AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 27, 2017
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. 85 /X/
AND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 89 /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
JANUARY 28, 2017
NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND
TICKER SYMBOL: NPHIX
CLASS I SHARES
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
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 NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE ............................................... 1 FUND FEES AND EXPENSES ............................................. 1 PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES .................................... 2 PRINCIPAL RISKS .................................................... 2 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ............................................ 5 INVESTMENT ADVISER ................................................. 6 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ................................................. 6 PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES ................................... 6 TAX INFORMATION .................................................... 6 PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ....................................... 7 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES .......................................... 8 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK ........................................... 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND'S BENCHMARK ................................... 15 INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS .................................. 15 INVESTMENT ADVISER .................................................... 15 INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER ................................................ 16 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS .................................................... 16 RELATED PERFORMANCE DATA OF THE SUB-ADVISER ........................... 17 PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES .................................... 18 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES .................................. 23 OTHER POLICIES ........................................................ 24 DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS ........................................... 27 TAXES ................................................................. 27 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS .................................................. 29 HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND ................... Back Cover |
NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The investment objective of the Nomura High Yield Fund (the "Fund") is to achieve current yield and capital growth.
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 INVESTMENT)
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fees 0.50% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses 0.99% ------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.49% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (0.91)% ------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or 0.58%(2) Expense Reimbursements(1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. ("NAM USA" or the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.575% of the Fund's average daily net assets until January 29, 2018 (the "Expense Limitation"). NAM USA may recover all or a portion of its fee reductions or expense reimbursements within a three-year period from the year in which NAM USA reduced its fee or reimbursed expenses if the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses are below the Expense Limitation. 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 NAM USA, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 29, 2018.
(2) Rounded to 0.58%.
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 one year of capped expenses in each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
$59 $381 $727 $1,701
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. During its most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 116% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of high yield bonds (also known as "junk bonds") rated below investment grade by Moody's Investors Services Inc. ("Moody's"), Standard & Poor's Rating Services ("S&P"), or Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch"), or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc. ("NCRAM" or the "Sub-Adviser"), the Fund's sub-adviser.
The Fund defines high yield bonds to include the following (provided they are unrated or rated below investment-grade or unrated but deemed to be of comparable quality by the Sub-Adviser): bank loans in the form of assignments or participations; payment-in-kind securities; deferred payment securities; fixed, variable and floating rate obligations; asset-backed securities; convertible securities; zero-coupon bonds; and debt obligations. The Fund may invest in new issuances of high yield bonds. The Fund may invest in distressed high yield bonds. The Fund's bank loan investments, limited to up to 20% of its net assets, will usually be loan participations or assignments.
NCRAM anticipates that the Fund will be invested in a portfolio of high yield bonds. Maturity is not a consideration in selecting the Fund's investments. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading in seeking to achieve its investment objective.
In addition to investing in high yield bonds, NCRAM can invest up to 20% of the Fund's net assets in a wide range of securities, including investment grade bonds, common stock of issuers of any market capitalization, preferred securities and money market instruments.
Up to 20% of the Fund's net assets may be invested in securities not denominated in U.S. dollars. The Fund may invest without limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund's foreign investments (U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar-denominated) may include companies in, or governments of, emerging market countries.
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 GOVERNMENT AGENCY. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES RISK -- Payment of principal and interest on asset-backed securities is dependent largely on the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities, and asset-backed securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in the related assets.
BANK LOANS RISK -- The Fund may invest in bank loans through participations or assignments. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. When the Fund purchases assignments from lenders, the Fund will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan. Investments in unsecured bank loans are subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in bank loans secured by collateral.
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.
CONVERTIBLE AND PREFERRED SECURITIES RISK -- Convertible and preferred securities have many of the same characteristics as stocks, including many of the same risks. In addition, convertible bonds may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than stocks. Convertible bonds may also have credit ratings below investment grade, meaning that they carry a higher risk of failure by the issuer to pay principal and/or interest when due.
CREDIT/DEFAULT RISK -- The credit rating or financial condition of an issuer may affect the value of a fixed income debt security. Generally, the lower the credit quality of a security, the greater the perceived risk that the issuer will fail to pay interest fully and return principal in a timely manner. If an issuer defaults or becomes unable to honor its financial obligations, the security may lose some or all of its value. The issuer of a below investment-grade security is considered by the rating agency or the Sub-Adviser to be less likely to pay interest and repay principal than an issuer of a higher quality bond. Adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances may weaken the capacity of the issuer to pay interest and repay principal.
CURRENCY RISK -- As a result of the Fund's investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the Fund would be adversely affected.
DISTRESSED SECURITIES RISK -- Distressed securities frequently do not produce income while they are outstanding and may require the Fund to bear certain extraordinary expenses in order to protect and recover its investment. Distressed securities are at high risk for default.
EQUITY SECURITIES RISK -- Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund's equity securities may fluctuate drastically 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 EXPOSURE/EMERGING MARKETS RISK -- The risk that non-U.S. securities may be subject to additional risks due to, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad, currency movements and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened with respect to emerging market countries since political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions are more likely to occur in these countries.
FREQUENT TRADING RISK -- The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its investment objective. Active trading may cause the Fund to incur increased costs, which can lower the actual return of the Fund. Active trading may also increase short-term gains and losses, which affect taxes that must be paid.
HIGH YIELD BOND RISK -- High yield bonds, also referred to as "junk" bonds, involve greater risks of default or downgrade and are more volatile than investment grade securities. High yield bonds involve greater risk of price declines than investment grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an issuer's creditworthiness. In addition, issuers of high yield bonds may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. High yield bonds are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity. Discontinuation of these payments could substantially adversely affect the market value of the security. The volatility of high yield bonds is even greater since the prospects for repayment of principal and interest of many of these securities is speculative. Some may even be in default.
INTEREST RATE RISK -- Interest rate risk is the risk that a rise in interest rates will cause a fall in the value of fixed income securities in which the Fund invests. A low interest rate environment may present greater interest rate risk, because there may be a greater likelihood of rates increasing and rates may increase more rapidly. Given the historically low interest rate environment, risks associated with rising rates are heightened.
LIQUIDITY RISK -- Insufficient liquidity in the non-investment grade bond or loan market may make it more difficult to dispose of non-investment grade bonds or loans and may cause the Fund to experience sudden and substantial price declines.
MARKET AND SELECTION RISK -- Market risk is the risk that the prices of and the income generated by the Fund's securities may decline in response to, among other things, investor sentiment, general economic and market conditions, regional or global instability, and currency and interest rate fluctuations. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by NCRAM will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money.
PAYMENT-IN-KIND SECURITIES RISK -- Payment-in-kind securities carry additional risk as holders of these types of securities realize no cash until the cash payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer defaults, the Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. The market price of payment-in-kind securities is affected by interest rate changes to a greater extent, and therefore tends to be more volatile, than that of securities which pay interest in cash.
SMALL AND MEDIUM CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- The risk that small and medium capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small and medium
capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. Small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES RISK -- While interest payments are not made on zero coupon securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income ("phantom income") annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. Some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The bar chart and the performance table below illustrate the risks and volatility of an investment in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns for 1 year and since inception compare with those of 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. Updated performance information is available by calling 1-866-777-7818.
The Fund acquired the assets and assumed the historical performance of the High Yield Fund, a series of Nomura Partners Funds, Inc. (the "Predecessor Fund") on December 8, 2014 (the "Reorganization"). Accordingly, the performance shown for periods before December 8, 2014 represents the performance of Class I shares of the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund's returns in the bar chart and table have not been adjusted to reflect the Fund's expenses. If the Predecessor Fund's performance information had been adjusted to reflect the Fund's expenses, the performance may have been higher or lower for a given period depending on the expenses incurred by the Predecessor Fund for that period.
2013 11.81% 2014 2.13% 2015 (4.88)% 2016 17.29% BEST QUARTER WORST QUARTER 5.65% (5.29)% (06/30/2016) (09/30/2015) |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016
This table compares the Fund's average annual total returns for the periods ended December 31, 2016 to those of an appropriate broad based index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts ("IRAs").
SINCE INCEPTION 1 YEAR (12/27/12) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return Before Taxes 17.29% 6.22% Return After Taxes on Distributions 14.30% 2.95% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 9.65% 3.24% Bank of America Merrill Lynch US High Yield Constrained Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) 17.49% 5.38% |
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc. serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Stephen Kotsen, CFA, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of NCRAM, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014 and managed the Predecessor Fund since 2012.
David Crall, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of NCRAM, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014 and managed the Predecessor Fund since 2012.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
To purchase shares of the Fund for the first time, including an initial purchase through an IRA, you must invest at least $250,000. Subsequent investments must be at least $1,000. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion.
If you own your shares directly, you may redeem your shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business by contacting the Fund directly by mail at: Nomura High Yield Fund, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Nomura High Yield Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or telephone at 1-866-777-7818.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other financial intermediary, contact that broker or intermediary to redeem your shares. Your broker or financial intermediary may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or 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 at the broker-dealer or intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson at the broker-dealer or intermediary or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's investment objective is to achieve current yield and capital growth. The Fund's investment objective may not be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
WHO SHOULD INVEST IN THE FUND?
The Fund may be an appropriate investment for investors who (i) want a professionally managed portfolio; (ii) seek income; or (iii) are willing to accept higher risks of investing in high yield and distressed securities, including loss of capital, in exchange for the potential for higher yield and capital growth.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of high yield bonds (also known as "junk bonds") rated below investment grade by Moody's, S&P, or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by NCRAM.
NCRAM's investment philosophy for the Fund is based upon NCRAM's belief that a total return investment approach driven by credit research is the best way to generate excess return in a high yield market. NCRAM will operate a long-only strategy using a bottom-up "Strong Horse" investment philosophy (a strategy of investing in those companies that it is believed can carry their debt loads through different economic cycles). Strong Horse companies demonstrate the ability to generate strong, sustainable cash flow which enables them to de-lever their balance sheets and improve their ratings. NCRAM also uses a top-down investment strategy, identifying areas of the high yield market that it believes are undervalued relative to the rest of the market.
When selecting high yield bonds, NCRAM considers, among other things, the price of the security and the issuer's financial history, condition, management and prospects. NCRAM seeks to mitigate the risks associated with high yield bonds, by diversifying the Fund's holdings by issuer and industry. NCRAM will actively invest the Fund in a portfolio of high yield bonds.
NCRAM will actively allocate the Fund's assets across industries, investing in a range of U.S. dollar-denominated high yield bonds, including corporate bonds, certain convertible securities, certain asset-backed securities, bank loans in the form of assignments or participations, zero-coupon bonds, pay-in-kind securities and deferred payment securities. These high yield bonds may be fixed, variable or floating rate. Maturity is not a consideration in selecting the Fund's investments. The Fund may invest in distressed securities. The Fund may invest in new issuances of debt.
The Fund may invest in convertible bonds. Convertible bonds will be counted toward the Fund's 80% policy to the extent they have characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy. Convertible bonds generally are debt securities that may be converted into common stock. Convertible bonds typically pay current income as interest. A convertible bond's value usually reflects both the stream of current income payments and the market value of the underlying stock.
The Fund's bank loan investments, limited to up to 20% of its net assets, may be in loan assignments and participations, each of which may include Senior Loans. Senior Loans are loans that have a right to payment senior to most other debts of the borrower. Senior Loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions (the "Lenders") represented in each case by one or more such Lenders acting as agent (the "Agent") of the several Lenders. On behalf of the Lenders, the Agent is primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement ("Loan Agreement") that establishes the relative terms and conditions of the Senior Loan and rights of the borrower and the Lenders.
The Fund usually will purchase assignments ("Assignments") of portions of loans from third-parties. Loans often are secured by specific assets of the borrower, although the Fund may invest in loans that are not secured by any collateral. From time to time the Fund may also invest in a loan by buying a participation interest in the corporate loan from a co-lender or a participant ("Participation Interests"). The Fund may invest in loans that pay interest at rates that are fixed, floating or variable.
The Fund may invest in zero-coupon securities ("Zeros"), pay-in-kind securities ("PIKs") and deferred payment securities acquired at a discount. Zeros are fixed income securities that do not make regular interest payments. Instead, Zeros are sold at a discount from their face value. The difference between a Zero's issue or purchase price and its face value represents the imputed interest an investor will earn if the obligation is held until maturity. PIKs are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Deferred payment securities are securities that remain Zeros until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals. These are all types of high yield bonds on which the holder does not receive periodic cash payments of interest or principal. Even though the Fund will not receive cash periodic coupon payments on these securities, the Fund will be deemed to have received income ("phantom income") annually. Generally, these securities are subject to greater price volatility and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals.
The Fund may invest in distressed high yield bonds, which may be subject to bankruptcy proceedings or may be in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund or are rated in the lower rating categories (Ca or lower by Moody's and CC or lower by S&P or Fitch) or which, if unrated, are in the judgment of NCRAM of equivalent quality. The Fund will generally make such investments only when NCRAM believes it is reasonably likely that the issuer of the distressed security will make an exchange offer or will be the subject of a plan of reorganization pursuant to which the Fund will receive new securities.
Up to 20% of the Fund's net assets may be invested in other securities or obligations, including investment grade securities, common stock of issuers of any market capitalization, preferred securities, and money market instruments.
The Fund may invest without limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. Up to 20% of the Fund's net assets may be invested in securities not denominated in U.S. dollars. The Fund's foreign investments (U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar-denominated) may include companies in, or governments of emerging market countries (i.e., countries that have an emerging market as defined by S&P, countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank, and other countries or markets with similar emerging characteristics).
The Fund may initiate spot foreign exchange transactions for the purposes of settling transactions in the securities. Performance of the Fund may be influenced by movements in foreign exchange rates because
currency positions held by the Fund may not correspond with the securities positions held. NCRAM may use forward currency contracts to seek to mitigate the risk of currency fluctuations.
NCRAM may engage in active and frequent trading in seeking to achieve the Fund's investment objective. Under normal circumstances, NCRAM will seek to maintain a near fully invested portfolio. The Fund may invest in shares of other mutual funds or comingled investment vehicles, to the extent permitted by federal law. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements for the purpose of efficient portfolio management.
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 invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments or other cash equivalents that would not ordinarily be consistent with its investment objective. If the Fund invests in this manner, it may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund will do so only if the Adviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity to pursue its investment objective.
This prospectus describes the Fund's principal investment strategies and risks, 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 in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices. These investments and strategies are described in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (the "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 objective.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK
Investing in the Fund involves risk and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. NCRAM'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 a job NCRAM does, you could lose money on your investment in the Fund, just as you could with other investments.
The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the value of the securities and other investments the Fund holds. Generally, 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 it trades. 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.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES RISK -- Asset-backed securities are securities backed by non-mortgage assets such as company receivables, truck and auto loans, leases and credit card receivables. Asset-backed securities may be issued as pass-through certificates, which represent undivided fractional ownership interests in the underlying pools of assets. Asset-backed securities may also be debt instruments, which are also known as collateralized obligations and are generally issued as the debt of a special purpose entity, such as a trust, organized solely for the purpose of owning such assets and issuing debt obligations. Repayment depends largely on the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities. Asset-backed securities entail prepayment risk, which may vary depending on the type of asset, but is generally less than the prepayment risk associated with mortgage-backed securities. Asset-backed securities present credit risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. This is because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable in quality to
mortgage assets. If the issuer of an asset-backed security defaults on its payment obligations, there is the possibility that, in some cases, the Fund will be unable to possess and sell the underlying collateral and that the Fund's recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on the security. In the event of a default, the Fund may suffer a loss if it cannot sell collateral quickly and receive the amount it is owed.
BANK LOANS RISK -- Bank loans are fixed and floating rate loans arranged through private negotiations between a company or a non-U.S. government and one or more financial institutions (lenders). In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. When the Fund purchases assignments from lenders, the Fund will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan. 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.
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.
COMMON STOCK RISK -- The price of common stocks may fall over short or extended periods of time. Common stock prices are sensitive to general movements in the equity markets, and a drop in the equity markets may cause the price of common stocks held by the Fund to decrease in value. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of common stock issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock and debt upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES AND PREFERRED STOCK RISK -- Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes or preferred stock that may be converted into or exercised for a prescribed amount of common stock at a specified time and price. Convertible securities provide an opportunity for equity participation, with the potential for a higher dividend or interest yield and lower price volatility compared to common stock. Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate than nonconvertible bonds of the same quality and maturity because of the conversion feature. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value typically declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline, and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature. Convertible securities may also be rated below investment grade (junk bonds) or are not rated and are subject to credit risk and prepayment risk, which are discussed below.
CREDIT/DEFAULT RISK -- Credit risk involves the risk that an issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, may be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. The Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed income securities or is a party to over-the-counter transactions. A fund that invests in lower-rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") is subject to greater credit risk (because such securities are subject to a greater risk of default) and market risk than a fund that invests in higher-quality fixed income securities. Lower rated fixed income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest
payments. A fund that invests in fixed income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly-leveraged issuers or in fixed income securities that are not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default) will be subject to greater credit risk. A fund that invests in non-U.S. securities is subject to increased credit risk, for example, because of the difficulties of requiring non-U.S. entities to honor their contractual commitments and because financial reporting and other standards are often less robust in foreign countries.
CURRENCY RISK -- Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that country's economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. These can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs.
DISTRESSED SECURITIES RISK -- Distressed securities are speculative and involve a substantial risk in addition to the risks of investing in high yield bonds. It may be difficult to obtain reliable information as to the true financial condition of the issuer of a distressed security. Distressed securities present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment. The Fund may not receive interest payments on its distressed security investments, and there is a substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. The Fund may incur additional expenses if it is required to seek recovery upon default in the payment of principal or interest. The Fund may lose its entire investment or be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than its original investment. Distressed securities also may be subject to restrictions on resale.
FIXED INCOME RISK -- The market values of fixed income investments change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of rising interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally decrease. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market value fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. During periods of falling interest rates, certain debt obligations with high interest rates may be prepaid (or "called") by the issuer prior to maturity, and during periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations with low interest rates may be extended beyond maturity. Current market conditions may pose heightened risks for the Fund. While the U.S. is experiencing historically low interest rates, recent changes in government policy, including the Federal Reserve ending its quantitative easing program and raising the federal funds rate, have increased the risk that interest rates will rise in the near future. A rise in interest rates may, in turn, increase volatility and reduce liquidity in the fixed income markets, and result in a decline in the value of the fixed income investments held by the Fund. In addition, reductions in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could further decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. As a result of these conditions, the Fund's value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund's liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market.
In addition to these risks, fixed income securities may be subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of either principal or interest.
FOREIGN AND EMERGING MARKETS 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. These risks may be heightened with respect to emerging market countries since political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions are more likely to occur in these countries.
FREQUENT TRADING RISK -- The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading to achieve its investment objective. Frequent buying and selling of investments involves higher trading costs and other expenses and may affect the Fund's performance over time. High rates of portfolio turnover may result in the realization of short-term capital gains and the Fund, therefore, may not be a tax-efficient investment. When distributed to shareholders, such gains will be taxable at ordinary income tax rates and the payment of taxes on these gains could adversely affect your after-tax return on your investment in the Fund. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate may be 100% or more.
HIGH YIELD BOND RISK -- High yield, or "junk," bonds are highly speculative securities that are usually issued by smaller, less creditworthy and/or highly leveraged (indebted) companies. Compared with investment-grade bonds, high yield bonds are considered to carry a greater degree of risk and are considered to be less likely to make payments of interest and principal. In particular, lower-quality high yield bonds are subject to a greater degree of credit risk than higher-quality high yield bonds and may be near default. Market developments and the financial and business conditions of the corporation issuing these securities generally influence their price and liquidity more than changes in interest rates, when compared to investment-grade debt securities.
INTEREST RATE RISK -- As with most funds that invest in fixed income securities, changes in interest rates are a factor that could affect the value of your investment. Rising interest rates tend to cause the prices of fixed income securities (especially those with longer maturities) and the Fund's share price to fall.
The concept of duration is useful in assessing the sensitivity of a fixed income fund to interest rate movements, which are usually the main source of risk for most fixed income funds. Duration measures price volatility by estimating the change in price of a debt security for a 1% change in its yield. For example, a duration of five years means the price of a debt security will change about 5% for every 1% change in its yield. Thus, the longer the duration, the more volatile the security.
Fixed income debt securities have a stated maturity date when the issuer must repay the principal amount of the bond. Some fixed income debt securities, known as callable bonds, may repay the principal earlier than the stated maturity date. Fixed income debt securities are most likely to be called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate.
LIQUIDITY RISK -- Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. The Fund's investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the
illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities.
MARKET RISK -- The market price of securities and other investments owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously.
PAYMENT-IN-KIND SECURITIES RISK -- Payment-in-kind securities carry additional risk as holders of these types of securities realize no cash until the cash payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer defaults, the Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. The market price of pay-in-kind bonds is affected by interest rate changes to a greater extent, and therefore tends to be more volatile, than that of securities which pay interest in cash. Additionally, current federal tax law requires the holder of certain pay-in-kind bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid liability for federal income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.
PREPAYMENT AND EXTENSION RISK -- Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security might be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity. This risk is primarily associated with corporate-backed, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. If a security is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, particularly during a time of declining interest rates or spreads, the Fund may not be able to invest the proceeds in securities providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. Conversely, as interest rates rise or spreads widen, the likelihood of prepayment decreases. The Fund may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads because the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower rate for a longer period of time.
SMALL AND MEDIUM CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- Investing in equity securities of 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 companies, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and the frequent lack of depth of management. Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements. The securities of smaller companies are often traded over-the-counter and, even if listed on a national securities exchange, may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies may be less liquid, may have limited market stability and may be subject to more severe, abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. Further, smaller companies may have less publicly available information and, when available, it may be inaccurate or incomplete.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES RISK -- While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income ("phantom income") annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate
eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND'S BENCHMARK
The Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Constrained Index (HUC0) tracks the performance of below investment grade U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
A description of the Fund's policy and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings is available in the SAI. In addition, the Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings on the internet at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura within 30 days after the end of each calendar month. The Fund also discloses its top ten holdings within ten days after the end of each calendar month on the internet at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura. Beginning on the day after any portfolio holdings information is posted on the internet, such information will be delivered directly to any person that requests it, through electronic or other means. The portfolio holdings information placed at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura generally will remain there until replaced by new postings as described above.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc, a New York corporation with its office located at Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. NAM USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. NAM USA specializes in providing investment management services to segregated institutional client portfolios and investment vehicles. Its client base includes U.S. and Canadian pension plans and investment funds, including U.S. registered funds, operating in North America and/or Japan. NAM USA was established in 1997 through the merger of Nomura Capital Management, Inc. and Nomura Asset Management (U.S.A.) Inc. Nomura Capital Management, Inc. was originally organized in 1976. As of December 31, 2016, NAM USA had approximately $945 million in assets under management.
NAM USA oversees Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc., the sub-adviser to the Fund, to ensure its compliance with the investment policies and guidelines of the Fund, and monitors NCRAM's adherence to its investment style. NAM USA pays NCRAM out of the advisory fee it receives from the Fund. The Board supervises NAM USA and NCRAM and establishes policies that NAM USA and NCRAM must follow in their management activities.
For its services to the Fund, NAM USA is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.50% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. NAM USA has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.575% of the Fund's average daily net assets until January 29, 2018 (the "Expense Limitation"). NAM USA may recover all or a portion of its fee reductions or expense reimbursements within a three-year period from the year in which NAM USA reduced its fee or reimbursed expenses if the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses are below the Expense Limitation. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board for any reason at any time, or (ii) by NAM USA, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 29, 2018. Prior to June 30, 2016, the expense limit for the Fund was 0.65% . For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, NAM USA did not receive any advisory fees (after reductions and expense reimbursements).
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreements is available in the Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders dated September 30, 2016, which covers the period from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016.
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER
The sub-adviser for the Fund, NCRAM, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, subject to the general supervision of the Board and NAM USA and in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions of the Fund. NCRAM is a Delaware corporation with its principal office located at Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019. It is 99% owned by Nomura Holding America Inc. Nomura Holdings, Inc., the ultimate parent company located in Tokyo, Japan, owns the remaining 1%. NCRAM provides investment advisory services to institutional clients and collective investment vehicles. NCRAM commenced operations in 1991. As of December 31, 2016, NCRAM had approximately $18.3 billion in assets under management.
For its services to the Fund, NCRAM is entitled to a fee from NAM USA, which is calculated daily and paid quarterly, at an annual rate of 0.275% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. Prior to December 8, 2016, NCRAM was entitled to a fee from NAM USA, which was calculated daily and paid quarterly, at an annual rate of 0.325% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, NCRAM received advisory fees (after waivers), stated as a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets at an annual rate of 0.313% from NAM USA.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Two individuals at NCRAM share responsibility for managing the Fund. Stephen Kotsen, CFA, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, is the lead portfolio manager for the Fund. David Crall, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, is the other principal member of the team.
Mr. Kotsen has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014 and managed the Predecessor Fund since 2012. Mr. Kotsen joined NCRAM in December 1998 and has been a Portfolio Manager for NCRAM's high yield bond investments since 2000.
Mr. Crall has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014 and managed the Predecessor Fund since 2012. As Chief Investment Officer since January 2010, he leads the investment activities and investment team of NCRAM. He is the Chairman of NCRAM's Investment Committee and Portfolio Manager of the Global High Yield Strategy. He is also on NCRAM's Management Committee and Risk Monitoring Committee, helping to guide the overall business. Previously, he was a portfolio manager and co-head of the high yield bond team at NCRAM, encompassing primarily high yield bonds but also public-side management of loans and distressed investments, since 2000. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager of
various high yield accounts at NCRAM since 1997, and an analyst in the high yield group at NCRAM for various industries since 1992. Mr. Crall received his B.A. from Yale University in 1992. He is a CFA[R] charterholder, a member of the CFA institute, and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.
RELATED PERFORMANCE DATA OF THE SUB-ADVISER
The performance information shown below is a composite of prior performance of all similar discretionary accounts ("NCRAM High Yield Total Return Institutional Composite" or "Composite") managed by NCRAM. The Composite has an investment objective, policies and restrictions that the Adviser believes are substantially similar to those of the Fund, and it has been managed in substantially the same way that the Fund is to be managed by NCRAM.
The Fund's actual performance will vary from the past performance of the Composite. Differences in asset size and cash flows may result in different security selections, differences in relative weightings of securities or differences in prices paid for particular portfolio holdings. The Composite is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements, specific tax restrictions and other requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that the Fund is subject to, which, had they applied, might have adversely affected its performance. In addition, securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the Composite, but the Adviser believes these differences do not alter the conclusion that the Fund and the Composite are substantially similar.
The data is provided to illustrate the past performance of NCRAM in managing substantially similar accounts and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance data as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this data as an indication of future performance of the Fund, NCRAM or of the Adviser. The returns are not intended to predict or suggest the returns that might be experienced by the Fund or an individual investing in the Fund.
The performance figures below show the asset-weighted returns on both a gross and net basis. All returns presented were calculated on a total return basis and include all dividends and interest, accrued income and realized and unrealized gains and losses, and deductions for brokerage commissions and execution costs. The net returns have been adjusted to reflect the operating expenses of the Fund.
NCRAM HIGH YIELD TOTAL RETURN INSTITUTIONAL COMPOSITE AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016
SINCE INCEPTION 1 YEAR 5 YEARS 10 YEARS (10/01/1991) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net (assuming Class I share expense limitation)(1) 19.35% 9.69% 8.67% 10.82% Gross 20.03% 10.32% 9.29% 11.46% Composite Benchmark(2) 17.49% 7.35% 7.45% 8.36% |
(1) Net returns reflect the operating expenses of Class I shares of the Fund and reflect the application of the fee waiver and expense limitation agreement.
(2) The Composite is measured against a blended benchmark which consists of the Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Master Cash Pay Only Index (J0A0) prior to January 1, 2006 and the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Constrained Index (HUC0) (the "BoA Merrill Lynch Index") after that date. The benchmark was changed to better reflect the characteristics of the composite strategy. The BoA Merrill Lynch Index tracks the performance of below investment grade U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market.
PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
This section tells you how to purchase and sell (sometimes called "redeem") shares of the Fund.
Shares of the Fund are for individual and institutional investors who invest at least $250,000.
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
To purchase shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, complete and send in the application. If you need an application or have questions, please call 1-866-777-7818.
All investments must be made by check, Automated Clearing House ("ACH"), or wire. All checks must be made payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. The Fund does not accept purchases made by third-party checks, credit cards, credit card checks, cash, traveler's checks, money orders or cashier's checks.
You may also buy shares through accounts with brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. If you invest through an authorized institution, you will have to follow its procedures, which may be different from the procedures for investing directly. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services, in addition to the fees charged by the Fund. You will also generally have to address your correspondence or questions regarding the Fund to your institution.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase order for any reason. The Fund is not intended for short-term trading by shareholders in response to short-term market fluctuations. For more information about the Fund's policy on short-term trading, see "Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures."
The Fund does not generally accept investments by non-U.S. persons. Non-U.S. persons may be permitted to invest in the Fund subject to the satisfaction of enhanced due diligence. Please contact the Fund for more information.
BY MAIL
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
Nomura High Yield Fund
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
Nomura High Yield Fund
c/o DST Systems, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of purchase orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the purchase order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives the order in proper form at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
BY WIRE
To open an account by wire, call 1-866-777-7818 for details. To add to an existing account by wire, wire your money using the wiring instructions set forth below (be sure to include the Fund name and your account number).
WIRING INSTRUCTIONS
UMB Bank, N.A.
ABA # 101000695
Nomura High Yield Fund
DDA Acct. # 9872013085
Ref: Fund name/account number/account name
PURCHASES IN-KIND
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if the Adviser deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such a transaction 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
You can open an account with a minimum initial investment of $250,000, including an initial purchase through an IRA. Subsequent investments must be at least $1,000. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion.
FUND CODES
The Fund's reference information, which is listed below, will be helpful to you when you contact the Fund to purchase shares, check daily net asset value per share ("NAV"), or obtain additional information.
FUND NAME TICKER SYMBOL CUSIP FUND CODE
Nomura High Yield Fund NPHIX 00771X708 7800
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 when either the NYSE or the Federal Reserve is closed.
The Fund's price per share will be the NAV next determined after the Fund receives your purchase order in proper form. "Proper form" means that the Fund was provided 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 must receive your order in proper form before 4:00
p.m., Eastern Time, that day. If the NYSE closes early -- such as on days in
advance of certain generally observed 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.
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
In addition to being able to buy and sell Fund shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, you may also buy or sell shares of the Fund through accounts with financial intermediaries such as brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. When you purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary (rather than directly from the Fund), you may have to transmit your purchase and sale requests to the financial intermediary at an earlier time for your transaction to become effective that day. This allows the financial intermediary time to process your requests and transmit them to the Fund prior to the time the Fund calculates its NAV that day. Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. If your financial intermediary fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Unless your financial intermediary is an authorized institution (defined below), 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 next computed NAV 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 Trust'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.
With respect to any 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. International securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any international 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 international 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.
There may be limited circumstances in which the Fund would price securities at fair value for stocks of U.S. companies that are traded on U.S. exchanges -- for example, if the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded closed early or if trading in a particular security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time the Fund calculated its NAV.
Other assets for which market quotations are not readily available will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Board.
HOW TO SELL YOUR FUND SHARES
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any Business Day by contacting the Fund directly by mail or telephone at 1-866-777-7818.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
BY MAIL
To redeem shares by mail, please send a letter to the Fund signed by all registered parties on the account specifying:
o The Fund name;
o The account number;
o The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem;
o The account name(s); and
o The address to which redemption (sale) proceeds should be sent.
All registered shareholders must sign the letter in the exact name(s) and must designate any special capacity in which they are registered.
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
Nomura High Yield Fund
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
Nomura High Yield Fund
c/o DST Systems, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of sale orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the sale order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives the order in proper form at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
Certain redemption requests will require a signature guarantee by an eligible guarantor institution. Eligible guarantors include commercial banks, savings and loans, savings banks, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any other member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. For example, signature guarantees may be required if your address of record has changed in the last 30 days, if you want the proceeds sent to a bank other than the bank of record on your account, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address. Please note that a notary public is not an acceptable provider of a signature guarantee and that we must be provided with the original guarantee. Signature guarantees are for the protection of our shareholders. Before it grants a redemption request, the Fund may require a shareholder to furnish additional legal documents to ensure proper authorization.
Accounts held by a corporation, trust, fiduciary or partnership, may require additional documentation along with a signature guaranteed letter of instruction. The Fund participates in the Paperless Legal Program (the "Program"), which eliminates the need for accompanying paper documentation on legal securities transfers. Requests received with a Medallion Signature Guarantee will be reviewed for the proper criteria to meet the guidelines of the Program and may not require additional documentation. Please contact Shareholder Services at 1-866-777-7818 for more information.
The sale price of each share will be the next NAV determined after the Fund (or an authorized broker) receives your request.
BY TELEPHONE
You must first establish the telephone redemption privilege (and, if desired, the wire or ACH redemption privileges) by completing the appropriate sections of the account application. Call 1-866-777-7818 to redeem your shares. Based on your instructions, the Fund will mail your proceeds to you, or send them to your bank via wire or ACH.
RECEIVING YOUR MONEY
Normally, the Fund will send your sale proceeds within seven days after the Fund receives your request. Your proceeds can be wired to your bank account (may be subject to a $10 fee), sent to you by check or sent via ACH to your bank account once you have established banking instructions with the Fund. IF YOU ARE SELLING SHARES THAT WERE RECENTLY PURCHASED BY CHECK OR THROUGH ACH, REDEMPTION PROCEEDS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL YOUR CHECK HAS CLEARED OR THE ACH TRANSACTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED (WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO 15 DAYS FROM YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE).
REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. However, under unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and for the protection of the Fund's remaining shareholders, the Fund might pay all or part of your redemption proceeds in securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption in-kind). The Fund may also redeem in-kind to discourage short term trading of shares. 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 $250,000 because of redemptions, you may be required to sell your shares. If you received your shares as a result of the Reorganization, you will not be subject to the involuntary redemption of your shares. The Fund 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 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). More information about this is in the SAI.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
Purchasing and selling Fund shares over the telephone is extremely convenient, but not without risk. Although the Fund has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers and the authenticity of instructions, the Fund is not responsible for any losses or costs incurred by following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. If you or your financial institution transact with the Fund over the telephone, you will generally bear the risk of any loss.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
From time to time, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and/or their 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, Sub-Adviser's and/or their affiliates' own legitimate profits or other resources. 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. A financial intermediary may provide 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 rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and/or their affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries. For more information please see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in the SAI.
The level of payments made by the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and/or their 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, Sub-Adviser and/or their 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.
In addition to these payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, commissions or 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.
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 (4) "round trips," into or out of the Fund within any calendar year. 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.
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 (subject to certain exceptions as discussed below in "Redemption Fees").
o The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the Fund or the Adviser reasonably believes that the trading activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
The Fund and/or its service providers seek to apply these policies to the best of their abilities uniformly and in a manner they believe is consistent with the interests of the Fund's long-term shareholders. The Fund does not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Fund shareholders. Although these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures alone nor all of them taken together eliminate the possibility that frequent trading in the Fund will occur.
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisers and broker-dealers) often establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for their customers through which transactions are placed. The Fund has entered into "information sharing agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund or its service providers identify omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the Fund or its service providers may, in their sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon a review of that information, if the Fund or its service providers determine that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, they may, in their sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. If the Fund is not satisfied that the intermediary has taken appropriate action, the Fund may terminate the intermediary's ability to transact in Fund shares. When information regarding transactions in the Fund's shares is requested by the Fund and such information is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a financial intermediary (an "indirect intermediary"), any financial intermediary with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
The Fund and its service providers will use reasonable efforts to work with financial intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in omnibus accounts that may be detrimental to the Fund. However, there can be no assurance that the monitoring of omnibus account level trading will enable the Fund to
identify or prevent all such trading by a financial intermediary's customers. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.
REDEMPTION FEE
In an effort to discourage short-term trading and defray costs incurred by shareholders as a result of the same, the Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on redemptions of shares that have been held for less than 30 days. The 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. The fee does not apply to shares purchased with reinvested dividends or distributions. The redemption fee is applicable to shares of the Fund purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. For this reason, the Fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of its obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the Fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from those of the Fund.
The redemption fee may not apply to certain categories of redemptions, such as those that the Fund reasonably believes may not raise frequent trading or market timing concerns. These categories 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) redemptions resulting from certain transfers upon the death of a shareholder; (iii) redemptions by certain pension plans as required by law or by regulatory authorities; (iv) any systematic redemptions; and (v) retirement loans and withdrawals. The Fund reserves the right to modify or eliminate the redemption fee or waivers at any time.
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.
The Fund reserves the right to close or liquidate your account at the next-determined NAV and remit proceeds to you via check if it is unable to verify your identity. Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund. Further, the Fund reserves the right to hold your proceeds until your original check clears the bank, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. In such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax implications.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund's overall
obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted
an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from
being used for money laundering or the financing of illegal activities. In
this regard, the Fund reserves the right to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any
purchase order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or
(iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or
suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in
the sole discretion of Fund management, they are deemed to be in the best
interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do
so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at
the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive
proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Each state has unclaimed property rules that generally provide for escheatment (or transfer) to the state of unclaimed property under various circumstances. Such circumstances include inactivity (e.g., no owner-initiated contact for a certain period), returned mail (e.g., when mail sent to a shareholder is returned by the post office, or "RPO," as undeliverable), or a combination of both inactivity and returned mail. Once it flags property as unclaimed, the Fund will attempt to contact the shareholder, but if that attempt is unsuccessful, the account may be considered abandoned and escheated to the state. More information on unclaimed property and how to maintain an active account is available through your state or by calling 1-866-777-7818.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund distributes its net investment income monthly and makes distributions of its net realized capital gains, if any, 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
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR FOR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAX EFFECTS OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE FUND. The following is a summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund. This summary does not apply to shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plan, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future.
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, whether in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund may be subject to federal, state, and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. 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. Long-term capital gains distributions and distributions that are reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains and currently set at a maximum tax rate for individuals at 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 shares of the Fund may be a taxable event. A sale may result in a capital gain or loss to you. The gain or loss generally will be treated as short term if you held the shares 12 months or less, long term if you held the shares for longer.
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 purchases of Fund shares. In addition to reporting the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) 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 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 their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about cost basis reporting. Shareholders also should carefully review any 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.
To the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of 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.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TAXES IS IN THE SAI.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The table that follows presents performance information about the Fund. This information is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the period of the Fund's operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the years ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund. The financial statements and the unqualified opinion of Ernst & Young LLP are included in the 2016 Annual Report of the Fund, which is available upon request by calling the Fund at 1-866-777-7818.
The financial information shown below includes that of the Class I shares of the Predecessor Fund for the periods prior to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014. The Predecessor Fund is the accounting survivor of the Reorganization. Information for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, and the fiscal period ended September 30, 2013 was audited by a different independent registered public accounting firm.
SELECTED PER SHARE DATA & RATIOS
FOR A SHARE OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD
CLASS I SHARES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YEAR ENDED YEAR ENDED YEAR ENDED PERIOD SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER ENDED 30, 2016 30, 2015(1) 30, 2014(1) SEPTEMBER 30, 2013(1)(2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period $8.95 $10.24 $10.23 $10.00 ------ ------ ------ ------ Income from Operations: Net Investment Income(3) 0.58 0.65 0.65 0.51 Net Realized and Unrealized 0.46 (1.11) 0.20 0.22 Gain/(Loss) on Investments ------ ------ ------ ------ Total from Operations 1.04 (0.46) 0.85 0.73 ------ ------ ------ ------ Redemption Fees(3) (4) -- -- -- -- ------ ------ ------ ------ Dividends and Distributions from: Net Investment Income (0.57)^ (0.65) (0.70) (0.50) Net Realized Gains -- (0.18) (0.14) -- ------ ------ ------ ------ Total Dividends and Distributions (0.57) (0.83) (0.84) (0.50) ------ ------ ------ ------ Net Asset Value, End of Period $9.42 $8.95 $10.24 $10.23 ====== ====== ====== ====== TOTAL RETURN+ 12.15% (4.79)% 8.50% 7.39% ====== ====== ====== ====== RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands) $94,197 $34,075 $50,820 $48,030 Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (including waivers and 0.61% 0.71% 0.85% 0.85%* reimbursements) Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (excluding waivers and 1.49% 2.95% 2.60% 2.60%* reimbursements) Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 6.37% 6.62% 6.24% 6.71%* Portfolio Turnover Rate 116% 106% 114% 148%** |
(1) ON DECEMBER 8, 2014, THE HIGH YIELD FUND, A SERIES OF NOMURA PARTNERS
FUNDS, INC. (THE "PREDECESSOR FUND") WAS REORGANIZED INTO THE ADVISORS'
INNER CIRCLE FUND III NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND. CLASS A, CLASS C AND CLASS I
SHARES OF THE PREDECESSOR FUND WERE EXCHANGED ON A TAX-FREE BASIS FOR CLASS
I SHARES OF THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND.
INFORMATION PRESENTED PRIOR TO DECEMBER 8, 2014 IS THAT OF THE PREDECESSOR
FUND. SEE NOTE 1 IN THE "NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS" IN THE FUND'S 2016
ANNUAL REPORT.
(2) THE PREDECESSOR FUND COMMENCED OPERATIONS ON DECEMBER 27, 2012.
(3) PER SHARE DATA CALCULATED USING AVERAGE SHARES METHOD.
(4) VALUE IS LESS THAN $0.01 PER SHARE.
+ TOTAL RETURN IS FOR THE PERIOD INDICATED AND HAS NOT BEEN ANNUALIZED.
RETURN SHOWN DOES NOT REFLECT THE DEDUCTIONS OF TAXES THAT A SHAREHOLDER
WOULD PAY ON FUND DISTRIBUTIONS OR THE REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES. TOTAL
RETURN WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER HAD THE ADVISER NOT WAIVED ITS FEE AND/OR
REIMBURSED OTHER EXPENSES.
^ INCLUDES A RETURN OF CAPITAL OF LESS THAN $0.01 PER SHARE.
* ANNUALIZED
** NOT ANNUALIZED
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc.
SUB-ADVISER
Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc.
DISTRIBUTOR
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1701 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
More information about the Fund is available, without charge, through the following:
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ("SAI"): The SAI, dated January 28, 2017, as it may be amended from time to time, includes detailed information about The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III and the Fund. The SAI is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "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: These reports list the Fund's holdings and contain information from the Fund's portfolio managers about investment strategies, and recent market conditions and trends and their impact on Fund performance. The reports also contain detailed financial information about the Fund.
TO OBTAIN AN SAI, ANNUAL OR SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, OR MORE INFORMATION:
BY TELEPHONE: 1-866-777-7818
BY MAIL: Nomura High Yield Fund P.O. Box 219009 Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9009 BY INTERNET: The Fund does not have a website, but you can obtain the SAI, Annual or Semi-Annual Report by mail or telephone. FROM THE SEC: You can also obtain the SAI or the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports |
for the Fund, 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.
NAM-PS-001-0400
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
NOMURA HIGH YIELD FUND
(TICKER SYMBOL: NPHIX)
A SERIES OF THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
JANUARY 28, 2017
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
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 Nomura High Yield Fund (the "Fund"). This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated January 28, 2017, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. The Fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, including notes thereto and the report of Ernst & Young LLP thereon, as contained in the Fund's 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders, are incorporated by reference into and deemed to be part of this SAI. A copy of the Fund's 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders must accompany the delivery of this SAI. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Prospectus or Annual Report free of charge by writing to the Fund at Nomura High Yield Fund, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Nomura High Yield Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or calling the Fund at 1-866-777-7818.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST ................................................................. S-1 DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS ...................................... S-1 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS .................................................... S-25 THE ADVISER ............................................................... S-28 THE SUB-ADVISER ........................................................... S-29 THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS .................................................... S-29 THE ADMINISTRATOR ......................................................... S-30 THE DISTRIBUTOR ........................................................... S-31 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ...................................... S-31 THE TRANSFER AGENT ........................................................ S-32 THE CUSTODIAN ............................................................. S-32 INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ............................. S-32 LEGAL COUNSEL ............................................................. S-32 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST ........................................ S-33 PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES ........................................... S-40 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE .......................................... S-41 TAXES ..................................................................... S-42 FUND TRANSACTIONS ......................................................... S-49 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ........................................................ S-51 DESCRIPTION OF SHARES ..................................................... S-52 LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY ......................................... S-52 PROXY VOTING .............................................................. S-53 CODES OF ETHICS ........................................................... S-53 5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS ................................................... S-53 APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS ...................................... A-1 APPENDIX B -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ........................ B-1 January 28, 2017 NAM-SX-001-0300 |
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.
HISTORY OF THE FUND. The Fund is the successor to the High Yield Fund (the "Predecessor Fund"), a series of Nomura Partners Funds, Inc. The Predecessor Fund was managed by Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc., the Predecessor Fund's investment adviser ("NAM USA" or the "Adviser"), and Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc., the Predecessor Fund's sub-adviser ("NCRAM" or the "Sub-Adviser"). The Predecessor Fund had substantially similar investment objectives, strategies, policies and restrictions as those of the Fund. The Fund acquired the assets and assumed the historical performance of the Predecessor Fund on December 8, 2014 (the "Reorganization")
VOTING RIGHTS. Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date for the meeting. The Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to it. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of members of the Board of Trustees (each, a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Trustees" or the "Board") under certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or of another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Declaration of Trust, without the approval of shareholders of any series.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The Fund is classified as a "diversified" investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. The following
are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Fund and the associated risk factors. The Fund may invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices unless such investment or activity is inconsistent with or is not permitted by the Fund's stated investment policies, including those stated below.
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ("ADRS"). ADRs, as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a "depository" and may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
For purposes of the Fund's investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.
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 purchases equity securities traded on global securities exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:
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 WARRANTS. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
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:
* Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services;
* Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and
* Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (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 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.
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.
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:
* 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;
* 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;
* 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;
* 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
* 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.
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 those concerning domestic companies.
STOCK EXCHANGE AND MARKET RISK. The Sub-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:
* Are generally more volatile than, and not as developed or efficient as, those in the United States;
* Have substantially less volume;
* Trade securities that tend to be less liquid and experience rapid and erratic price movements;
* Have generally higher commissions and are subject to set minimum rates, as opposed to negotiated rates;
* Employ trading, settlement and custodial practices less developed than those in U.S. markets; and
* 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:
* 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;
* 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;
* In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States;
* Over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated;
* Economic or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and may make it difficult for shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and
* 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:
* It may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa;
* Complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies, including the U.S. dollar, and their exchange rates;
* 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;
* 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;
* 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
* 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.
EMERGING 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:
* Have relatively unstable governments;
* Present greater risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets;
* Offer less protection of property rights than more developed countries; and
* 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.
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"), Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's") or Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch") or determined by the Sub-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.
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.
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 each of S&P, Moody's and Fitch, or, if not rated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Sub-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 or higher by Moody's or BBB- or higher by S&P or Fitch 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 or Fitch 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 Sub-Adviser will review the situation and take appropriate action with regard to the security, including the actions discussed below.
DEBT SECURITIES. Corporations and governments use debt securities to borrow money from investors. Most debt securities promise a variable or fixed rate of return and repayment of the amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest and are purchased at a discount from their face value.
TYPES OF DEBT SECURITIES:
o CORPORATE BONDS. Corporations issue bonds and notes to raise money for working capital or for capital expenditures such as plant construction, equipment purchases and expansion. In return for the money loaned to the corporation by investors, the corporation promises to pay investors interest, and repay the principal amount of the bond or note.
o 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 Sub-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 through an assignment or participation.
The Fund will participate in assignments and participations and will not act as a direct lender; therefore it will not have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and may not participate in structuring the loan, may not enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may not 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 than those that would have been involved if the Fund had purchased a direct obligation of such borrower.
Assignments and loan participations may be considered liquid, as determined by the Sub-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. To the extent that extended settlement creates short-term liquidity needs, the Fund may satisfy these needs by holding additional cash or selling other investments (potentially at an inopportune time, which could result in losses to the Fund).
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 Sub-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 Sub-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 Sub-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 Sub-Adviser's abilities to assess the desirability of proposed consents, waivers or amendments with respect to certain bank loans may be compromised if they are not privy to available Confidential Information. The Sub-Adviser may also determine to receive such Confidential Information in certain circumstances under its applicable policies and procedures. If the Sub-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.
BRIDGE LOANS. Bridge loans or bridge facilities are short-term loan arrangements (e.g., 12 to 18 months) typically made by a borrower in anticipation of intermediate-term or long-term permanent financing. Most bridge loans are structured as floating-rate debt with step-up provisions under which the interest rate on the bridge loan rises the longer the loan remains outstanding and may be converted into senior exchange notes if the loan has not been prepaid in full on or prior to its maturity date. Bridge loans may be subordinate to other debt and may be secured or unsecured. Bridge loans are generally made with the expectation that the borrower will be able to obtain permanent financing in the near future. Any delay in obtaining permanent financing subjects the bridge loan investor to increased risk. A borrower with an outstanding bridge loan may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair
the borrower's perceived creditworthiness. From time to time, the Fund may make a commitment to participate in a bridge loan facility, obligating itself to participate in the facility if it funds. In return for this commitment, the Fund receives a fee.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with
financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a
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 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 net assets. The investments of the Fund in
repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the
Sub-Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.
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.
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 an interest rate) 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.
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 or Sub-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.
* 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:
* Allowing it to expire and losing its entire premium;
* 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
* Closing it out in the secondary market at its current price.
* 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, it 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:
* The underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying security without additional consideration), index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract;
* A call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser exercise price;
* 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;
* Cash or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the optioned securities, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract; or
* 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:
* Entering into a short position in the underlying security;
* Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract with the same or greater exercise price;
* 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
* Maintaining the entire exercise price in liquid securities.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* COMBINED POSITIONS
The Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, 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.
STRADDLES AND SPREADS. The Fund, for hedging purposes, may enter into straddles and spreads. In "spread" transactions, the Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. In "straddles," the Fund purchases a put option and a call option or writes a put option and a call option on the same instrument with the same expiration date and typically the same exercise price. When the Fund engages in spread and straddle transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. Because these transactions require the Fund to buy and/or write more than one option simultaneously, the Fund's ability to enter into such transactions and to liquidate its positions when necessary or deemed advisable may be more limited than if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option. Similarly, costs incurred by the Fund in connection with these transactions will in many cases be greater than if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option.
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:
* Current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
* 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
* 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:
* Have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
* Have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
* Not be able to hedge its investments; and/or
* 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:
* 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;
* Unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
* The facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
* Equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
* 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 Sub-Adviser to forecast stock market and interest rate trends. If the Sub-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 Sub-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 Sub-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 does 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:
* Actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
* Fiscal and monetary policies; and
* 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 that 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 Sub-Adviser determines the liquidity of the Fund's investments. In determining the liquidity of the Fund's investments, the Sub-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 NAM USA 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, NCRAM 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 in which the Fund may invest to NAM USA.
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. The Fund will not sell a security short if, as a result of such short sale, the aggregate market value of all securities sold short exceeds 10% of the Fund's total assets. This limitation does not apply to short sales against the box.
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 Sub-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
In addition to the investment objective of the Fund, 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.
The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
2. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
3. Purchase physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments.
4. Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.
5. Purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies which deal in real estate or mortgages or investments secured by real estate or interests therein, except that the Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of securities.
6. Make loans to other persons except (i) loans of portfolio securities, and
(ii) to the extent that entry into repurchase agreements and the purchase
of debt instruments or interests in indebtedness in accordance with the
Fund's investment objective and policies may be deemed to be loans.
7. Concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The following limitations are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets, except (i) for temporary or emergency purposes, and (ii) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements or other investments or transactions described in the Fund's registration statement which may be deemed to be borrowings.
2. Enter into either of reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets.
3. Purchase securities on margin or make short sales, except (i) short sales against the box, (ii) in connection with arbitrage transactions, (iii) for margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options or other permitted investments, (iv) that transactions in futures contracts and options shall not be deemed to constitute selling securities short, and (v) that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of securities transactions.
4. Lend portfolio securities.
5. Purchase illiquid securities (including repurchase agreements of more than seven days' duration, certain restricted securities, and other securities which are not readily marketable), if, as a result, such securities would represent, at the time of purchase, more than 15% of the value of the Fund's net assets.
6. Invest less than 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in high yield bonds that are rated below investment grade by Moody's, S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by NCRAM.
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
BORROWING. The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed, but excluding temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are fully collateralized in a manner that does not involve the prohibited issuance of a "senior security" within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, shall not be regarded as borrowings for the purposes of the Fund's investment restriction. Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act permits an investment company to borrow only from banks.
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. For purposes of the Fund's concentration policy, the Fund may classify and re-classify companies in a particular industry and define and re-define industries in any reasonable manner.
DIVERSIFICATION. Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a "diversified company," as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by a fund.
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.
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.
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.
Except with respect to Fund policies 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. NAM USA, a New York corporation with its office located at Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. ("NAM Tokyo"). NAM USA provides global investment advisory services to North American institutional clients and pooled investment vehicles. As of December 31, 2016, NAM USA had approximately $945 million in assets under management.
ADVISORY AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and NAM USA have entered into an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Under the Advisory Agreement, NAM USA 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 Trustees.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must
be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or
by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; and
(ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the
Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory
Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is
terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees or by a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by NAM USA on not less than 30
days' nor more than 60 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 to the Fund, NAM USA is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.50% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. NAM USA has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.575% of the Fund's average daily net assets until January 29, 2018 (the "Expense Limitation"). NAM USA may recover all or a portion of its fee reductions or expense reimbursements within a three-year period from the year in which NAM USA reduced its fee or reimbursed expenses if the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses are below the Expense Limitation. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board for any reason at any time, or (ii) by NAM USA, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 29, 2018. Prior to June 30, 2016, the expense limit for the Fund was 0.65%.
For the fiscal year or period ended September 30, 2015 and 2016, the Fund paid the following investment advisory fees to NAM USA:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACTUAL FEES WAIVED BY TOTAL FEES PAID ADVISORY FEES ADVISER(2) (AFTER WAIVERS) TO ADVISER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015(1) 2016 2015(1) 2016 2015(1) 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $166,347 $214,605 $166,347 $241,605 $0 $0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Reflects the fiscal period from the Reorganization on December 8, 2014 to September 30, 2015.
(2) For the fiscal period from the Reorganization on December 8, 2014 to September 30, 2015 and the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Adviser additionally reimbursed fees of $221,442 and $161,230, respectively, to maintain the stated expense cap under its contractual expense limitation agreement with the Fund.
For its services to the Predecessor Fund, NAM USA was entitled to a fee, which was calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.65% based on the average daily net assets of the Predecessor Fund. For the fiscal year or period ended September 30, 2014 and 2015, the Predecessor Fund paid the following investment advisory fees to NAM USA:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACTUAL FEES WAIVED BY TOTAL FEES PAID ADVISORY FEES ADVISER(2) (AFTER WAIVERS) TO ADVISER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 2015(1) 2014 2015(1) 2014 2015(1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $362,286 $66,762 $362,286 $66,762 $0 $0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Reflects the fiscal period from October 1, 2014 to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014.
(2) For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 and the fiscal period from October 1, 2014 to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014, the Adviser additionally reimbursed fees of $610,856 and $503,492, respectively, to maintain the stated expense cap under its contractual expense limitation agreement with the Predecessor Fund.
THE SUB-ADVISER
GENERAL. NCRAM, a Delaware corporation with its principal office located at Worldwide Plaza, 309 West 49th Street, New York, New York 10019, is a professional investment management firm registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. NCRAM provides investment advisory services to institutional clients and collective investment vehicles. It is 99% owned by Nomura Holding America Inc. Nomura Holdings Inc. ("NHI"), the ultimate parent company located in Tokyo, Japan, owns the remaining 1%. As of December 31, 2016, NCRAM had approximately $18.3 billion in assets under management.
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT. NCRAM and NAM USA have entered into an investment sub-advisory agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement"). Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, NCRAM serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Fund, makes investment decisions for the Fund and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of, and policies established by, NAM USA and the Board. After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-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 voting securities of the Fund, by NAM USA on not less than 30 days' nor more than 60 days' written notice to NCRAM, or by NCRAM on not less than 30 days' nor more than 60 days' written notice to NAM USA.
SUB-ADVISORY FEES. For the services provided pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, NCRAM receives an annual fee from NAM USA at an annual rate of 0.275% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to December 8, 2016, NCRAM was entitled to an annual fee from NAM USA at an annual rate of 0.325% of the Fund's average daily net assets. From July 1, 2016 to December 7, 2016, NCRAM voluntarily agreed to reduce its fee to an annual rate of 0.275% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, NAM USA paid investment sub-advisory fees to NCRAM, the Predecessor Fund's sub-adviser, in the amount of $181,143. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, NAM USA paid investment sub-advisory fees to NCRAM for its management of the Fund and the Predecessor Fund in the amount of $141,507. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, NAM USA paid investment sub-advisory fees (after waivers) to NCRAM for its management of the Fund in the amount of $129,000.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
This section includes information about the Fund's portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.
COMPENSATION. Remuneration within NCRAM consists of a fixed amount which includes base salary and benefits together with a variable performance-related amount. The remuneration policy of NCRAM is, inter alia, aimed at preventing and controlling the risk of unfair treatment of clients.
The fixed remuneration is based on standards established by Nomura Holding America Inc.
The variable performance-related remuneration is based upon a portfolio manager's performance as compared to agreed objectives which may include financial and non-financial performance measures, risk management and other relevant factors. There is also a subjective component. Another significant factor in the variable portion of compensation is the overall corporate performance and profitability of NCRAM and the Nomura Group. Determination of variable performance-related compensation is sufficiently flexible to reward short and long term individual performance. When an employee's total compensation (fixed plus variable remuneration) exceeds certain limits, such employee must participate in the NHI remuneration deferral scheme which links such employee's deferred compensation award to the performance of NHI shares, in part, and global equity indices, in part. Also, in the case of certain portfolio managers, a portion of their deferred compensation may be linked to the performance of certain products managed by NCRAM.
Therefore, total compensation may consist of three elements: base salary, cash bonus and deferred bonus (via deferral vehicles, typically vesting over three years and linked to various instruments as described above). Total compensation of each portfolio manager is determined by the Chief Executive Officer of NCRAM.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount range of each 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"). As of September 30, 2016, the portfolio managers did not own beneficially any securities issued by the Fund.
OTHER ACCOUNTS. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers may also be responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as indicated by the following table. 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) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Kotsen, CFA 2 $516.9 10 $5,798.4 28(1) $6,662.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Crall, CFA 2 $516.9 6(2) $942.9 0 $0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
(1) Includes 4 accounts with assets under management of approximately $1,756.4
million that are subject to performance-based advisory fees.
(2) Includes 3 accounts with assets under management of approximately $474.3
million that are subject to performance-based advisory fees.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest may arise where a portfolio manager has day-to-day responsibilities with respect to more than one account. These conflicts include the following: (i) the process for allocation of investments among multiple accounts for which a particular investment may be appropriate, (ii) allocation of a portfolio manager's time and attention among relevant accounts, and (iii) circumstances where NCRAM has an incentive fee arrangement or other interest with respect to one account that does not exist with respect to other accounts.
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"). 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. For the fiscal year or period ended September 30, 2015 and 2016, the Fund paid the following amount for these services:
2015(1) 2016 ------------------------ $101,714 $125,000 ------------------------ |
(1) Reflects the period from the Reorganization on December 8, 2014 to September 30, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Predecessor Fund paid administration fees to its administrator in the amount of $162,690. For the fiscal the period from October 1, 2014 to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014, the Predecessor Fund paid administration fees to its administrator in the amount of $30,170.
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 (the "Distribution Agreement"). 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 outstanding voting securities 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 voting securities of the Trust, upon not more than 60 days' written notice by either party.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and/or their 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, the Sub-Adviser and/or their 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, the Sub-Adviser and/or their affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
Investors should understand that some financial intermediaries may also charge their clients fees in connection with purchases of shares or the provision of shareholder services.
THE TRANSFER AGENT
DST Systems, Inc., 333 West 11(th) Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 (the "Transfer Agent"), serves as the Fund's transfer agent.
THE CUSTODIAN
MUFG Union Bank, N.A., 350 California Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104 (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, PA 19103, serves as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. The financial statements and notes thereto incorporated by reference have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are incorporated by reference in reliance on the authority of their report as experts in accounting and auditing.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1701 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 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 NAM USA, NCRAM, 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., NAM USA and NCRAM are 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 funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time certain of the fund's service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the 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, reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in other investment companies, if any.
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Trust's Fair Value Pricing Committee makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements,
focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the funds' advisers and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. There are five members of the Board, four of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Mr. Doran, an interested person of the Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Hunt, an independent Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute more than three-quarters of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from fund management.
The Board has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and the Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board has a lead independent Trustee.
In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Hunt, among other things: (i) presides over Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board; (ii) presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; (iii) along with the Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings; (iv) facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and among the independent Trustees; (v) serves as a key point person for dealings between the independent Trustees and management; and (vi) has such other responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to time.
Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee. There is no stated term of office for the Trustees. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ POSITION WITH TRUST PRINCIPAL NAME AND YEAR OF AND LENGTH OF TIME OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE BIRTH SERVED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William M. Doran Chairman of the Self-Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of (Born: 1940) Board of Trustees(1) Consultant since 2003. The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, (since 2014) Partner at Morgan, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Lewis & Bockius LLP Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, (law firm) from 1976 Winton Series Trust, Winton to 2003. Counsel to the Diversified Opportunities Fund Trust, SEI (closed-end investment company), Investments, SIMC, Gallery Trust, SEI Daily Income the Administrator and Trust, SEI Institutional International the Distributor. Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Director of SEI Investments (Europe), Limited, SEI Investments--Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Asia), Limited, SEI Global Nominee Ltd., SEI Investments -- Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited and SEI Investments Co. Director of the Distributor since 2003. Former Directorships: Director of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP to 2013. Trustee of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. 2013. Managing Director and Chief Former Directorships: Trustee of Operating Officer, O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end CCM from 1998 to investment company) to 2016. 2012. Member of Independent Committee of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Directorship: 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. 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. The Governance
Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The
principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee include: (i)
considering and reviewing Board governance and compensation issues;
(ii) conducting a self-assessment of the Board's operations; (iii)
selecting and nominating all persons to serve as independent Trustees
and evaluating the qualifications of "interested" Trustee candidates;
and (iv) reviewing shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill
vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are submitted in
writing and addressed to the Committee at the Trust's office. Mr.
Hunt, Mr. Lemke, Mr. Nadel and Mr. Yanker currently serve as members
of the Governance Committee. Mr. Lemke serves as the Chairman of the
Governance Committee. The Governance Committee meets periodically, as
necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently completed
fiscal year.
FAIR VALUE PRICING COMMITTEE. The Board has also established a standing Fair Value Pricing Committee that is composed of various representatives of the Trust's service providers, as appointed by the Board. The Fair Value Pricing Committee operates under procedures approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Fair Value Pricing Committee is to determine the fair value of securities for which current market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee's determinations are reviewed by the Board.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY BOARD MEMBERS. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOLLAR RANGE OF AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF SHARES NAME FUND SHARES (FUND)(1) (ALL FUNDS IN THE FUND COMPLEX) (1,2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERESTED TRUSTEE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William M. Doran None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon C. Hunt None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thomas P. Lemke None $10,001 - $50,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay C. Nadel None None ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Randall S. Yanker None None ------------------ --------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ |
(1) Valuation date is December 31, 2016.
(2) The Trust is the only investment company in the Fund Complex.
BOARD COMPENSATION. The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PENSION OR RETIREMENT BENEFITS ACCRUED ESTIMATED ANNUAL TOTALCOMPENSATION AGGREGATE COMPENSATION AS PART OF BENEFITS UPON FROM THE TRUST NAME FROM THE TRUST FUND EXPENSES RETIREMENT AND 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 $35,899 N/A N/A $35,899 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas P. Lemke $35,899 N/A N/A $35,899 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jay C. Nadel(2) $19,351 N/A N/A $19,351 for service on one (1) board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randall S. Yanker $35,899 N/A N/A $35,899 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, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as executive officers of the Trust. There is no stated term of office for the officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust for his services.
Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one or more mutual funds for which SEI Investments Company or its affiliates act as investment manager, administrator or distributor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND YEAR POSITION WITH TRUST AND LENGTH OF PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OF BIRTH TIME SERVED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Beattie President Director of Client Service, SEI Investments (Born: 1965) (since 2014) Company, since 2004. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert Nesher Vice Chairman SEI employee 1974 to present; currently performs (Born: 1946) (since 2014) various services on behalf of SEI Investments for which Mr. Nesher is compensated. Vice Chairman of Winton Series Trust, Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) and Gallery Trust. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. President and Director of SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP. President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP, June 2007 to September 2013. President and Director of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010. Vice Chairman of O'Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND YEAR POSITION WITH TRUST AND LENGTH OF PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OF BIRTH TIME SERVED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Connors Treasurer, Controller and Chief Director, SEI Investments, Fund Accounting since (Born: 1984) Financial Officer December 2014. Audit Manager, Deloitte & (since 2015) Touche LLP, from 2011 to 2014. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dianne M. Vice President and Secretary Counsel at SEI Investments since 2010. Associate Descoteaux (since 2014) at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP from 2006 to (Born: 1977) 2010. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Russell Emery Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Structured Credit (Born: 1962) (since 2014) Fund, LP since June 2007. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP from June 2007 to September 2013. Chief Compliance Officer of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, Winton Series Trust, Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed- end investment company), Gallery Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI 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) to 2016. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lisa Whittaker Vice President and Assistant Secretary Attorney, SEI Investments Company (2012- (Born: 1978) (since 2014) present). Associate Counsel and Compliance Officer, The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A. (2011-2012). Associate, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-2011). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John Y. Kim Vice President and Assistant Secretary Attorney, SEI Investments Company (2014- (Born: 1981) (since 2014) present). Associate, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (2009-2014). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bridget E. Sudall Privacy Officer Senior Associate and AML Officer, Morgan (Born: 1980) (since 2015) Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (2011- 2015). Investor Services Team Lead, Morgan Anti-Money Laundering Officer Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (2007- (since 2015) 2011). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Purchases and redemptions may be made through the Transfer Agent on any day the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business. Shares of the Fund are offered and redeemed on a continuous basis. Currently, the Trust is closed for business when the following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is currently the Trust's policy to pay all redemptions in cash. The Trust retains the right, however, to alter this policy to provide for redemptions in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. Shareholders may incur brokerage charges on the sale of any such securities so received in payment of redemptions.
The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption and/or to postpone the date of payment upon redemption during times when the NYSE is closed, other than during customary weekends or holidays, for any period on which trading on the NYSE is restricted (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation), or during the existence of an emergency (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation) as a result of which disposal or valuation of the Fund's securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC has by order permitted. The Trust also reserves the right to suspend sales of shares of the Fund for any period during which the NYSE, the Adviser, the Sub-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. The following discussion is based on the valuation procedures of the Trust.
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 INSTRUMENTS. 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.
USE OF THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT PRICING AGENTS. 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 its
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 its 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 Sub-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 may be 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. The Fund's trading strategies may significantly limit its
ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend
income.
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 are currently taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. The Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund.
In the case of corporate shareholders, the Fund's distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividend-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. The Fund's trading strategies may significantly limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
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 its tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held your shares for a full year, the Fund may report 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 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 Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders the cost basis information for purchases of Fund shares. In addition to the requirement to report the gross
proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund is also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, the Fund will permit Fund 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 with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about cost basis reporting. Shareholders also should carefully review any 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.
With respect to investments in STRIPS, treasury receipts, and other zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the Fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because the Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income to its shareholders, the Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Sub-Adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.
Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by the Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.
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 stock 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.
TAX-EXEMPT SHAREHOLDERS. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified
pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements,
401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal
income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income
("UBTI"). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being
realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the
foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an
investment in the Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual
interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits ("REMICs"), (ii) the Fund
invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool ("TMP") or that has a
subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC,
or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of
the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code.
Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult
their tax advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and
prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly
encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at a 28% withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who: (i) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all; (ii) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends; (iii) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding; or (iv) has failed to certify to the Fund that the shareholder is a U.S. person (including a resident alien).
NON-U.S. INVESTORS. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest-related dividend" or a "short-term capital gain dividend," which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as "FATCA" (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays, 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.
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 rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that the Fund will not be liable for any corporate income 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 distribution 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 or Sub-Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser or Sub-Adviser that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions.
For the fiscal year or period ended September 30, 2015 and 2016, the Fund paid the following aggregate brokerage commissions on Fund transactions:
2015(1) 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $0 $0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Reflects the period from the Reorganization on December 8, 2014 to September 30, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Predecessor Fund paid aggregate brokerage commissions on fund transactions in the amount of $26.70. For the fiscal period from October 1, 2014 to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014, the Predecessor Fund paid aggregate brokerage commissions on fund transactions in the amount of $0.
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, NCRAM may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to NCRAM. NCRAM 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 NCRAM, 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, NCRAM 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, NCRAM 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 NCRAM 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. NCRAM may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by NCRAM in connection with the Fund or any other specific client account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by NCRAM will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by NCRAM under the Sub-Advisory Agreement. Any sub-advisory or other fees paid to NCRAM are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.
In some cases NCRAM may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, NCRAM 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 NCRAM 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, NCRAM faces a potential conflict of interest, but NCRAM 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 Sub-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 Sub-Adviser with research services. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("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).
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund paid no commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provided research or other brokerage services to NAM USA or NCRAM.
BROKERAGE WITH FUND AFFILIATES. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, NAM USA or NCRAM 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.
For the fiscal period from the Reorganization on December 8, 2014 to September 30, 2015, the Fund did not pay any brokerage commissions on Fund transactions effected by affiliated brokers. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund did not pay any brokerage commissions on Fund transactions effected by affiliated brokers.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 and for the fiscal period from October 1, 2014 to the Reorganization on December 8, 2014, the Predecessor Fund did not pay any brokerage commissions on fund transactions effected by affiliated brokers.
NCRAM may purchase investments (including Rule 144A securities) for the Fund from a third party unaffiliated with Nomura Securities International, Inc., an affiliate of NAM USA and NCRAM, or any of its affiliates (collectively, "NSI") where NSI is a member or manager of the underwriting syndicate. NCRAM will not purchase investments for the Fund directly from NSI.
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. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund held securities of its "regular brokers or dealers" as follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME OF BROKER/DEALER TYPE OF SECURITY HELD DOLLAR AMOUNT AT FYE (000) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bank of America Debt $1,286 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barclays Debt $833 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JP Morgan Debt $560 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citigroup Debt $554 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wells Fargo Debt $79 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goldman Sachs Debt $76 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oppenheimer Debt $19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citigroup Equity $50 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cowen Equity $36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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.
For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 and 2016, the portfolio turnover rates for the Fund were as follows:
2015 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 106% 116% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 Fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person of the Fund, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their 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 reports at least quarterly to the Board regarding the implementation of such policies and procedures.
Pursuant to applicable law, the Fund is required to disclose its complete portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter (currently, each December 31, March 31, June 30 and September 30). The Fund discloses a complete schedule of investments in each Semi-Annual Report and Annual Report to Fund shareholders following the second and fourth fiscal quarters and in quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q following the first and third fiscal quarters. Semi-Annual and Annual Reports are distributed to Fund shareholders. Quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q 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. In addition, the Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings on the internet at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura within 30 days after the end of each calendar month. The Fund also discloses its top ten holdings within ten days after the end of each calendar month on the internet at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura. Beginning on the day after any portfolio holdings information is posted on the internet, such information will be delivered directly to any person that requests it, through electronic or other means. The portfolio holdings information placed at http://aicfundholdings.com/nomura generally will remain there until replaced by new postings as described above.
The Fund's policies and procedures provide that the Authorized Person may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information to third parties at differing times and/or with different lag times than the information posted to the internet, provided that the recipient is, either by contractual agreement or otherwise by law, (i) required to maintain the confidentiality of the information and (ii) prohibited from using the information to facilitate or assist in any securities transactions or investment program. The Fund will review a third party's request for portfolio holdings information to determine whether the third party has legitimate business objectives in requesting such 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, Adviser, Sub-Adviser and their affiliates or recipients of the Fund's portfolio holdings information.
In addition, the Fund's service providers, such as the Custodian, Administrator and Transfer Agent, may receive portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with their services to the Fund. In addition to any contractual provisions relating to confidentiality of information that may be included in the service providers' contracts with the Trust, these arrangements impose obligations on the Fund's service providers that would prohibit them from disclosing or trading on the Fund's non-public information. Financial printers and pricing information vendors may receive portfolio holdings information, as necessary, in connection with their services to the Fund.
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 responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to NAM USA, who in turn has delegated the responsibility to NCRAM. NCRAM 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 1-866-777-7818; 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, NAM USA, NCRAM, 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 of Ethics 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
As of January 4, 2017, the following persons were the only persons who were record owners (or to the knowledge of the Trust, beneficial owners) of 5% and 25% or more of the shares of the Fund. Persons who owned of record or beneficially more than 25% of the Fund's outstanding shares may be deemed to control the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. Shareholders controlling the Fund may have a significant impact on any shareholder vote of the Fund. The Trust believes that most of the shares referred to below were held by the below persons in accounts for their fiduciary, agency or custodial customers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF NAME AND ADDRESS SHARES % OF FUND -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura Trust and Banking Co Ltd 8,660,276.857 77.31% Urbannet Otemachi Building 19F 2-2-2 Otemachi Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Band & Co C/O US Bank NA 2,158,288.778 19.27% 1555 N Rivercenter Dr Ste 302 Milwaukee, WI 53212-3958 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 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 The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on a financial obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
o The nature of and provisions of the financial obligation; and the promise S&P imputes; and
o The 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 RATINGS*
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, or 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.
*The 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 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.
A designation of Not Rated or NR is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising an issuance capital structure.
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'.
The subscript 'emr' is appended to a rating to denote embedded market risk which is beyond the scope of the rating. The designation is intended to make clear that the rating solely addresses the counterparty risk of the issuing bank. It is not meant to indicate any limitation in the analysis of the counterparty risk, which in all other respects follows published Fitch criteria for analyzing the issuing
financial institution. Fitch does not rate these instruments where the principal is to any degree subject to market risk.
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. Typically 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 --PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
NOMURA CORPORATE RESEARCH AND ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The following are general proxy voting policies and procedures ("Proxy Policy") adopted by Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc. ("NCRAM" or the "firm"). The firm will use the Proxy Policy when voting proxies on behalf of clients. In addition to covering the voting of proxies, this Proxy Policy also applies to voting and/or consent rights with respect to debt securities, including but not limited to, plans of reorganization, and waivers and consents under applicable indentures (for purposes of the Proxy Policy, the term "proxy voting" shall include any voting rights, consent rights or other voting authority of NCRAM on behalf of its clients).
I. POLICY
When NCRAM votes proxies for a client that has delegated to NCRAM proxy voting authority, NCRAM acts as the client's agent. Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), and investment adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients a duty of care and loyalty with respect to all services the adviser undertakes on the client's behalf, including proxy voting. NCRAM is therefore subject to a fiduciary duty to vote proxies in a manner NCRAM believes is consistent with the client's best interests, whether or not the client's proxy voting is subject to the fiduciary standards of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1940 ("ERISA"). When voting proxies for client accounts, NCRAM's primary objective is to make voting decisions solely in the best interests of clients and ERISA clients' plan fiduciaries and participants. In fulfilling its obligations to clients, NCRAM will seek to act in a manner that it believes is most likely to enhance the economic value of the underlying securities held in client accounts. It is imperative that NCRAM considers the interests of its clients, and not the interests of NCRAM, when voting proxies and that real (or perceived) material conflicts that may arise between NCRAM's interest and those of NCRAM's clients are properly addressed and resolved.
Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and consent voting is an important right of debt security holders. Reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised. When NCRAM has discretion to vote the proxies or consents of its clients, it will vote those proxies and consents in the best interest of its clients and in accordance with these Policies and Procedures.
II. LIMITATIONS
The firm recognizes that proxy voting is a valuable right of company shareholders and consent voting is an important right of debt security holders. Generally, the firm will vote all proxies it receives. However, the firm may refrain from voting in certain circumstances.
VOTING FOR NON-US COMPANIES: Practicalities and costs involved with voting
an international proxy may make it impossible at times, and at other times
disadvantageous, to vote proxies in every instance. These issues include, but
are not limited to: (i) untimely notice of a shareholders meeting or of a
consent action, (ii) restrictions on a foreigner's ability to exercise votes,
(iii) requirements to vote proxies in person, (iv) "shareblocking" requirements
where investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose
of their holdings for some specified period of time in proximity of the
shareholder meeting, (v) difficulties in translating the proxy, (vi)
requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to
facilitate voting restrictions, and (vii) any other instances where the cost of
voting the proxy outweighs the possible benefit to the client.
SECURITIES LENDING: If an NCRAM client has decided to participate in a securities lending program, NCRAM will not seek to vote proxies relating to securities on loan because NCRAM does not have a contractual right to recall such loaned securities for proxy voting purposes.
III. PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
All proxies and consent requests (together, referred to herein as "ballots") received by NCRAM will be sent to the Operations Group. The Operations Group will:
(1) Keep a record of each ballot received;
(2) Determine which accounts managed by NCRAM hold the security to which the
ballot relates;
(3) Forward the ballot to a portfolio manager with responsibility for the
account(s) that hold the applicable securities (the "Responsible Portfolio
Manager");
(4) Provide the Responsible Portfolio Manager with a list of accounts that
hold the security, together with the number of votes each account controls,
and the date by which NCRAM must vote the ballot in order to allow enough
time for the completed ballot to be returned to the issuer or its agent
prior to the vote taking place;
(5) Absent material conflicts (see Section V), the Responsible Portfolio
Manager will determine how NCRAM should vote the ballot. The Responsible
Portfolio Manager will send its decision on how NCRAM will vote a ballot to
the Operations Group. The Operations Group is responsible for completing
the ballot and mailing (or otherwise delivering) the ballot in a timely and
appropriate manner.
(6) NCRAM may retain a third party to assist it in coordinating and voting
ballots with respect to client securities. If so, the Operations Group
shall monitor the third party to assure that all ballots are being properly
voted and appropriate records are being retained.
IV. VOTING GUIDELINES
In the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, NCRAM will vote proxies for equity securities and consents for debt securities in the best interests of each particular client, which may result in different voting results for proxies or consents for the same issuer.
DEBT SECURITIES: Consent requests for debt securities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration any relevant contractual obligations as well as other relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. Below are common issues that may be included in consent request and the factors that NCRAM may consider in determining
(1) NCRAM may consider the following when determining whether to support a waiver or consent to changes in provisions of indentures governing debt securities: (i) likelihood that the granting of such waiver or consent will potentially increase recovery to clients; (ii) potential for avoiding cross-defaults under other agreements; and (iii) likelihood that deferral of default will give the obligor an opportunity to improve its business operations.
(2) NCRAM may consider the following when determining whether to vote for or against a Chapter 11 plan in a case pending with respect to an obligor under debt securities: (i) other alternatives to the proposed plan: (ii) whether clients are treated appropriately and in accordance with applicable law with respect to their distributions; and (iii) whether the vote is likely to increase or decrease recoveries to clients.
EQUITY SECURITIES: NCRAM believes that voting proxies for equity securities in accordance with the following guidelines is in the best interests of its clients.
Generally, NCRAM will vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals, including election of directors (where no corporate governance issues are implicated), selection of auditors, and increases in or reclassification of common stock.
NCRAM shall determine whether a proposal is in the best interests of its clients and may take into account the following factors, among others:
(1) whether the proposal was recommended by management and NCRAM's opinion of
management;
(2) whether the proposal acts to entrench existing management; and
(3) whether the proposal fairly compensates management for past and future
performance.
V. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The Responsible Portfolio Manager will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of NCRAM and its clients. This examination will include a review of the relationship of NCRAM and its affiliates with the issuer of each security to determine if the issuer is a client of NCRAM or, to the knowledge of the Responsible Portfolio Manager, an affiliate of NCRAM, or has some other relationship with NCRAM or its affiliates or employees or with a client of NCRAM.
If a material conflict exists, the Responsible Portfolio Manager will determine whether voting in accordance with the voting guidelines and factors described above is in the best interests of the client. The Responsible Portfolio Manager will also consult with the Legal or Compliance staff and determine whether it is appropriate to disclose the conflict to the affected clients and obtain client consent to the vote or give the clients the opportunity to vote their proxies or consents themselves.
VI. DISCLOSURE
(a) NCRAM will disclose in its Form ADV Part 2A that clients may contact the Chief Compliance Officer at NCRAM's offices in order to obtain information on how NCRAM voted such client's securities, and in order to request a copy of these policies and procedures. If a client requests this information, the Chief Administrative Officer or the Operations Group will prepare a written response to the client that lists, with respect to each voted proxy or consent that the client has inquired about, (1) the name of the issuer; (2) the proposal voted upon and (3) how NCRAM voted the client's proxy or consent.
(b) A concise summary of these Proxy and Consent Voting Policies and Procedures will be included in NCRAM's Form ADV Part 2A, and will be updated whenever these policies and procedures are updated.
VII. RECORDKEEPING
The Operations Group will maintain files relating to NCRAM's proxy and consent voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two years kept in the offices of NCRAM. Records of the following will be included in the files:
(1) Copies of the Proxy Policy, and any amendments thereto.
(2) A copy of each proxy or consent statement that NCRAM receives, provided however, that NCRAM may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC's EDGAR system for those proxy
statements that are so available.(1)
(3) A record of each vote that NCRAM casts.(2)
(4) A copy of any document NCRAM created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision.
(5) A copy of each written client request for information on how NCRAM voted such client's securities, and a copy of any written response to any (written or oral) client request for information on how NCRAM voted its securities.
Effective: October 2011
Revised: December 2013
(2) NCRAM may also rely on a third party to retain a copy of the votes cast (provided that the third party undertakes to provide a copy of the record promptly upon request).
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 December 5, 2016, between the
Registrant and Fiera Capital Inc. ("Fiera"), relating to the Fiera Capital
Diversified Alternatives Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(1)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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 November 1, 2016, between the Registrant and RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC ("RWC"), relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(ix) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(x) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001808 on October 28, 2016.
(d)(1)(xi) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 15, 2016, between the
Registrant and GQG Partners LLC ("GQG Partners"), relating to the GQG Partners
Emerging Markets Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(1)(xi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(d)(1)(xii) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, Inc. ("FFTW"), relating to the BNP Paribas AM Absolute Return Fixed Income Fund, BNP Paribas AM Global Inflation-Linked Bond Fund, BNP Paribas AM Emerging Markets Debt Fund, BNP Paribas AM Emerging Markets Equity Fund, BNP Paribas AM MBS Fund and BNP Paribas AM U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (together, the "BNP Paribas AM Funds"), 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) Amended Schedule A, dated December 8, 2016, to the Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated December 11, 2014, between NAM USA and NCRAM, is filed herewith.
(d)(2)(iii) [Amended and Restated] Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between Fiera and Ellington Management Group, L.L.C. ("Ellington"), to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(iv) [Amended and Restated] Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between Fiera and Karya Capital Management LP ("Karya"), to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(v) [Amended and Restated] Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between Fiera and Mizuho Alternative Investments, LLC ("MAI"), to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(vi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated November 1, 2016, between Fiera and Acadian Asset Management LLC ("Acadian"), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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)(2)(viii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated [ ], between FFTW and BNP Paribas Investment Partners UK Ltd ("BNPP IP UK"), to be filed by amendment.
(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, dated October 1, 2014, 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) Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated June 30, 2016, to the Expense Limitation Agreement, dated October 1, 2014, between the Registrant and NAM USA, is filed herewith.
(d)(3)(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 6, 2016, between the Registrant and Fiera, relating to the Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund, is filed herewith.
(d)(3)(v) 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)(vi) 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)(vii)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)(viii) 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)(ix) 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)(x) 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)(xi) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated November 1, 2016, between the Registrant and RWC, relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(x) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(d)(3)(xii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated October 19, 2016, between the Registrant and Chilton, relating to the Chilton Strategic European Equities Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(xi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001808 on October 28, 2016.
(d)(3)(xiii) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 15, 2016, between the Registrant and GQG Partners, relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3)(xii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(d)(3)(xiv) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated [ ], between the Registrant and FFTW, relating to the BNP Paribas AM Funds, 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 Fiera Capital Diversified
Alternatives Fund (f/k/a 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 Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund (f/k/a 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 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001808 on October 28, 2016.
(h)(2)(i)(g) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, dated December 30, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is filed herewith.
(h)(2)(i)(h) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, dated December 28, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., is filed herewith.
(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 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(h)(2)(ii)(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001808 on October 28, 2016.
(h)(2)(ii)(c) Amendment, dated [ ], to the Transfer Agency Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2015, between the Registrant and Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(3)(i) Amended and Restated Shareholder Services Plan, dated December 10, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001068 on February 26, 2016.
(h)(3)(ii) Amended Exhibit A, dated December 8, 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. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, is filed herewith.
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young LLP, relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund, is filed herewith.
(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 [ ], to the Amended and Restated Distribution Plan, dated March 3, 2015, to be filed by amendment.
(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, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(n)(7) Schedule J and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated February 12, 2014, relating to the BNP Paribas AM Funds, 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) Fiera Code of Ethics, dated June 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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, dated October 1, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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) 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)(11) 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)(12) 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)(13) 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)(14) 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)(15) 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)(16) 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)(17) Chilton Code of Ethics, dated September 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(18) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001808 on October 28, 2016.
(p)(18) GQG Partners Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(18) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(p)(19) FFTW Code of Ethics, dated [ ], to be filed by amendment.
(p)(20) BNPP IP UK Code of Ethics, dated [ ], to be filed by amendment.
(p)(21) Acadian Asset Management LLC Code of Ethics, dated January 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(21) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001937 on December 28, 2016.
(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.
(q)(4) Resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Registrant on February 12, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001834 on November 4, 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.
ACADIAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
Acadian Asset Management LLC ("Acadian") serves as investment sub-adviser to the Registrant's Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Acadian is 260 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Acadian 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
BNP PARIBAS INVESTMENT PARTNERS UK LTD
BNP Paribas Investment Partners UK Limited ("BNPP IP UK") serves as investment sub-adviser to the Registrant's BNP Paribas AM Emerging Markets Debt Fund. The principal address of BNPP IP UK is 5 Aldermanbury Square, London EC2V 7BP, United Kingdom. BNPP IP UK 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Richard L. Chilton, Jr. Chilton Trust Company Founder, Chairman, Chief Chairman of the Board, 396 Royal Palm Way Investment Officer & Director Chief Executive Officer & Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Chief Investment Officer Chilton Investment Services Founder, Chairman, Chief 1290 East Main Street Investment Officer & Director Stamford, Connecticut 06902 Chilton International (BVI) Ltd. Director Chilton Strategic Value Director International II (BVI) Ltd. Chilton European International Director (BVI) 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, Partnership Board L.P. 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, Chief Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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, Partnership Board L.P. Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Partners, L.P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Senior Counsel One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281 Chilton Trust Company Director 96 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, Partnership Board L.P. Chilton QP European Partners, L.P. Partnership Board Chilton Small Cap & Mid Cap Partnership Board Partners, L.P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chilton Trust Company Senior Vice President, Assistant Peter Kim 396 Royal Palm Way General Counsel and Chief Senior Vice President- Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Compliance Officer Assistant General Counsel 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 Fiera Capital Diversified 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
FIERA CAPITAL INC.
Fiera Capital Inc. ("Fiera") serves as investment adviser to the Registrant's Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Fiera is 375 Park Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10152. Fiera 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
FISCHER FRANCIS TREES & WATTS, INC.
Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, Inc. ("FFTW") serves as investment adviser to the Registrant's BNP Paribas AM Absolute Return Fixed Income Fund, BNP Paribas AM Global Inflation-Linked Bond Fund, BNP Paribas AM Emerging Markets Debt Fund, BNP Paribas AM Emerging Markets Equity Fund, BNP Paribas AM MBS Fund and BNP Paribas AM U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund. The principal address of FFTW is 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166. FFTW 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 listed below is for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2015 and 2016.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rajiv Jain Vontobel Asset Management Co-Chief Executive Officer Chief Investment Officer 1540 Broadway Chief Investment Officer Executive Chairman New York, NY 10036 Head of Equities Portfolio Manager ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy Carver Pacific Current Group Ltd Chief Executive Officer CEO 1301 2nd Ave, Suite 1700 Director Seattle, WA 98101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Lights Capital Group Chief Executive Officer 1301 2nd Ave, Suite 1700 Director Seattle, WA 98101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHV Investment Management, Inc. Director 301 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aperio Group LLC Director Three Harbor Drive, Suite 315 Sausalito, CA 94965 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raven Capital Management LLC Director 110 Greene Street, Suite 9G New York, NY 10012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nereus Capital Investors (Singapore) Pte Ltd Director 112 Robinson Rd, Suite 04-02 Singapore, 068902 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Lights Alternative Investors LLP Director Rex House, 4-12 Regent St London, SW1 YPE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROC Partners Director Level 38, 259 George Street Sydney, NSW, 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Greenwood Pacific Current Group Ltd North American CEO 1301 2nd Ave, Suite 1700 Chief Investment Officer Seattle, WA 98101 Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Melodie Zalakuk Rainier Investment Management Chief Operating Officer 601 Union Street, Suite 3525 Director Seattle, WA 98101 ----------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Rainier Funds Chief Executive Officer 601 Union Street, Suite 3525 President Seattle, WA 98101 Chief Financial Officer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cover 3 Consulting, LLC Managing Member 1805 McGilvra Blvd. E, Seattle, WA 98112 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Mathai Stellate Partners Partner 168 Westwind Drive Cape San Blas, FL 32456 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Shaoul Riverloft Capital Management Chief Operating Officer 300 West 41 st Street Chief Compliance Officer Miami Beach, FL 33140 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Lyons Greg Lyons, PLLC Principal P.O. Box 13055 Burton, WA 98013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
KARYA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP
Karya Capital Management LP ("Karya") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Fiera Capital Diversified 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 Fiera Capital Diversified 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, 2015 and 2016.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Takeshi Toyoshima, 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, 2015 and 2016.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- American Century Companies, Inc. Director and Member of the 4500 Main Street Audit Committee Kansas City, MO 64111 -------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 WITH NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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.
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 C-23 |
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:
Acadian Asset Management LLC
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
BNP Paribas Investment Partners UK Limited
5 Aldermanbury Square
London EC2V 7BP
United Kingdom
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
Fiera Capital Inc.
375 Park Avenue
8th Floor
New York, New York 10152
Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, Inc.
200 Park Ave
New York, New York 10166
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, NewYork 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
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
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. 85 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 27th day of January, 2017.
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 January 27, 2017 --------------------- William M. Doran * Trustee January 27, 2017 --------------------- Jon C. Hunt * Trustee January 27, 2017 --------------------- Thomas P. Lemke * Trustee January 27, 2017 --------------------- Jay Nadel * Trustee January 27, 2017 --------------------- Randall S. Yanker * President January 27, 2017 --------------------- Michael Beattie * Treasurer, Controller & January 27, 2017 --------------------- Chief Financial Officer Stephen Connors * By: /s/ Dianne M. Descoteaux ------------------------ Dianne M. Descoteaux Attorney-in-Fact |
EXHIBIT INDEX EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION (d)(2)(ii) Amended Schedule A, dated December 8, 2016, to the Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated December 11, 2014, between NAM USA and NCRAM (d)(3)(iii) Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated June 30, 2016, to the Expense Limitation Agreement, dated October 1, 2014, between the Registrant and NAM USA (d)(3)(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 6, 2016, between the Registrant and Fiera, relating to the Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund (h)(2)(i)(g) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, dated December 30, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc. (h)(2)(i)(h) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, dated December 28, 2016, to the Transfer Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc. (i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund (j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young LLP, relating to the Nomura High Yield Fund |
SCHEDULE A
TO THE
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
DATED OCTOBER 1, 2014, AS AMENDED DECEMBER 8, 2016 BETWEEN
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
AND
NOMURA CORPORATE RESEARCH AND ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
The Adviser will pay to the Sub-Adviser as compensation for the Sub-Adviser's services rendered, a fee, computed daily at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the respective Fund as may be allocated by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser from time to time under the following fee schedule:
FUND RATE
Nomura High Yield Fund 0.275%
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.
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
By: /s/ Takeshi Toyoshima --------------------- Name: Takeshi Toyoshima Title: Chief Administrative Officer |
NOMURA CORPORATE RESEARCH AND ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
By: /s/ David Crall --------------- Name: David Crall Title: CIO |
AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A
DATED JUNE 30, 2016
TO THE
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
DATED OCTOBER 1, 2014 BETWEEN
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
AND
NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT U.S.A. INC.
MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
This Agreement relates to the following Fund of the Trust:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAXIMUM ANNUAL NAME OF FUND SHARE CLASS OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT INITIAL TERM END DATE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nomura High Yield Fund Class I shares 0.575% January 29, 2018 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Acknowledged and Accepted by:
Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc.
/s/ Hiromichi Aoki ----------------------------------- Name:Hiromichi Aoki Title: Chief Administrative Officer |
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III
/s/ Dianne Descoteaux ----------------------------------- Name: Dianne Descoteaux Title: VP & Secretary |
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT, effective as of December 6, 2016 by and between Fiera Capital Inc. (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 "Fund").
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 Fund is a series of the Trust;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 5, 2016 (the "Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Fund for compensation based on the value of the average daily net assets of the Fund;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders to maintain the expenses of the Fund at a level at or below the level to which the Fund would normally be subject in order to maintain the 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 incurred by the Fund in any fiscal year, including but not limited to investment advisory fees of the Adviser (but excluding any class-specific expenses (including any shareholder servicing fees and amounts payable pursuant to any plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act), interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund (including dividend and interest expenses associated with securities sold short), acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund's business) ("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.
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.
This Agreement shall terminate automatically upon 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 Descoteaux ---------------------- Name: Dianne Descoteaux Title: VP & Secretary |
FIERA CAPITAL INC.
/s/ Stephen A. McShea --------------------- Name: Stephen A. McShea Title: General Counsel |
Signature Page - Fiera Capital Inc. Expense Limitation Agreement
SCHEDULE A
MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
This Agreement relates to the following Fund of the Trust:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAXIMUM ANNUAL NAME OF FUND SHARE CLASS OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT INITIAL TERM END DATE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiera Capital Diversified Alternatives Fund Investor 2.50% February 28, 2018 -------------------- Institutional --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
ADVISOR COMPLEX SCHEDULE
This ADVISOR COMPLEX SCHEDULE (this "Schedule") to the Agreement (as amended, the "Agreement") originally made as of the 12th day of March, 2014, by and between THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III, a business trust existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, having its principal place of business at One Freedom Valley Road, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456 (the "Trust") and DST SYSTEMS, INC., a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, having its principal place of business at 333 West 11th Street, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 ("DST") is entered into by and between DST and the Trust as of the 30th day of December 2016.
1. ADVISOR COMPLEX. Subject to the Terms and conditions contained in the Agreement, DST shall provide the Services specified therein to the Trust on behalf of RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC.
2. TERM. Except as specified below, this Advisor Complex Schedule shall continue until December 29, 2021 (the "Initial Term"). Following expiration of the Initial Term, this Schedule shall continue in effect for successive periods of three (3) years (each, a "Renewal Term") unless terminated by either party as provided in the Agreement; provided, however, the preceding is not intended to amend, or modify the term contained in the Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, this Advisor Complex Schedule shall terminate in conjunction with the termination of the Agreement, or earlier as otherwise provided for in the Agreement.
3. REQUIRED NOTICE PRIOR TO EXPIRATION. The amount of prior written notice required pursuant to Section 21(a)(ii) is 90 days from the date of expiration of the then current term.
4. FEES. In consideration for its services to the Trust as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent on behalf of the Advisor Complex specified in this Advisor Complex Schedule, the Trust will pay to DST from time to time a reasonable compensation for all services rendered as Agent, and also, all its reasonable billable expenses, charges, counsel fees, and other disbursements ("Compensation and Expenses") incurred in connection with the agency. Such compensation is set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
5. MISCELLANEOUS. This Advisor Complex may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all or which together shall constitute one and the same Advisor Complex Schedule.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused the Advisor Complex Schedule to be executed on its behalf as of the date first above written.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE DST SYSTEMS, INC. FUND III By: /s/ Michael Beattie By: /s/ Christopher Shaw ------------------- -------------------- Name: Michael Beattie Name: Christopher Shaw ----------------- ------------------ Title: President Title: Officer ---------------- ----------------- Date: 12/22/16 Date: 1/3/17 ----------------- ------------------ |
ADVISOR COMPLEX SCHEDULE
This ADVISOR COMPLEX SCHEDULE (this "Schedule") to the Agreement (as amended, the "Agreement") originally made as of the 12th day of March, 2014, by and between THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III, a business trust existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, having its principal place of business at One Freedom Valley Road, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456 (the "Trust") and DST SYSTEMS, INC., a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, having its principal place of business at 333 West 11th Street, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 ("DST") is entered into by and between DST and the Trust as of the 28th day of December 2016.
1. ADVISOR COMPLEX. Subject to the Terms and conditions contained in the Agreement, DST shall provide the Services specified therein to the Trust on behalf of GQG Partners LLC.
2. TERM. Except as specified below, this Advisor Complex Schedule shall continue until December 27, 2020 (the "Initial Term"). Following expiration of the Initial Term, this Schedule shall continue in effect for successive periods of three (3) years (each, a "Renewal Term") unless terminated by either party as provided in the Agreement; provided, however, the preceding is not intended to amend, or modify the term contained in the Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, this Advisor Complex Schedule shall terminate in conjunction with the termination of the Agreement, or earlier as otherwise provided for in the Agreement.
3. REQUIRED NOTICE PRIOR TO EXPIRATION. The amount of prior written notice required pursuant to Section 21(a)(ii) is 180 days from the date of expiration of the then current term.
4. FEES. In consideration for its services to the Trust as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent on behalf of the Advisor Complex specified in this Advisor Complex Schedule, the Trust will pay to DST from time to time a reasonable compensation for all services rendered as Agent, and also, all its reasonable billable expenses, charges, counsel fees, and other disbursements ("Compensation and Expenses") incurred in connection with the agency. Such compensation is set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
5. MISCELLANEOUS. This Advisor Complex may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all or which together shall constitute one and the same Advisor Complex Schedule.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused the Advisor Complex Schedule to be executed on its behalf as of the date first above written.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE DST SYSTEMS, INC. FUND III By: /s/ Michael Beattie By: /s/ Christopher G. Shaw ------------------- -------------------- Name: Michael Beattie Name: Christopher G. Shaw ----------------- ------------------ Title: President Title: Officer ---------------- ----------------- Date: 12/22/16 Date: 1/3/17 ----------------- ------------------ |
MORGAN LEWIS
January 27, 2017
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: Nomura High Yield Fund (the "Fund"). This opinion is being delivered to you in connection with the Trust's filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 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 -------------------------------- |
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the references to our firm under the captions "Financial Highlights" in the Prospectus and "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" in the Statement of Additional Information and to the incorporation by reference in Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to the Registration Statement of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (Form N-1A, No. 333-192858) of our report dated November 25, 2016 on the financial statements and financial highlights of the Nomura High Yield Fund (one of the series constituting The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III)(the "Fund") included in the Fund's Annual Report to shareholders for the year ended September 30, 2016.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP Philadelphia, Pennsylvania January 24, 2017 |