This allows the User to view any account with the authorized trust company or Third Party Administrator number assigned to the underlying account/contract.
Required - Password is used in conjunction with Vision Operator ID to access the Vision Web Site, which consequently provides access to any Financial Product account information that has been previously authorized by Customer. Vision does not use a personal identification number (PIN).
1.B. ID/PASSWORD REQUIREMENTS -- CUSTOMER POINT OF CONTACT
Authentication of a Customer point of contact in the Distribution Support Services Web Site is based on an Operator ID and Password.
Required - The Operator ID, chosen by Customer, shall have access as determined by Customer. Access will be specific to the management company associated with Customer. This may include the following access levels, at Customer's option, inquiry only access (Customer point of contact may only view information related to Users) or update access (Customer point of contact may update profiles related to Users, including, but not limited to, changing, adding and deleting User information). DST shall store the Operator ID and associated access levels. Any personnel changes or access changes affecting Customer point of contact must be communicated to DST promptly.
EXHIBIT C, P.5
Required - Password is used in conjunction with Operator ID to access the Distribution Support Services Web Site, which consequently provides access to any User information (profile, firm, address, authorization information, etc.).
2. ENCRYPTION The DST Web server runs Secure Sockets Layer ("SSL"). The purpose of using SSL is to encrypt data transmissions through the Vision Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site and block communications through the Vision Web Site or the Distribution Support Services Web Site from Internet browsers which do not support SSL data encryption. The standard level of encryption supported by the Vision Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site is 128-bit encryption.
3. NETWORK ACCESS CONTROL A device referred to as a "firewall" is located between the Internet and the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on DST's computer system, linked to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, where the data fields and related screens provided by DST may be viewed by Users who access such site ("DST Web Site"). The purpose of the firewall is to control connectivity to the DST Web Site at the port level. This equipment is located and administered at DST's Winchester data center. Changes to the systems residing on this computer are submitted through the DST change control process. DST is advised by its current firewall provider that this equipment will not interrogate data, and that its only function is to limit the type of traffic accessing the DST Web Site. Ports on the firewall are configured to be consistent with ports at the DST Web Site. All services and functions within the DST Web Site are deactivated with the exception of services and functions which support the transfer of files. All ports on the DST Web Site are disabled, except those ports required to transfer files. All "listeners" are deactivated. Directory structures are "hidden" from the user. Services which provide directory information are also deactivated.
4. LIMITATION OF USERS Access of DST personnel to the DST Web server is restricted within DST to a limited number of users based upon DST system administration requirements, as determined by appropriate DST systems managers from time to time.
5. RIGHT TO AUDIT Customer may audit, at its expense, the Vision Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site once in each 12 month period and any associated systems or networks within FAN, after providing reasonable written notice to DST. The audit may include review of configurations, audit trails, and maintenance of systems and software within FAN associated with the Vision Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site. Tools which may be used for the audit may include network security tools; provided, that DST may specify the time at which any tool is used, if DST reasonably believes that such tool may affect system performance. The audit will be coordinated through the DST Internal Audit Office and DST will be entitled to observe all audit activity. Customer will not perform any action that may interfere with the uptime or stability of DST's systems or networks. Subject to the foregoing, Customer may perform any audit activity which is technically possible for a user of the public Internet. In particular, Customer and its review team will be considered authorized users and DST will not seek prosecution under any computer crime or other applicable statutes for such activity.
EXHIBIT C, P.6
USER ENROLLMENT AND AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES
The following procedures are part of the Security Procedures applicable to Vision Services.
1. ENROLLMENT Each User is required to complete an Electronic Enrollment Form, which is available at a URL designated by DST (at the date of this Agreement - www. dstvision. com). Users enrolling for access may complete the enrollment process by providing DST with information called for in the Electronic Enrollment Form about their practice and the Financial Products they wish to access.
2. CUSTOMER AUTHORIZATION Upon receiving a completed Electronic Enrollment Form from a User, DST will make available an Authorization Request to Customer (point of contact) through the Distribution Support Services Web Site. The Authorization Request will identify the level of access requested and the security criteria as well as provide a sample client Tax ID/Social Security Number.
Through the Distribution Support Services Web Site, Customer point of contact is solely responsible for authorizing or denying each User request for access to Transactions through Vision Services. When authorizing requests, security criteria must be verified by Customer. This includes verifying:
o Appropriate Level of Authorization. Please note, each authorization will provide access to the level indicated on DST's Authorization Request. Access may be requested at the dealer, dealer/branch, dealer/representative, tax ID, or Trust/TPA level.
o Accurate Access Security Criteria. Customer must verify that each field authorized in the security criteria accurately represents the dealer/branch/representative or tax ID information which appears on the master of the representative's client's accounts. 100% of the representative's accounts should reflect the authorized criteria.
Customer assumes all responsibility for verifying the security level of each new User authorization request. DST shall not be required to verify that the person who processes the Authorization Request is legally authorized to do so on behalf of Customer and DST shall be entitled to rely conclusively upon such approval/denial without further duty to inquire.
3. PASSWORD & ID NOTIFICATION When Customer approves an authorization request, the User's ID is updated for the authorized security and an e-mail is sent to the User notifying him/her of their access to the Vision Web Site. Users are required to establish their own initial password at a URL designated by DST (at the date of this Agreement - WWW.DSTVISION.COM/ASSIGNPSWD.HTML).
EXHIBIT D
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY/THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FEES
BASE FEE (PER INTERMEDIARY PER MONTH) $117.76 PHONE CALLS (INBOUND/OUTBOUND)(1) $4.71 each TRANSACTIONS: (1) Manual Same Day (T) Processing/Settlement Environments (not processed until money received) $4.12 each Manual or Automated Non-Same Day (T+x) Processing/ Settlement Environments (systematic "as-of" T NAV, adjusted supersheets, expedited money movement) $12.95 each ALL INBOUND ELECTRONIC DATA TRANSMISSIONS Data Transmissions/Interfaces: First 10 Intermediaries $60 /intermediary/month Next 15 Intermediaries $46 /intermediary/month Intermediaries over 25 $36 /intermediary/month Initial Set-up Standard Programming/Client Services Fees |
Note: DST will assess charges to receivers of outbound electronic data transmissions comprised of an initial setup fee, and a monthly fee based on the number of management companies being accessed.
EXHIBIT E
FUND CLOSING / DECONVERSION FEE SCHEDULE
FEES EFFECTIVE AS OF FUND CLOSING OR DECONVERSION:(1)
Closed Accounts As stated in fee schedule
Closed CUSIP Fee $177 per closed CUSIP per month
PROGRAMMING
As required, at DST's then current standard rates.
REIMBURSABLE AND OTHER EXPENSES
This schedule does not include reimbursable and other expenses that are incurred on the Fund's behalf. Examples of such reimbursable and other expenses include but are not limited to forms, postage, mailing services, telephone line/long distance charges, transmission of statement data for remote print/mail operations, remote client hardware, document storage, tax certification mailings, magnetic tapes, printing, microfiche, Fed wire bank charges, ACH bank charges, NSCC charges, as required or incurred, etc. Reimbursable and other expenses are billed separately from Account Maintenance and Programming fees on a monthly basis.
EXHIBIT F, P.1
DST CASH UTILIZATION
INVESTMENT SERVICE
The following describes the DST Cash Utilization investment service:
1) Net collected balances: Net collected balances in the Client's transfer agency bank accounts at UMB Bank, N.A. ("UMB"), will be invested each day in two separate overnight UMB sponsored sweep vehicles with comparable rates of return to UMB's earnings credit rate.
Money market Sweep: Balances able to be determined by a predetermined cutoff time each business day will be swept into a Money market account in DST's name. This account will be registered as "for the account of DST (Client Name)". The next morning of a business day, the identical principal amounts will be swept back into the originating accounts with the earnings remaining in the Money market account. The following business day, balances will again be swept into the Money market account and will be invested overnight along with residual earnings from previous days, and so on each business day.
Overnight Rep: Each evening of a business day, balances exclusive of those already swept into the Money Market account (with some UMB constraints) will be swept into an overnight Repo investment. The next morning of a business day, principal and earnings amounts will be swept back into the originating accounts, with DST maintaining an ongoing reconciliation of principal versus earnings in your accounts.
No investment advisory functions: DST would not be performing investment advisory functions as part of this service. The Money Market and Repo sweep vehicles are UMB product offerings.
2) Lower bank account service charges: For customer electing to use the new Cash Utilization service, DST has renegotiated lower bank account service charges (projected to be 10% less than your current service charges) from UMB by leveraging our collective Transfer Agent and Corporate relationships with the bank. These reduced fees will benefit you directly and will not be available to smaller, individual customers of the bank.
Service Fee payment: Each month, UMB will determine your service fees and invoice them to DST. DST will pay them on your behalf from the accumulated earnings of both overnight investment vehicles. DST will provide you with a copy of the UMB invoice supporting these charges.
3) DST Fee: DST's fee for this service allows for DST to collect 25% of all gross overnight investment earnings from both investment vehicles for this Cash Utilization service.
DST Fee Collection: Each month, DST will determine the amount of this fee and deduct it from the accumulated earnings of both overnight investment vehicles. We will provide you with detail supporting the calculation of this fee.
EXHIBIT F, P.2
4) Net Earnings Credit: Each month, the remaining net earnings, reduce by both UMB and DST service charges, will be credited against the funds' Transfer Agency fees as a direct reduction of fund expenses. Should earnings exceed fees, the excess earnings will be available to be credited against future fees or returned to the client based on direction from the client.pro
Reconciliation: DST will perform the reconciliation of earnings, service charges and credits. DST will also determine the apportionment of the credits to the individual funds in accordance with the following procedure; the portion of the total credit that each fund receives shall be equal to the percentage of total TA fees that each fund's individual fees represent each month. On your TA fee invoice, we will provide the detail of the original gross charges, the amount of the credit for each individual fund and the net amount due for each fund. The funds would pay DST only the net of total TA fees and reimbursable and other expenses less the amount of the credits.
5) Legal Opinion: We have reviewed the Legal Opinion of Seward & Kissel, LLP ("Seward") dated July 19, 2000 and hereby advise you that, as assumed by Seward in such letter, the existing agreements whereby 'The Client' receive transfer agency services from DST through UMB, currently the transfer agent for such Funds, have been, and the agreement now being negotiated by and between the Funds and DST whereby DST is appointed as the transfer agent for the Funds will be, approved by a majority of the directors or trustees of each Fund, including a majority of those directors or trustee who are not "interested person" of the Fund or its affiliates, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.
6) Authorization: Not withstanding anything in any agreement under which DST is authorized, directly or indirectly, to perform transfer agency, shareholder servicing agency or related services, whether as principal, agent or sub-agent, to the contrary, DST is hereby authorized and instructed to open bank accounts in DST's name for the deposit and holding of, and to deposit into and hold in such accounts, all checks and payments received by DST form NSCC, broker-dealers or shareholders, and any other sums received by DST, for investment in shares, while such sums await their actual delivery to and investment in such Funds.
AMENDMENT TO TRANSFER AGENCY SERVICES AGREEMENT
Amendment No. 2 (this "AMENDMENT NO. 2"), dated as of October __, 2016, by and between Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "ATLANTIC"), and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "TRUST").
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, effective as of August 18, 2015, Atlantic and the Trust entered into a Transfer Agency Services Agreement (the "ORIGINAL AGREEMENT");
WHEREAS, the Original Agreement was amended pursuant to an Amendment, dated as of November 3, 2015 (the Original Agreement, as amended, the "AGREEMENT")
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 15(a) of the Agreement, each of Atlantic and the Trust desires that the Agreement be amended in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual agreements herein set forth, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree that the Agreement shall be and hereby is amended as follows:
Section 1. DEFINED TERMS. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Agreement.
Section 2. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 5(A). Section 5(a) of the Agreement is amended by deleting the first sentence thereof in its entirety and replacing such sentence with the following:
"For the services provided by Atlantic pursuant to this Agreement, the Trust shall pay Atlantic, with respect to each Fund, a fee at the annual rate stated for the Fund in the applicable Schedule(s) referred to in Appendix A hereto (such Schedules(s), the "FEE SCHEDULE").
Section 3. AMENDMENT OF APPENDIX A. Appendix A to the Agreement is amended and restated to read in its entirety as set forth in the Appendix A attached hereto.
Section 4. SCHEDULE B. The Agreement is amended by adding a Schedule B in the form attached hereto.
Section 5. AGREEMENT AS AMENDED. The term "Agreement" as used in the Agreement shall be deemed to refer to the Agreement as amended hereby and this Amendment No. 2 shall be effective as of the date first above written.
Section 6. FULL FORCE AND EFFECT. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Amendment No. 2 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Amendment No. 2, and the Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 7. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment No. 2 shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.
Section 8. EXECUTION IN COUNTERPARTS. This Amendment No. 2 may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 9. RATIFICATION, ADOPTION AND APPROVAL. In all respects not inconsistent with the terms and provisions of this Amendment No. 2, the Agreement is hereby ratified, adopted, approved and confirmed.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment No. 2 to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
ATLANTIC SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, LLC
By: /s/ Christopher Koons --------------------- Name: Christopher Koons Title: Senior Vice President |
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
By: /s/ Dianne M. Descoteaux ------------------------ Name: Dianne M. Descoteaux Title: VP & Secretary |
APPENDIX A: FUNDS OF THE TRUST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUND NAME CLASS NAME CUSIP SYMBOL APPLICABLE FEE SCHEDULE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amundi Smith Breeden Total Institutional Class Shares 0077IX591 Schedule A Return Bond Fund Retirement Class Shares 0077Ix617 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PineBridge Dynamic Asset Institutional Class Shares 0077IX575 PDAIX Schedule A Allocation Fund Investor Servicing Shares 0077IX567 PDAVX --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Class I Shares 0077IX583 CCAPX Schedule A --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton Strategic European Institutional Class Shares 00771X435 CHEUX Schedule B Equities Fund --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
SCHEDULE B: ANCILLARY FEE SCHEDULE
NOTE: The following Ancillary Fee Schedule relates to the Services Agreement by and between Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "AGREEMENT"). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned thereto in the Agreement.
Defined terms in this Fee Schedule have the meanings set forth in the Agreement, as amended from time to time.
ANNUAL ASSET-BASED FEE
o 1/4 of 1.0 basis point (0.0025%) on the first $500 million in total assets
o 1/10 of 1.0 basis point (0.001%) on the next $500 million in total assets
o 1/20 of 1.0 basis point (0.0005%) on total assets in excess of $1 billion
ANNUAL ACCOUNT FEES
o $18 per open non-level three and level zero accounts
o $12 per open level three and level zero accounts for the first 2,500 accounts
o $10 per open level three and level zero accounts for the next 2,500 accounts
o $8 per open level three and level zero accounts for the next 5,000 accounts
o $6 per open level three and level zero accounts for accounts in excess of 10,000 accounts
o Open account fees subject to an $18,000 minimum per CUSIP
o $2.04 per closed account
OPTIONAL SERVICES
o NSCC price and rate profile services: $180 per CUSIP annually
o Client/intermediary internet access: $1,200 annually
o Shareholder internet access
o $6,000 per fund annually, subject to an $18,000 annual maximum per site
o $7,500 implementation fee -- waived if this service is selected pre-implementation
o Market timing analytics (Rule 22c-2)
o $0.60 per account annually subject to a $2,400 minimum per CUSIP annually; minimum not to exceed $7,200 annually
o $500 per CUSIP set-up fee -- waived if this service is selected pre-implementation
o Blue Sky administration: $65 annually for each permit or similar state registration
o Customized development post implementation: $200 per hour
OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
Out-of-pocket expenses include, but are not limited to: banking fees; Blue Sky state sales charges; CIP scanning; data storage; escheatment; FinCEN; imaging; literature fulfillment; mailing, postage and printing; NSCC fees; OFAC; paper stock; proxy services; record retention; regulatory enhancements; and telecommunications.
MORGAN LEWIS
October 28, 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: Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund (the "Fund"). This opinion is being delivered to you in connection with the Trust's filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 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 ------------------------------- |
SECTION 6: CODE OF ETHICS
6.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
In the interests of meeting its responsibilities to its Clients and Investors, and pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the Firm has promulgated this CODE OF ETHICS (the "CODE").
The Code sets forth the standards of conduct and other obligations that the Firm requires of all of its supervised persons -- including its directors, officers and employees. These standards are designed to guide the activities of the Firm and its employees in light of the duties that the Firm owes to its Clients and Investors.
As a minimum, the Firm's Access Persons (as defined below) and other supervised persons are expected to review the Code, understand its implications, and comply with the specific procedures it sets out. However, the Firm hopes that employees will strive to live up to not only the letter of the law (and this Code), but also to the ideals of the Firm and the high standards of professional and personal conduct to which the Firm is dedicated.
STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
The Firm requires that its supervised persons:
o demonstrate high standards of moral and ethical conduct;
o act in accordance with the Firm's fiduciary duties to its Clients and Investors; and
o comply with all applicable federal securities laws.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Rule 17j-1(b) of the 1940 Act makes it unlawful for any supervised person or other affiliated person of the Firm to, directly or indirectly, in connection with the purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired by a Registered Fund:
o employ any device or scheme to defraud the Registered Fund;
o make an untrue statement of material fact to the Registered Fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Registered Fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
o engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Registered Fund; or
o engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Registered Fund.
No supervised person or other affiliated person of the Firm may engage in any act, practice or course of conduct that would violate the provisions of Rule 17j-1(b) set forth above.
MORAL AND ETHICAL CONDUCT. The Firm is dedicated to providing effective, appropriate and professional investment management services to its advisory Clients and for the benefit of Investors. The Firm's reputation is a reflection of the quality of its employees and their dedication to excellence in serving the Firm's Clients and Investors. To ensure these qualities and dedication to excellence, supervised persons
must possess the requisite qualifications of experience, education, intelligence, and judgment necessary to effectively serve as investment management professionals. In addition, every supervised person is expected to demonstrate high standards of moral and ethical conduct for continued employment or affiliation with Chilton. The principles of openness, integrity, honesty and trust should guide supervised persons in their conduct on behalf of Chilton at all times.
FIDUCIARY DUTIES. As a registered investment adviser, the Firm has FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY to its clients. In the context of the Firm's business, fiduciary responsibility should be thought of as the duty to place the interests of the client before those of the investment adviser. Failure to do so may render the adviser in violation of the anti-fraud provisions of the Advisers Act. Fiduciary responsibility also includes the duty to disclose material facts that might influence an investor's decision to engage or continue to engage the adviser to manage the client's investments. The SEC has made it clear that the duty of an investment adviser not to engage in fraudulent conduct includes an obligation to disclose material facts to clients whenever the failure to disclose such facts might cause financial harm. An adviser's duty to disclose material facts is particularly important whenever the advice given to clients involves a conflict or potential conflict of interest between the employees of the adviser and its clients. Finally, fiduciary responsibility includes the duty to avoid taking inappropriate advantage of one's position. The Firm's supervised persons are required to act in accordance with these fiduciary duties at all times.
COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS. The Firm's supervised persons are also required to comply with all applicable federal securities laws in the conduct of their work on behalf of the Firm. This Compliance Manual is intended to address certain laws applicable to the Firm's activities. Employees who have any questions about the impact of any of the laws, rules or regulations set forth herein should consult with a member of the Legal and Compliance Department.
For purposes of the foregoing, "FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS" means: the Securities Act of 1933; the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; the 1940 Act; the Advisers Act; Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; any rules adopted by the SEC under any of those statutes; and the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.
The provisions of this Code are not meant to be all-inclusive but are intended as a guide for employees in their conduct. This Code is also intended to lessen the chance of any misunderstanding between the Firm and its employees regarding matters such as personal trading. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of this Code, he/she is advised to consult with the General Counsel and CCO. The General Counsel and CCO may, under circumstances that are considered appropriate or after consultation with the Compliance Committee, grant exceptions to the provisions contained in this Code only when it is clear that the interests of Clients and Investors will not be adversely affected. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the interest of the Clients and Investors even at the expense of the interests of employees. The Compliance Committee will satisfy themselves as to the adherence to this policy through periodic reports by the General Counsel and/or the CCO.
APPLICABILITY OF SECURITIES TRANSACTION REPORTING PROVISIONS The Firm's "Access Persons" are required to provide the Firm with the securities transaction and holdings information described in Section 6.4. The Advisers Act defines an "Access Person" as any of the Firm's supervised persons, including its directors, officers and employees, who have access to nonpublic information about client holdings or securities transactions, or who are involved in making (or have access to) nonpublic securities recommendations to clients. The 1940 Act defines "Access Persons" of an adviser to include (i) any director, officer, general partner or employee of the adviser (or any company in a control relationship to an adviser) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding, the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by a Registered Fund or
whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales and (ii) any natural person in a control relationship to an adviser that obtains information concerning recommendations made to a Registered Fund with regard to purchase or sale of Covered Securities by the Registered Fund. Given the Firm's size and the variety of ways in which Chilton and CIS personnel may have access to information about Fund portfolios and trading activities in connection with the performance of their duties, the Firm has decided to treat all employees, officers and inside directors of Chilton and CIS as "Access Persons" for purposes of this Code. Directors who are not also employees or officers of Chilton or CIS will not be given access to information regarding nonpublic holdings and recommendations, and therefore, are not considered Access Persons and need not comply with the provisions of Sections 6.3 and 6.4.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE CODE -- REPORTING OBLIGATIONS AND
SANCTIONS
Strict compliance with the provisions of this Code shall be considered a basic
condition of employment with Chilton. It is important that employees understand
the reasons for compliance with this Code. The Firm's reputation for fair and
honest dealing with its Clients and Investors, and the investment community in
general, has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously
damaged as the result of even a single securities transaction or other action
considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to Clients and
Investors. Employees are urged to seek the advice of the CCO and/or a designee
for any questions as to the application of this Code to their individual
circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the
provisions of this Code may constitute grounds for termination of employment
with Chilton. Breaches of this Code may also subject employees to lesser
disciplinary action, including, without limitation, warnings, reprimands,
temporary suspensions, financial penalties or probation. In addition, the Firm
may choose or be required to report certain types of disciplinary actions to
regulators that enforce securities or other laws.
Each Chilton employee -- whatever his or her position -- is responsible for upholding the standards set forth in the Code. Each employee is obligated to report any violation of the Code. If an employee believes that something he or she has done, or that any other supervised person has done, may violate the Code, the employee must promptly report the issue to his or her supervisor and to the CCO and/or a designee.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CODE AND ANY AMENDMENTS
It will be the responsibility of the CCO and/or a designee to ensure that the
Firm distributes a copy of this Code (and any amendments) to all supervised
persons and all other Access Persons. All supervised persons and all other
Access Persons will be required to acknowledge in writing their receipt of the
Code (and any amendments). Because this Code contains at least the same
requirements as the Code of Ethics promulgated to comply with Rule 17j-1 under
the 1940 Act (the "17J-1 CODE"), an acknowledgement of receipt of this Code
(and any amendments) shall also constitute acknowledgement for purposes of the
17j-1 Code. Any material changes to the 17j-1 Code (i) will be submitted to the
Board of Directors of each Registered Fund for which Chilton serves as
investment adviser for approval within six months of adoption of such change
and (ii) will promptly be reflected herein such that this Code continues to
contain at least the same requirements as the 17j-1 Code.
REPORTS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A REGISTERED FUND
At least once a year, the CCO will review the adequacy of the 17j-1 Code and
the effectiveness of its implementation. In addition, annually Chilton will
provide a written report to the Board of Directors of any Registered Fund for
which Chilton serves as investment adviser that describes any issues arising
under the 17j-1 Code since the last report to the Registered Fund's Board of
Directors, including, but not limited to, information about material violations
of the 17j-1 Code or the procedures thereunder and sanctions imposed in
response to the material violations. The report will also certify to such Board
of Directors that Chilton has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to
prevent Access Persons from violating the 17j-1 Code.
6.2 TERMS APPLICABLE TO THIS CODE
COVERED SECURITIES
Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act and Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act define the term "SECURITY" as follows:
[A]ny note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to a foreign currency, or in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security" or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.
For purposes of this Code, the term "COVERED SECURITIES" means all such Securities described above except:
o Securities that are direct obligations of the United States;
o Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
o Shares of money market funds; and
o Shares of any registered open-end investment company (I. E. , mutual funds) so long as Chilton does not act as an investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter of the fund. See Exhibit 1 for a list of Registered Funds advised by Chilton that are deemed Covered Securities.
Although the term "COVERED SECURITIES" represents a broad list of investment products, for purposes of this Code the term will most often apply to securities listed on any of the nationally-recognized stock exchanges of the United States (I.E., the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, Pacific Stock Exchange, or Philadelphia/Baltimore Stock Exchange, or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation ("NASDAQ") market).
For the avoidance of doubt, the term "COVERED SECURITIES" specifically includes but is not limited to:
o Securities of companies domiciled inside and outside of the United States;
o Private placements and restricted securities;
o Puts, calls, options including index options, warrants and similar securities that provide a right to acquire or sell equity securities upon exercise or conversion, whether or not such instruments are presently exercisable;
o Bank loans, corporate bonds, direct obligations of any city, county, or state of the U. S. , direct obligations of any foreign government, trade claims, litigation claims, trust certificates, and securities and obligations of distressed entities;
o Debt and equity derivative securities, such as equity swap contracts and credit default swaps for
which the underlying reference security would otherwise be a Covered Security hereunder, providing the holder with a synthetic position in an underlying security;
o Exchange-traded funds, such as the NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking Stock (ticker "QQQ") and Standard & Poor's Depository Receipts (ticker "SPY");
o Trust issued receipts, such as the "HOLDRS" products (E. G. , ticker "SMH"); and
o Other financial instruments as determined by Chilton in its discretion.
If there is any question by an employee as to whether a security is a Covered Security under this Code, he/she should consult with the CCO and/or a designee for clarification on the issue before entering into any transaction with respect to the security. For the avoidance of doubt, derivatives are subject to the same personal trading rules as apply to the underlying reference security.
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS AND NO CONTROL ACCOUNTS
For purposes of this Code, the term "PERSONAL ACCOUNT" means an account over
which an employee has any direct or indirect influence or control.
For purposes of this Code, it is presumed that each of the following accounts constitutes a "PERSONAL ACCOUNT" of an employee:
o A brokerage account in the name of or for the benefit of:
o the employee, either individually or jointly;
o the employee's spouse;
o any child of the employee sharing the same household as the employee; or
o any person who is financially dependent upon the employee.
o Any account over which the employee has the power, directly or indirectly, to influence the investment decisions.
Notwithstanding the presumption noted above, the term "PERSONAL ACCOUNT" does not include an employee account that substantially tracks a Client Account (a "PARALLEL ACCOUNT"), a No Control Account (as defined below) or an open-end mutual fund account that cannot maintain individual equity securities, so long as it does not hold shares of mutual funds for which Chilton acts as an adviser. The Firm reserves the right to review any such account and/or subject it to some or all of the provisions of this Code.
For purposes of this Code a "NO CONTROL ACCOUNT" means an account with respect to which an employee may have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership but over which the employee has no direct or indirect influence or control and which has been approved by the CCO to be treated as a No Control Account, which may include, among others, a non-self-directed 401(k) account and an employee stock purchase plan account.
If an employee believes that any account (including an account that falls under one of the presumptions listed above) should be designated a No Control Account and exempt from the definition of a Personal Account, he/she should so advise the CCO at which time the employee will be required to complete a No Control Account Certification attached as Exhibit 3. The CCO and or its designee will determine, in its discretion, whether the account will be approved to be treated as a No Control Account. While transactions in No Control Accounts do not require pre-clearance, copies of Trade Confirmations and Brokerage
Statements for No Control Accounts are required as set out in Section 6.4 below. On a quarterly basis, employees are required to certify to No Control Account status.
6.3 PERSONAL TRADING BY EMPLOYEES
Personal securities transactions by employees are subject to the following trading restrictions:
RULES REGARDING PURCHASES
o Employees generally may not directly or indirectly purchase any Covered Security in a Personal Account, subject to the following exceptions:
o Employees may purchase (i) a Covered Security that is the subject of a private placement or (ii) corporate bonds but in each case only if the employee obtains prior written approval in accordance with the PRE-CLEARANCE PROCEDURES of this Code.
o Employees may purchase open-end mutual funds and closed-end mutual funds other than those identified in Exhibit 1 (but not in an initial public offering or private placement) in a Personal Account without obtaining pre-clearance. However, ETFs are subject to the rules described below.
o Covered Securities already held in a Personal Account at the time an employee begins employment with Chilton may continue to be held, but additional shares of such securities generally may not be directly or indirectly acquired in the Personal Account except as permitted above or through an automatic investment plan.
o Employees may not purchase in a Parallel Account a Covered Security that is the subject of a private placement or an initial public offering.
RULES REGARDING SALES
o Employees may sell a Covered Security in a Personal Account if the employee obtains prior written approval, in accordance with the PRE-CLEARANCE PROCEDURES of this Code, except,
o Employees may sell open-end mutual funds and closed-end mutual funds in a Personal Account without obtaining pre-clearance. ETFs are subject to the rules described below.
o Employees are prohibited from selling short any Covered Security in a Personal Account.
RULES REGARDING ETFS
Employees of Chilton may purchase and sell ETFs that are specifically
designated on an approved list (see Exhibit 2), which list will be reviewed
annually and is subject to oversight by Legal and Compliance. The following
rules apply to such transactions:
o All employees may buy or sell any of the ETFs on the designated approved list without preclearance, with no minimum holding period and with no limit on the number of transactions;
o Sales of ETFs not specifically listed on the designated approved list are subject to normal preclearance rules and procedures.
o Purchases of ETFs not on the designated approved list are prohibited.
Notwithstanding anything set forth in this section of the Manual regarding trading of ETFs, the Legal and Compliance Department retains authority to restrict any trade that creates an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
TRADING RESTRICTIONS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE
Unless an employee has disclosed all relevant information to the General
Counsel and/or CCO regarding the applicable issue below and has received
pre-clearance to trade, no employee may purchase or sell a Covered Security
(with the exception of an ETF on the approved list) in a Personal Account if
the employee IS AWARE THAT:
o Such security is being considered for purchase or sale by the Research Department or Research Personnel, whether or not any order has been entered with the Trading Department;
o The employee's trade is in a direction contrary to that currently recommended by the Research Department or Research Personnel, I. e., selling a security when the Research Department is recommending the purchase of that security or vice versa;
o With respect to a purchase transaction by the employee, a Client or a client of CIS is selling such security or a related security, or has sold such a security within the past five (5) business days and such sale is not the result of a programmed trade (such as in the case of investor capital activity or a rebalancing program); or
o With respect to a sale transaction by the employee, a Client or a client of CIS is purchasing that security or a related security, or has purchased such a security within the past five (5) business days and such purchase is not the result of a programmed trade (such as in the case of investor capital activity or a rebalancing program).
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
An employee may engage in a purchase or sale transaction in a Covered Security
necessitated by special circumstances (such as estate planning) if the employee
informs the General Counsel and/or CCO of the circumstances and obtains prior
written approval for the transaction, in accordance with the PRE-CLEARANCE
PROCEDURES of this Code. The General Counsel and/or CCO shall consider the
totality of the circumstances, including whether the trade would involve a
breach of any fiduciary duty, would otherwise be inconsistent with applicable
laws and/or Chilton's policies and procedures, or would create an appearance of
impropriety. If approval for a transaction is granted, the Firm may impose
certain conditions that could impact the manner and timing of the transaction
(and future transactions).
PERSONAL TRADING REFERENCE CHART
Attached as Exhibit 2 is a chart of common personal securities trading
transaction types and their associated rules and is provided as a tool in
understanding and navigating the Firm's personal trading purchase and sale
guidelines. Exhibit 2 also includes the list of approved ETFs.
PRE-CLEARANCE PROCEDURES
An employee seeking pre-clearance for a transaction in a Covered Security
should make such request using the Personal Trading Control Center. If a
transaction is pre-cleared, the authorization will expire at the end of the day
it is given unless a longer period is specified in the authorization. Once the
permissible time period has expired, pre-clearance must be obtained again
before any further trading is conducted. The CCO and/or a designee will
maintain records of all pre-clearance requests and authorization decisions.
A pre-clearance request will generally be rejected if the request: (a) involves a security that is being purchased or sold by Chilton or CIS on behalf of any Client or client of CIS within the applicable periods
noted above; (b) involves a security for which Chilton or CIS has a present intention to purchase or sell for a Client or CIS client; (b) is otherwise prohibited under any internal policies of Chilton; (c) breaches any duty to a Client or Investor or client or investor of CIS; (d) is otherwise inconsistent with applicable law, including the Advisers Act; or (e) creates an undisclosed material conflict of interest or an appearance thereof.
Certain designated employees may make preliminary preclearance requests to the CCO and/or a designee via email. For all requests that are approved on a preliminary basis, the employee will be required to complete a PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING REQUEST and provide it to the CCO and/or a designee. The employee may not place the transaction until he/she receives written authorization, either in paper or electronic mail form, from the CCO and/or a designee.
PRE-CLEARANCE REQUESTS MUST BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. When pre-clearance is requested for a securities transaction, the Firm has discretion to reject the request and is not obligated to explain its rationale to the employee making the request. Nonetheless, the decision to reject the pre-clearance request could be interpreted as a sign that Chilton or CIS intends to trade the same security. For this reason, all pre-clearance requests and rejections should be kept confidential. If a third party, such as a broker, is informed that pre-clearance is being sought for a particular transaction, the third party may be able to infer that the Firm intends to trade the security at issue as well as the potential timing of such transaction.
6.4 SECURITIES REPORTING BY ACCESS PERSONS
NEW ACCESS PERSONS
New Access Persons of Chilton are required to complete and submit to the CCO
and/or a designee a schedule of Personal Accounts and No Control Accounts and
securities holdings in those accounts within 10 days of becoming an Access
Person, generally as part of entering into an employment agreement with
Chilton. The schedule includes the following information:
o A list of each Covered Security, including the title and type, exchange ticker or CUSIP, number of shares, and/or principal amount (if fixed income securities) of such Covered Security in any Personal Account or No Control Account; and
o A list of each of the Access Person's Personal Accounts or No Control Accounts, including with respect to each account its name and number and the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the account is maintained.
o The date the report is submitted by the Access Person.
All such information must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date on which such person becomes an Access Person. An Access Person may affix (staple) a copy of brokerage account statements that include all the required information to the schedule and attest that such accounts and the securities listed in the statements are complete and current in lieu of listing such accounts and securities in the schedule. This schedule must be submitted even if an Access Person has no Covered Securities or Personal Accounts to report.
DUPLICATE TRADE CONFIRMATIONS AND BROKERAGE STATEMENTS AND QUARTERLY REPORTING
DUPLICATE TRADE CONFIRMATIONS AND BROKERAGE STATEMENTS. All Access Persons must ensure that for each Personal Account, No Control Account and Parallel Account of the Access Person brokerage activity is added to the Chilton feed at the personal trading software vendor or duplicate copies of trade confirmations and
monthly account statements(4) are submitted directly to the CCO and/or a designee by the broker, dealer or bank with whom the account is maintained, unless other arrangements are made with the written approval of the CCO and/or a designee. A sample letter that can be used by an Access Person to request such duplicate statements from the broker, dealer or bank is provided as Exhibit 6.
QUARTERLY REPORTING. Access Persons are required to provide a report of
quarterly transactions that contains certain information about each transaction
during the quarter involving a Covered Security (including a mutual fund
advised or sub-advised by Chilton) in which the Access Person had, or as a
result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial
ownership. This information includes (i) the date of the transaction; (ii) the
title, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity
date (if applicable), number of shares, and principal amount of each Covered
Security involved; (iii) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale);
(iv) the price; (v) the name of the broker, dealer or bank through which the
transaction was executed and (vi) the date the report is submitted by the
Access Person. In most cases, Chilton will rely on the trade confirmations
and/or account statements that it automatically receives and the employee need
not re-submit that information. However, all Access Persons must report any
transaction in a Covered Security to Chilton if Chilton does not receive a
duplicate copy of the trade confirmation or it does not appear on the brokerage
statements that are sent automatically to Chilton. Such transactions are most
commonly transactions in private placements that are not executed through or
held in an account with a broker-dealer (such as when an Access Person
purchases or sells an interest in a hedge fund). In such a case, it is the
Access Person's responsibility to report to the CCO and/or a designee that it
has completed the transaction in the relevant quarter and such report must be
submitted to the CCO and/or a designee no later than 30 days after the end of
the quarter. Furthermore, if an Access Person's confirmations or account
statements do not contain all of the information required by applicable law
regarding the transactions reported on those confirmations or statements, the
Access Person must provide the supplemental information no later than 30 days
after the end of the quarter.
UPDATING PERSONAL ACCOUNTS, NO CONTROL ACCOUNTS AND PARALLEL ACCOUNTS Each Access Person is required to inform the CCO and/or a designee promptly and provide appropriate information to the CCO and/or a designee under the following circumstances: (1) if any Personal Account, No Control Account or Parallel Account is opened; (2) if any existing Personal Account, No Control Account or Parallel Account is closed; and (3) as other relevant changes occur (e.g., a non-self-directed 401(k) account is converted into an IRA or a self-directed 401(k) account, which means the account now meets the definition of a Personal Account). Each Access Person is required to provide the CCO and/or a designee no later than 30 days after the end of a calendar quarter the following information with respect to any Personal Account, No Control Account or Parallel Account established by the Access Person during the calendar quarter in which securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person: (i) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the account is maintained, (ii) the date the account was established and (iii) the date the report is submitted by the Access Person.
ANNUAL PERSONAL TRADING ACCOUNT ATTESTATION
Every Access Person must submit an ANNUAL ACCOUNT ATTESTATION to the CCO and/or
a designee, which Attestation shall include, among other things,
representations and certifications from such Access Person that all applicable
account statements are being sent to the CCO and/or a designee and that all
holdings information is accurate and complete therein. The report must be
submitted within 45 days after year end and must provide the information
requested as of December 31 or for the year-ended December 31, as applicable.
Access Persons are required to re-certify in in the Annual Account Attestation the classification of each account at year-end (for example, each Access Person in the Annual Account Attestation will attest to the status of all No Control Accounts for the reporting period).
Any Access Person need not submit separate reports pursuant to the 17j-1 Code provided that such person complies with the reporting requirements under this Code as these requirements are at least as extensive as the reporting requirements under the 17j-1 Code.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT
The Legal and Compliance Department will:
o Inform Access Persons of their reporting obligations;
o Maintain all of the records described in this Code;
o Review the duplicate trade confirmations, reports and accounts statements supplied by brokerage firms with respect to Personal Accounts of Access Persons for improper trading activity and to ensure that any transaction in a Covered Security was completed in compliance with this Code; and
o Periodically match the trading activity of Clients against the securities transactions of Access Persons, and document the results.
6.5 INSIDER TRADING PROVISIONS OF SECTION 204A
BACKGROUND
On occasion an employee of an investment adviser may receive "inside,"
non-public or confidential information pertaining to a security or its issuer.
For example, he/she may obtain non-public information through associations with
insiders of such entities. In these cases, where the employee obtains or
receives non-public information and that information is material, the employee
has a duty and obligation under the law not to recommend a trade or trade on
such information until this information becomes public.
Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires that investment advisers establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information by the adviser or any person associated with the adviser. In light of the increased focus on insider trading and increased penalties, it is important for Chilton to implement the necessary policies and procedures in order to protect itself against the significant penalties and damage in reputation that may result from an insider trading violation. The SEC has made a review of the required policies and procedures a focal point in its inspections of advisers.
EXAMPLES OF INSIDER TRADING
All employees are expected to read and be familiar with the following examples
of insider trading and responses to the receipt of material, non-public
information.
By way of example, violations of the insider trading rule may be found to have occurred when persons trade on material non-public information about:
o upcoming earnings news;
o information about a pending merger, acquisition, tender offer, joint venture or sale of assets;
o a new product or regulatory approval/disapproval of a possible product;
o new or changing customer relationships;
o changes in corporate control or management;
o changes in auditors or delays in the disclosure of financial information;
o information regarding defaults, redemptions, calls of securities;
o changes in dividend policy;
o plans regarding public or private sales of securities;
o litigation or regulatory proceedings; or
o changes in analyst recommendations.
This list is non-exclusive and there is a wide range of types of information that can be material and non-public.
Legal sanctions for insider trading have been applied to:
o persons inside a company who traded the stock;
o persons outside the company who traded the stock;
o persons inside the company who told persons outside the company who traded the stock; and;
o persons outside the company who told other persons outside the company who traded the stock.
An employee may receive information from or regarding an issuer, although no special or confidential relationship exists between them. For example, an employee may inadvertently hear an officer tell an outsider by telephone of a significant corporate event, such as a large unannounced quarterly loss. An employee may also receive the information through its use of, and consultation with, expert consultants and research firms. Please see Exhibit 12: Use of Expert Consultants and Research Firms for the Firm's policies and procedures with respect to such consultants and research firms.
Other examples of potential sources of inside information include the receipt of information related to the offering of private investments in public offerings ("PIPES"), and information from other third parties including but not limited to counsel, independent registered public accounting firms, financial printers, trading partners, private fund investors and clients.
CHILTON'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING INSIDER TRADING The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel are responsible for overseeing compliance with insider trading guidelines and providing a resource for giving guidance and answering employee questions.
IF AN EMPLOYEE, REGARDLESS OF POSITION, RECEIVES INFORMATION HE/SHE BELIEVES IS MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION, THE EMPLOYEE MUST CONVEY SUCH INFORMATION TO THE GENERAL COUNSEL OR ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL IMMEDIATELY. The General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel will then make a judgment as to the handling of such information in order to prevent possible charges of insider trading violations. Failure by an employee to disclose such information to the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel in a timely manner may result in termination of the employee.
The following procedures have been established to assist employees in avoiding violations of the insider trading laws. Every employee must follow these procedures or risk being subject to the sanctions described above. If an employee has any questions about these procedures, he/she should bring such questions immediately to the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel.
IDENTIFYING INSIDE INFORMATION
Employees should consider the following two questions when determining whether
any information might be considered "inside information":
o Is the information MATERIAL? Is this information an investor would consider important in making an investment decision? Would public disclosure of this information affect the market price of the security?
o Is the information NON-PUBLIC? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace through publication in a magazine or newspaper of general circulation, or through some other media available to the public?
If after considering the above, the employee believes that the information may be material and non-public, he should take the following action:
o Report the matter immediately to the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel and disclose all information which the employee believes may be relevant on the issue of whether the information is material and non-public.
o Refrain from recommending a purchase or sale or from purchasing or selling any security about which such information has been received. This prohibition applies to the employee's Personal Accounts and/or any Client account managed by Chilton.
o Refrain from communicating the information to anyone outside or within Chilton, other than the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel.
After reviewing the information and, if necessary, consulting with counsel and/or Chilton personnel, the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel will determine whether such information is material and non-public and take appropriate actions, including but not limited to placing the security on the Firm's restricted list.
SUPERVISORY PROCEDURES
The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel are critical to the
implementation and enforcement of the Firm's procedures against insider
trading. The supervisory procedures set forth below are designed to prevent
insider trading by employees, detect such trading if it occurs and provide
appropriate sanctions for violations of these procedures.
STEPS TO PREVENT INSIDER TRADING:
o Every new employee will be provided with a copy of this Manual and must acknowledge that the employee has read the Manual, specifically including the Code of Ethics and related sections concerning the prevention of misuse of material non-public information.
o On a quarterly basis, all employees are required to certify their compliance with the Firm's policies and procedures on the Quarterly Compliance Attestation with respect to insider trading.
o The CCO and/or a designee will enforce the applicable personal securities trading restrictions provided in this Code.
o The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel, or a designee, will, on a periodic basis, conduct training to familiarize appropriate employees with the Firm's insider trading procedures, including by bringing in outside counsel. Special training may be held, as necessary, for those employees working in areas where they are more likely to receive inside information in the course of their duties.
o The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel will be available to assist employees on questions involving insider trading.
o The General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel will resolve issues of whether information received by an employee is material and non-public.
o Whenever it has been determined that an employee has received material non-public information, the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel will implement measures to prevent (i) dissemination of such information and (ii) trading in the security by Chilton, CIS and their employees.
STEPS TO DETECT INSIDER TRADING:
o The CCO and/or a designee will review all personal securities transactions by employees to ensure that such activities are in compliance with the applicable personal securities trading restrictions provided in this Code and review periodically the trading activities in Chilton's proprietary accounts, if any;
o Chilton will request information from Private Fund Investors about their possible access to material non-public information; and
o The CCO and/or a designee will conduct such investigation, as necessary, when the CCO and/or a designee has reason to believe that any employee has received and traded on inside information and/or has disseminated such information to other persons.
6.6 MARKET MANIPULATION
Intentional or willful conduct that is designed to deceive or defraud investors by controlling or artificially affecting the price of securities or market conditions is a violation of various securities laws. Accordingly, no employee may directly or indirectly engage in any conduct that is intended to manipulate the price of any security or trading market. In particular, an employee should act responsibly when disseminating information within and outside of the Firm AND is prohibited from disseminating information or rumors regarding any issuer that the employee believes or knows to be false or misleading or to be of a sensational nature (such that the information might reasonably be expected to affect market conditions).
MARKET MANIPULATION CAN SUBJECT THE EMPLOYEE AND THE FIRM TO BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL SANCTIONS AS WELL AS REPUTATIONAL HARM.
The CCO and/or a designee may also implement procedures designed to detect and investigate manipulative behavior.
6.7 DEALINGS WITH CLIENTS AND INVESTORS
No employee may directly or indirectly purchase from or sell to a Client or Investor or any client, investor or managed account of CIS any security, unless the transaction is pre-approved in writing by the General Counsel or Assistant General Counsel and any requirements under the law, if applicable, are followed.
Employees are prohibited from holding funds or securities of an Investor or Managed Account (or an investor or managed account of CIS) or acting in any capacity as custodian or trustee for a Fund account or Managed Account (or a CIS fund account or managed account), unless such act complies with this Manual.
Employees are prohibited from borrowing money or securities from any Investor or owner of a Managed Account (or an investor or managed account of CIS) and from lending money to any Investor or owner of a Managed Account (or a CIS investor or owner of a CIS managed account), unless such person is a member of the employee's immediate family and/or the transaction has been approved in writing by the General Counsel and CCO and/or a designee.
Employees may not provide legal or tax advice to any Client, potential Client, Investor or potential Investor. When legal or tax questions are raised by a Client, potential Client, Investor or potential Investor including in connection with the completion of any Subscription Document for a Private Fund, employees should encourage such Client, potential Client, Investor or potential Investor to consult its own adviser.
6.8 COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEDIA
All unsolicited inquiries from the press regarding the Firm or CIS, their Clients, their Investors, or any aspect of Chilton's or CIS's business should be referred to the General Counsel. Similarly, employees should not initiate contact with the press under any circumstances. It is Chilton's general policy not to endorse publicly the products or services of the Firm's or CIS's suppliers, clients or investors; any exceptions must be approved by the General Counsel. This includes commentary in press articles (including "in-house" publications) and participation in testimonial advertising, promotional brochures or annual reports. In general, the Firm will not provide information to the press regarding securities positions held by Clients.
6.9 PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS TO GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY BODIES
Since integrity in financial affairs is an important aspect of the Firm's reputation, employees are expected to adhere to those standards in their personal financial affairs. Specifically, the Firm expects employees to satisfy their personal obligations to governmental and regulatory bodies, including the timely and accurate filing of relevant tax returns.
6.10 UNREGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISER
No employee is permitted to hold himself/herself out as providing personal investment or financial advice to Clients or prospective clients except through his/her employment with Chilton and/or CIS. Failure to make such distinction may subject the employee to the registration provisions of Section 203 of the Advisers Act since he/she may be deemed to be operating as an unregistered investment adviser.
6.11 ANTI-BRIBERY LAWS, INCLUDING THE FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT AND THE UK BRIBERY ACT
Employees, affiliates, agents and consultants acting on behalf of Chilton must comply with all applicable anti-bribery laws and regulations. These laws include the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), which makes it illegal to pay, promise, offer or authorize the giving of anything of value directly or through a third party to a "government official" to influence official action, and the UK Bribery Act which also prohibits offering, promising or giving anything of value to anyone, including someone in the private sector, to induce that person to perform work duties disloyally or otherwise improperly. Chilton's policy to comply with applicable anti-bribery laws is attached as Exhibit 9. The term "GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL" includes any officer or employee of, or person acting on behalf of, a government, government-owned or controlled entity or public international organization, and any political party, party official, or candidate for political office.
6.12 GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT POLICIES
GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT
Chilton employees may not accept or give inappropriate gifts, favors,
entertainment, meals, special accommodations, or other things of value to
influence the recipient or that could make him or her feel beholden to a person
or firm. Chilton has adopted the policies and procedures to govern the receipt
and giving of gifts and entertainment, which are set forth in Exhibit 11.
6.13 OUTSIDE AFFILIATIONS AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Chilton recognizes that outside affiliations and personal business activities could lead to the potential for conflicts of interest and could otherwise interfere with an employee's duties to Chilton and Clients. As a result, employees who wish to participate in any outside or personal business activity must seek prior approval from the Legal & Compliance Department. Examples of the types of outside affiliations or personal business activities that require pre-approval include, but are not limited to, serving on a board of directors of an outside company or taking a position of management in an outside company; engaging in outside business or non-profit ventures.
6.14 POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
IN GENERAL
Rule 206(4)-5 under the Advisers Act (the "PAY-TO-PLAY RULE") subjects Chilton to potentially severe sanctions in the event that, among other things, Chilton, its employees or their immediate family members make contributions to certain state or local government officials or candidates where the office of such official or candidate is directly or indirectly responsible for or can influence (or has authority to appoint any person who is directly or indirectly responsible for or can influence) the hiring of Chilton to manage the assets of the government entity (such as state government pension plans, state university endowments or other state or local government accounts). In addition, the Pay-to-Play Rule prohibits Chilton and its employees and their immediate family members from fundraising activities that include soliciting or coordinating political contributions or payments to a state or local political party where, or to an official or candidate of a government entity to which, Chilton is providing or seeking to provide advisory services.
Employees are required to pre-clear with the Legal and Compliance Department any contribution(5) (including any contribution by their spouse or dependants) made to a (i) government official (whether federal, state or local), (ii) candidate for government office (whether federal, state or local), (iii) political party or (iv) political action committee ("PAC"). Employees also must obtain pre-clearance from the Legal and Compliance Department prior to their (or their spouse or dependants) volunteering for, or otherwise engaging in any activity with respect to, any of the above.
In addition, employees (and their spouses or dependants) are not permitted to solicit or coordinate (i.e., collect and forward), from any person or entity (including a PAC), (i) contributions or (ii) "payments" (whether or not intended to influence an election or campaign) to a government official (whether federal, state or local), candidate for government office (whether federal, state or local), political party or PAC without pre-clearance by the Legal and Compliance Department. Employees should read this prohibition broadly and request pre-clearance if there is any doubt whether a given activity is permitted. For example, this prohibition would include (i) an e-mail (whether sent to Chilton employees or outside the Firm) seeking contributions or (ii) asking a service provider (such as a law firm and accounting firm) or a friend to make a contribution to a state or local candidate.
Employees and their spouses and dependants are prohibited from making any political contribution or engaging in any political activity for the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing or inducing the obtaining or retaining of Chilton's investment advisory services by a government entity. Further, employees are prohibited from considering Chilton's current or anticipated business or its business relationships as a factor in making any contribution or as a reason for engaging in an activity described above.
As a matter of policy, Chilton will not engage in any of the activities described above, unless pre-clearance is obtained from the Legal and Compliance Department.
PROHIBITION ON INDIRECT ACTIVITIES
Under no circumstances may Chilton or an employee make a contribution
indirectly, or engage indirectly in any of the foregoing activities, such as
through his or her advisers, family members or any other persons affiliated
with Chilton or the employee, as a means of circumventing the restrictions.
PRE-CLEARANCE PROCEDURE
An employee seeking pre-clearance for any proposed contribution or activity
described above is required to submit a request to the Legal and Compliance
Department by completing the Political Contribution Request. For each proposed
contribution or activity, the employee will be required to certify that such
contribution or other activity is not for the purpose of directly or
indirectly, influencing or inducing the obtaining or retaining of Chilton's
investment advisory services by a government entity. If the Legal and
Compliance Department determines, in its discretion, that a particular
political contribution or activity may violate the Pay-to-Play Rule or other
applicable law (or otherwise poses a conflict of interest for Chilton or CIS),
the Legal and Compliance Department may prohibit such employee from making the
contribution or engaging in the activity. AN EMPLOYEE MAY ONLY MAKE A POLITICAL
CONTRIBUTION OR ENGAGE IN THE REQUESTED ACTIVITY AFTER OBTAINING WRITTEN
APPROVAL FROM THE LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT. PLEASE NOTE THAT IT WILL
TAKE APPROXIMATELY FIVE BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT
TO REVIEW AND DETERMINE WHETHER TO PERMIT OR DENY ANY SUCH REQUEST AND IT IS
EXPECTED THAT MOST CONTRIBUTIONS TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND
CANDIDATES WILL BE PROHIBITED.
RECORDKEEPING
The Legal and Compliance department will maintain a political contributions log
that records all of the political contribution and activity requests received
from employees and whether the request was approved or denied, as well as the
appropriate books and records as set forth in Section 7 of Chilton's Compliance
Manual.
CERTIFICATIONS
Each employee must certify quarterly on the Quarterly Compliance Attestation)
that he/she has complied with Chilton's Political Contribution Policy for the
preceding quarter, pre-cleared all contributions and activities in accordance
with the Political Contribution Policy and has not made any contributions or
engaged in any activities for the purpose of intending to influence the
obtaining or retaining of contracts with government entities. In addition,
since the Pay-to-Play Rule also incorporates contributions made by individuals
prior to their employment with Chilton, each prospective employee will be
required to detail his/her past contributions (including those of his or her
spouse or dependents) as part of the hiring process.
PLACEMENT AGENTS
Under Rule 206(4)-5 of the Advisers Act, any placement agent hired by Chilton
to solicit government entities must be a "regulated person" as defined in Rule
206(4)-5(f)(9) under the Advisers Act. A "regulated person" is a registered
investment adviser, a registered broker-dealer or a registered municipal
adviser, each of which must be subject to pay-to-play restrictions.
Each agreement with a placement agent must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Legal and Compliance Department to ensure, among other things, that the placement agent has obtained all required federal, state and local registrations and that the placement agent has complied with and will continue to comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies, including pay-to-play rules applicable to it. In addition, the Legal and Compliance Department will maintain a record of the names and business addresses of all "regulated persons" whom Chilton engages as a third-party solicitor or placement agent. Such recordkeeping requirement will apply regardless of whether Chilton has a government entity as a client at such time. See also "SECTION 1.6 CASH PAYMENTS FOR CLIENT SOLICITATION - RULE 206(4)-3".
6.15 CELL PHONE USAGE IN THE OFFICE
Personal cell phones, including text messaging, should not be utilized to conduct Firm business, unless an employee is out of the office and needs to use a cell phone to conduct Firm business. In general, personal cell phone usage in the office, including text messaging is disruptive and strongly discouraged.
Other employment policies, principles, and procedures adopted by Chilton are set forth in Chilton's Employee Manual, a copy of which is provided to all Chilton employees upon joining the Firm and when any material updates are issued.
EXHIBIT 1:
CHILTON'S CLIENTS
1. PRIVATE FUNDS
A. U.S. PARTNERSHIPS
Chilton Investment Partners, L.P.
Chilton Opportunity Trust, L.P.
Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partners, L.P. Chilton Strategic Value Partners, L.P. Chilton Global Natural Resources Partners, L.P. Chilton Global Natural Resources Long Opportunities, L.P.
B. OFFSHORE PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDS
Chilton International, L.P. & Chilton International (BVI) Ltd.
Chilton European International (BVI) Ltd.
Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap International, L.P. & Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap International (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Strategic Value International II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Global Natural Resources International (BVI) Ltd. Chilton Global Natural Resources Long Opportunities (BVI) Ltd.
2. REGISTERED FUNDS
Arden Alternative Strategies II, a series of Arden Investment Series
Trust
Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund, a series of Franklin
Alternative Strategies Funds
Altegris Equity Long/Short Fund, a series of Northern Lights Funds
Wells Fargo Advantage Alternative Strategies Fund, a series of Wells
Fargo Diversified Funds Trust
Deutsche Strategic Equity Long/Short Fund, a series of Deutsche Market
Trust
AllianceBernstein Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund, Inc.
JPMorgan Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund, a series of JPMorgan Trust
III
3. UCITS FUNDS
Chilton UCITS - Global Strategies
Arden Diversified Alternative Strategies Fund, a sub-fund of Arden
Global Alternative Strategies plc
DB Platinum Chilton Diversified, a sub-fund of DB Platinum
Franklin Templeton Investment Funds -- Franklin K2 Alternative
Strategies Fund
DB Platinum Chilton European Equities, a sub-fund of DB Platinum.
EXHIBIT 2: PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING REFERENCE CHART
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURCHASES REFERENCE CHART ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURCHASES ALLOWED PURCHASES ALLOWED PURCHASES TYPE OF TRANSACTION WITHOUT WITH NOT PRE-CLEARANCE PRE-CLEARANCE ALLOWED ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks traded through a broker o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks purchased in a private placement o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds -- Open End (excluding Funds advised by Chilton) o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds -- Closed End (other than in an IPO or private placement and o (excluding Funds advised by Chilton)) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds advised by Chilton ** o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate Bonds o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of the U.S. Government o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of any U.S. City, County or State o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of Foreign Governments o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CDs (Certificates of Deposit) o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) on Chilton's Approved List* o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) NOT on Chilton's Approved List* o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchases of securities through an automatic dividend reinvestment plan o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IPOs o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LP Interest in another Hedge Fund o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchases of additional shares of stocks already held in your Personal Account o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
** THE FOLLOWING MUTUAL FUNDS ARE ADVISED BY CHILTON AND MAY NOT BE PURCHASED
1. AllianceBernstein Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund (ALTYX)
2. Altegris Equity Long Short Fund, a series of Northern Lights Fund (ELSIX)
3. Arden Alternative Strategies II, a series of Arden Investment Series Trust
(ARDWX)
4. Deutsche Strategic Equity Long/Short Fund, a series of Deutsche Market
Trust (DSLIX)
5. Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund, a series of Franklin Alternative
Strategies Funds (FASRX)
6. JPMorgan Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund, a series of JPMorgan Trust III
(JMMAX, JMCMX, JMMSX, JMMRX, JMMYX)
7. Wells Fargo Advantage Alternative Strategies Fund, a series of Wells Fargo
Diversified Funds Trust (WAITX)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SALES REFERENCE CHART ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SALES ALLOWED SALES ALLOWED SALES TYPE OF TRANSACTION WITHOUT WITH NOT PRE-CLEARANCE PRE-CLEARANCE ALLOWED ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short Sales o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks traded through a broker o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks purchased in a private placement o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds -- Open End (excluding Funds advised by Chilton) o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds -- Closed End (other than ETFs and excluding Funds advised by o Chilton) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds advised by Chilton o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate Bonds o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of the U.S. Government o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of any U.S. City, County or State o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct Obligations of Foreign Governments o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CDs (Certificates of Deposit) o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) on Chilton's Approved List * o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) NOT on Chilton's Approved List * o ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
*APPROVED ETF LIST AS OF AUGUST 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME TICKER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares MSCI EAFE ETF EFA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF IWD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF IWF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Core S&P 500 ETF IVV -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF EMB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares MBS ETF MBB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF SHY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF LQD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares Russell 1000 ETF IWB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF HYG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPDR S&P 500 SPY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QQQ QQQ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF EEM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPDR Gold Trust GLD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe Hedged Equity Fund HEDJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividend Appreciation ETF VIG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares MSCI Japan ETF EWJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Select Sector SPDR XLF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan Hedged Equity Fund DXJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF PFF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Energy Select Sector SPDR XLE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund DBEF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Small-Cap ETF VB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF DIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares China Large-Cap ETF FXI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR XLP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Market Vectors TR Gold Miners GDX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Trust SLV -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
EXHIBIT 3: NO CONTROL ACCOUNT CERTIFICATION
CHILTON INVESTMENT COMPANY, LLC
CHILTON INVESTMENT SERVICES, LLC
NO CONTROL ACCOUNT CERTIFICATION
With Respect to the account(s) listed under Section II of this form, I certify that:
o The account(s) are controlled by: ___________________ ("Account Controller")
o I do not have direct or indirect influence or control over the account(s), I do not discuss investment decisions concerning the account(s) with the Account Controller and the accounts(s) and the information in Section II remains true and correct.
o If I have direct or indirect influence or control over any account(s) at a future date, I will promptly inform the Chief Compliance Officer and I understand that the account(s) will be considered a personal account of mine for purposes of the personal trading policies and procedures of Chilton's Compliance Manual.
o I have or will arrange for the brokerage firm maintaining the account(s) to provide duplicate trade confirmations and account statements with respect to the account(s) to Chilton's Chief Compliance Officer so that Chilton may monitor the transactions in the account(s).
EMPLOYEE NAME: ____________________ EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: ____________________
LEGAL & COMPLIANCE SIGNATURE: _________________________ DATE: _____________
EXHIBIT 6: SAMPLE LETTER TO BROKER FOR DUPLICATE STATEMENTS
Date: ___________________
Re: Account No.______________________
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am the holder of the above account. Please begin sending duplicate copies of all account statements and trade confirmations for the above account to Chilton via the Chilton feed at Compliance Science (PTCC). If you are unable to provide statements electronically, please send duplicate statements to Chilton at the following address:
Chief Compliance Officer
Chilton Investment Company, LLC
1290 East Main Street, 1st Floor
Stamford, CT 06902
If you have any questions, please contact me at my number below.
Very truly yours,
cc: Chief Compliance Officer
Chilton Investment Company, LLC
EXHIBIT 11: GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT
Chilton employees may not accept or give inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, meals, special accommodations, or anything else of value to influence the recipient or that could make the recipient feel beholden to a person or firm. See Section 6.11 Anti-Bribery Laws of the Compliance Manual.
Chilton has established the policies and procedures set forth below, which govern the receipt of or giving of gifts, favors, entertainment, meals, special accommodations, or other things of value by employees.
For purposes of these procedures, "DE MINIMIS VALUE" means one or more gifts, favors, meals, special accommodations, or anything else of any value received by a single employee from or given to a single person in any calendar year, which IN THE AGGREGATE HAVE A VALUE OF LESS THAN $250; EXCEPT that a gift, favor, meal, special accommodation, or other item of value offered, promised or given to any GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL(10) IN ANY AMOUNT will be considered to be of more than DE MINIMIS value, and therefore, must always be pre-approved.
ERISA REPORTING
FORM 5500 REPORTING. In connection with Chilton's services to any ERISA plan invested in one of its funds, whether or not subject to ERISA, or separately managed accounts, gifts and entertainment received by Chilton are reportable on Schedule C to the plan's annual Form 5500 report unless the gift or entertainment is valued at less than $50 and the aggregate amount of gifts or entertainment provided from any one source in a year is less than $100. If the $100 limit is exceeded, all gifts must be included. There is an exception of ordinary business gifts or meals, where the cost of the gift or meal would be tax deductible for federal income tax purposes for the person providing the gift or meal and the gift or meal would not be taxable income to the recipient.
ERISA SECTION 408(B)(2). In connection with Chilton's management of ERISA funds or ERISA accounts, if Chilton expects to receive non-monetary compensation (I.E., gifts and entertainment) in connection with its position to the ERISA plan or the services it renders to the ERISA plan in an amount that exceeds $250 OVER THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT OR ERISA PLAN'S INVESTMENT IN THE FUND, it would be reportable under Section 408(b)(2). Chilton may look to the guidance and methodologies for calculating non-monetary compensation set forth above under FORM 5500 REPORTING.
GIFTS
o No employee may receive or give a cash or cash equivalent gift.
o Employees must report to the CCO and/or a designee any single gift received or given that has a value of less than DE MINIMIS value. The report should include the nature of the gift, the name and title of the recipient and donor of the gift, an estimate of the gift's value and a description of business pending with the recipient, if any.
o No employee may receive any gift, service, or other item of more than DE MINIMIS value from any person or entity that does or seeks to do business with or on behalf of Chilton without first obtaining the approval of the CCO and/or a designee. (11)
o No employee may give, offer, promise or authorize any gift of more than DE MINIMIS value to any existing or prospective client, government official (as defined in Section 6.11) or any other person that is in a position to take action for or against Chilton without pre-approval of the CCO and/or a designee. REMINDER: consistent with the definition of DE MINIMIS value, a gift of ANY AMOUNT to a government official must be pre-approved.
Exclusions: The pre-approval and reporting requirements described above do not apply to (i) promotional items of nominal value, such as pens, T-shirts, key chains, calendars and similar items or (ii) except with respect to any gifts to government officials, personal or social gifts (I.E., gifts given because of a long standing personal or familial relationship with a person and not related to business of the firm).
o No employee may offer, promise or give, directly or through a third party, anything to any "government official" to influence official action or to anyone to induce that person to perform work duties disloyally or otherwise improperly.
o Anything given to others by an employee must be of an appropriate value and nature considering legal custom, the position of the recipient and the circumstances, and would not cause embarrassment to Chilton.
o Anything given to others must be legal under local laws.
ENTERTAINMENT
o Any entertainment, including meals, provided to a government official, union or labor organization official or representative or an ERISA plan fiduciary or representative of ANY VALUE must be pre- approved by the CCO and/or a designee.
o No employee may provide or accept extravagant or excessive entertainment, including meals, to or from any existing or prospective client or any other person or entity that does or seeks to do business with or on behalf of Chilton or is in a position to secure advantages on Chilton's behalf.
o Employees may, without pre-approval, provide to or accept from private parties business-related entertainment of reasonable value, such as a meal with a business purpose at a mid-priced restaurant, if the person or entity providing the entertainment is present. EXCLUSION: This allowance would not apply to a government official, union or labor organization official or representative or an ERISA plan fiduciary.
o Employees must report to the CCO and/or a designee any business-related entertainment accepted. The report should include the nature of the entertainment, the names and titles of the attendees, the recipient and donor of the event, an estimate of the per person value of the entertainment (including any transportation or lodging provided in connection with the event) and a description of any business, or governmental decision, pending with the recipient, if any.
o Any event where the person or entity providing the invitation is not present will be considered a gift and must be pre-approved by and reported to the CCO and/or a designee in accordance with the gift procedures above.
o Any non-local travel proposed to be offered, promised or given by Chilton must be pre-approved.
Employees who have questions about the appropriateness of giving or accepting a particular gift or an invitation to an entertainment event should consult with the CCO and/or a designee.
NOTE ON EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES
Special rules may apply if a Chilton employee is invited to an educational conference if the cost of the conference is being paid by a third party. If you are asked to attend such a conference, please contact the CCO and/or a designee.