As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2011
Registration No. 333-167591
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Teucrium Commodity Trust
(Registrant)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
6799
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)
27-6715895
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
c/o Teucrium Trading, LLC
232 Hidden Lake Road
Building A
Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
Phone: (802) 257-1617
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Sal Gilbertie
President
Teucrium Trading, LLC
232 Hidden Lake Road
Building A
Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
Phone: (802) 257-1617
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
W. Thomas Conner, Esq.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.
x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
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Non-accelerated filer
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(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Smaller reporting company
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CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Securities
to be Registered
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Amount
to be
Registered
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Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share*
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Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price*
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Amount of
Registration
Fee
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Common units of Teucrium Wheat Fund, a series of the Registrant
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10,000,000
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$
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25.00
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$
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250,000,000
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$
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29,025.00**
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*
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Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(d) under the Securities Act of 1933.
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**
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Reflects prior payment of registration fee of $178.25 for 100,000 shares pursuant to the initial filing of the registration statement on June 17, 2010
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The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and the Sponsor and the Trust are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Preliminary Prospectus
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Subject to
Completion
March ___, 2011
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Teucrium Wheat Fund
10,000,000 Shares
Teucrium Wheat Fund (the “Fund”) is a commodity pool that is a series of Teucrium Commodity Trust (“Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust. The Fund will issue common units representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in such Fund, called “Shares.” The Fund intends to continuously offer creation baskets consisting of 50,000 Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) to “Authorized Purchasers” (as defined below) through Foreside Fund Services, LLC, which is the marketing agent for Shares of the Fund (the “Marketing Agent”). Authorized Purchasers, in turn, may offer to the public Shares of any baskets they create. Authorized Purchasers will sell such Shares, which will be listed on
the NYSE Arca exchange (“NYSE Arca”), to the public at per-Share offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Fund at the time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation Baskets and the NAV at the time of the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the markets for wheat interests. The prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers are expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. The Fund’s Shares may trade on the secondary market on the NYSE Arca at prices that are lower or higher than their net asset value per Share. Fund Shares will be listed on the NYSE Arca under the symbol “WEAT.”
The investment objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the Fund’s net asset value per Share reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three wheat futures contracts. The Fund’s sponsor is Teucrium Trading, LLC (the “Sponsor”).
This is a best efforts offering; the Marketing Agent is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares, but will use its best efforts to sell Shares. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to purchase Shares. This is intended to be a continuous offering that will terminate on _________, 2013 (two years from the date of this prospectus), unless suspended or terminated at any earlier time for certain reasons specified in this prospectus or unless extended as permitted under the rules under the Securities Act of 1933. See “Prospectus Summary – The Shares” and “Creation and Redemption of Shares – Rejection of Purchase Orders” below.
Investing in the Fund involves significant risks. See “What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?” beginning on page [ ]. The Fund is not a mutual fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not subject to regulation under such Act.
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE SECURITIES OFFERED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMMODITY POOL NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED ON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT.
This prospectus is in two parts: a disclosure document and a statement of additional information. These parts are bound together, and both contain important information.
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Per share
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Per Basket
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Price of the Shares*
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$
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25.00
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$
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1,250,000
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COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
RISK DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION PERMITS YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMMODITY POOL. IN SO DOING, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRADING CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO LARGE LOSSES AS WELL AS GAINS. SUCH TRADING LOSSES CAN SHARPLY REDUCE THE NET ASSET VALUE OF THE POOL AND CONSEQUENTLY THE VALUE OF YOUR INTEREST IN THE POOL. IN ADDITION, RESTRICTIONS ON REDEMPTIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO WITHDRAW YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE POOL.
FURTHER, COMMODITY POOLS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSTANTIAL CHARGES FOR MANAGEMENT, AND ADVISORY AND BROKERAGE FEES. IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THOSE POOLS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THESE CHARGES TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL TRADING PROFITS TO AVOID DEPLETION OR EXHAUSTION OF THEIR ASSETS. THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF EACH EXPENSE TO BE CHARGED THIS POOL BEGINNING AT PAGE 55 AND A STATEMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE RETURN NECESSARY TO BREAK EVEN, THAT IS, TO RECOVER THE AMOUNT OF YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT, AT PAGE [ ].
THIS BRIEF STATEMENT CANNOT DISCLOSE ALL THE RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS NECESSARY TO EVALUATE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS COMMODITY POOL. THEREFORE, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMODITY POOL, YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY STUDY THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT, INCLUDING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS OF THIS INVESTMENT, AT PAGE [ ].
YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT THIS COMMODITY POOL MAY TRADE FOREIGN FUTURES OR OPTIONS CONTRACTS. TRANSACTIONS ON MARKETS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING MARKETS FORMALLY LINKED TO A UNITED STATES MARKET, MAY BE SUBJECT TO REGULATIONS WHICH OFFER DIFFERENT OR DIMINISHED PROTECTION TO THE POOL AND ITS PARTICIPANTS. FURTHER, UNITED STATES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES MAY BE UNABLE TO COMPEL THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES OF REGULATORY AUTHORITIES OR MARKETS IN NON-UNITED STATES JURISDICTIONS WHERE TRANSACTIONS FOR THE POOL MAY BE EFFECTED.
*
Based on closing net asset value on [
date
]. The price may vary based on net asset value in effect on a particular day.
THIS POOL HAS NOT COMMENCED TRADING AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY PERFORMANCE HISTORY.
TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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iii
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
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1
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Principal Offices of the Fund and the Sponsor
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1
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Breakeven Point
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1
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Overview of the Fund
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1
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The Shares
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5
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The Fund’s Investments in Wheat Interests
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6
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Principal Investment Risks of an Investment in the Fund
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7
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Financial Condition of the Fund
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10
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Defined Terms
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10
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Breakeven Analysis
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10
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The Offering
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12
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WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS INVOLVED WITH AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND?
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17
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Risks Associated With Investing Directly or Indirectly in Wheat
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17
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The Fund’s Operating Risks
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24
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Risk of Leverage and Volatility
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34
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Over-the-Counter Contract Risk
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35
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Risk of Trading in International Markets
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36
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Tax Risk
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36
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THE OFFERING
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38
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The Fund in General
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38
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The Sponsor
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38
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The Trustee
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43
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Operation of the Fund
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44
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Futures Contracts
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48
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Cleared Wheat Swaps
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52
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Over-the-Counter Derivative
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53
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Benchmark Performance
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54
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The Wheat Market
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54
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The Fund’s Investments in Treasury Securities, Cash and Cash Equivalents
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55
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Other Trading Policies of the Fund
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56
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The Service Providers
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57
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Fees to be Paid by the Fund
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59
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Form of Shares
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59
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Transfer of Shares
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60
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Inter-Series Limitation on Liability
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61
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Plan of Distribution
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61
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The Flow of Shares
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64
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Calculating NAV
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65
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Creation and Redemption of Shares
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66
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Secondary Market Transactions
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71
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Use of Proceeds
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72
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
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73
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The Trust Agreement
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76
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The Sponsor Has Conflicts of Interest
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81
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Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
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82
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Provisions of Federal and State Securities Laws
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82
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Books and Records
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83
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Analysis of Critical Accounting Policies
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83
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Statements, Filings, and Reports to Shareholders
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83
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Fiscal Year
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84
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Governing Law; Consent to Delaware Jurisdiction
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84
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Legal Matters
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84
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Privacy Policy
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85
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
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85
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Investment By ERISA Accounts
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98
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INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW
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101
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
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102
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TEUCRIUM TRADING, LLC — INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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103
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Appendix A Glossary of Defined Terms
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140
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Until [
date
] (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in the offered Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This requirement is in addition to the obligations of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus includes “forward-looking statements” which generally relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this prospectus that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as movements in the commodities markets and indexes that track such movements, the Fund’s operations, the
Sponsor’s plans and references to the Fund’s future success and other similar matters, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations discussed in this prospectus, general economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies, and other world economic and political developments. See “What Are
the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?” Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this prospectus are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Fund’s operations or the value of its Shares.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This is only a summary of the prospectus and, while it contains material information about the Fund and its Shares, it does not contain or summarize all of the information about the Fund and the Shares contained in this prospectus that is material and/or which may be important to you. You should read this entire prospectus, including “What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?” beginning on page [ ], before making an investment decision about the Shares. In addition, this prospectus includes a statement of additional information that follows and is bound together with the primary disclosure document. Both the primary disclosure document and the statement of additional information contain important information.
Principal Offices of the Fund and the Sponsor
The principal office of the Trust and the Fund is located at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. The telephone number is (802) 257-1617. The Sponsor’s principal office is also located at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, and its telephone number is also (802) 257-1617.
Breakeven Point
The amount of trading income required for the redemption value of a Share at the end of one year to equal the initial selling price of the Share, assuming an initial selling price of $25.00, is
$0.39 or 1.53% of the initial selling price. For more information, see “Breakeven Analysis” below.
Overview of the Fund
Teucrium Wheat Fund (the “Fund” or “Us” or “We”), is a commodity pool that will issue Shares that may be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca. The Fund is a series of the Teucrium Commodity Trust (“Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on September 11, 2009. The Fund is one of six series of the Trust; each series operates as a separate commodity pool. Additional series of the Trust may be created in the future.
The Trust and the Fund operate pursuant to the Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”). The Fund was formed and is managed and controlled by the Sponsor, Teucrium Trading,
LLC. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in Delaware on July 28, 2009 that is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and is a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”). The Sponsor first intends to use this prospectus on or about _____, 2011, the date of this prospectus.
The investment objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three futures contracts for wheat (“Wheat Futures Contracts”) that are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”), specifically: (1) the second-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of the third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%. (This weighted average of the three referenced Wheat Futures Contracts is referred to herein as the “Benchmark,” and the three Wheat Futures Contracts that at any
given time make up the Benchmark are referred to herein as the “Benchmark Component Futures Contracts.”)
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing under normal market conditions in Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or, in certain circumstances, in other Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT, the Kansas City Board of Trade, or the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or on foreign exchanges. In addition, and to a limited extent, the Fund also may invest in exchange-traded options on Wheat Futures Contracts and in wheat-based swap agreements that are cleared through the CBOT or its affiliated provider of clearing services (“Cleared Wheat Swaps”) in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective. Once position limits in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are applicable, the Fund's intention is to invest first in Cleared Wheat Swaps to the extent practicable
under the position limits applicable to Cleared Wheat Swaps and appropriate in light of the liquidity in the Cleared Wheat Swap market, and then in contracts and instruments such as cash-settled options on Wheat Futures Contracts and forward contracts, swaps other than Cleared Wheat Swaps, and other over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of wheat and Wheat Futures Contracts (collectively, “Other Wheat Interests,” and together with Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps, “Wheat Interests”). See “The Offering – Futures Contracts” below. By utilizing certain or all of these investments, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the Fund's performance to closely track that of the Benchmark. The Sponsor expects to manage the Fund’s investments directly, although it has been authorized by the Trust to retain, establish the terms of retention for, and terminate third-party commodity trading
advisors to provide such management. The Sponsor is also authorized to select futures commission merchants to execute the Fund’s transactions in Wheat Futures Contracts.
Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT expire on a specified day in five different months: March, May, July, September and December. For example, in terms of the Benchmark, in June of a given year the next-to-expire or “spot month” Wheat Futures Contract will expire in July of that year, and the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will be the contracts expiring in September of that year (the second-to-expire contract), December of that year (the third-to-expire contract), and December of the following year. As another example, in November of a given year, the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will be the contracts expiring in March, May and December of the following year.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily by investing in Wheat Interests such that daily changes in the Fund’s NAV will be expected to closely track the changes in the Benchmark. The Fund’s positions in Wheat Interests will be changed or “rolled” on a regular basis in order to track the changing nature of the Benchmark. For example, five times a year (on the date on which a Wheat Futures Contract expires), the second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract will become the next-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract and will no longer be a Benchmark Component Futures Contract, and the Fund’s investments will have to be changed accordingly. In order that the Fund’s trading does not cause unwanted market movements and to make it more difficult
for third parties to profit by trading based on such expected market movements, the Fund’s investments typically will not be rolled entirely on that day, but rather will typically be rolled over a period of several days.
Consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective of closely tracking the Benchmark, the Sponsor may for certain reasons cause the Fund to enter into or hold Wheat Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps and/or Other Wheat Interests. For example, certain Cleared Wheat Swaps have standardized terms similar to, and are priced by reference to, a corresponding Benchmark Component Futures Contract. Additionally, Other Wheat Interests that do not have standardized terms and are not exchange-traded, referred to as “over-the-counter” Wheat Interests, can generally be structured as the parties to the Wheat Interest contract desire. Therefore, the Fund might enter into multiple Cleared Wheat Swaps and/or
over-the-counter Wheat Interests intended to exactly replicate the performance of each of the three Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, or a single over-the-counter Wheat Interest designed to replicate the performance of the Benchmark as a whole. Assuming that there is no default by a counterparty to an over-the-counter Wheat Interest, the performance of the Wheat Interest will necessarily correlate exactly with the performance of the Benchmark or the applicable Benchmark Component Futures Contract. The Fund’s might also enter into or hold Wheat Interests other than Benchmark Component Futures Contracts to facilitate effective trading, consistent with the discussion of the Fund’s “roll” strategy in the preceding paragraph. In addition
, the Fund might enter into or hold Wheat Interests that would be expected to alleviate overall deviation between the Fund’s performance and that of the
Benchmark that may result from certain market and trading inefficiencies or other reasons. By utilizing certain or all of the investments described above, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the Fund’s performance to closely track that of the Benchmark.
The Fund invests in Wheat Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its expected current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests. After fulfilling such margin and collateral requirements, the Fund will invest the remainder of its proceeds from the sale of baskets in obligations of the United States government (“Treasury Securities”) or cash equivalents, and/or merely hold such assets in cash (generally in interest-bearing accounts). Therefore, the focus of the Sponsor in managing the Fund is investing in Wheat Interests and in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. The Fund will earn interest income from the Treasury Securities and/or cash equivalents that it
purchases and on the cash it holds through the Fund’s custodian, the Bank of New York Mellon (the “Custodian”).
The Sponsor endeavors to place the Fund’s trades in Wheat Interests and otherwise manage the Fund’s investments so that the Fund’s average daily tracking error against the Benchmark will be less than 10 percent over any period of 30 trading days. More specifically, the Sponsor will endeavor to manage the Fund so that A will be within plus/minus 10 percent of B, where:
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A is the average daily change in the Fund’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days, i.e., any trading day as of which the Fund calculates its NAV, and
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·
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B is the average daily change in the Benchmark over the same period.
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The Sponsor believes that market arbitrage opportunities will cause the Fund’s Share price on the NYSE Arca to closely track the Fund’s NAV per share. The Sponsor believes that the net effect of this expected relationship and the expected relationship described above between the Fund’s NAV and the Benchmark will be that the changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca will closely track, in percentage terms, changes in the Benchmark.
The Sponsor employs a “neutral” investment strategy intended to track the changes in the Benchmark regardless of whether the Benchmark goes up or goes down. The Fund’s “neutral” investment strategy is designed to permit investors generally to purchase and sell the Fund’s Shares for the purpose of investing indirectly in the wheat market in a cost-effective manner. Such investors may include participants in the wheat industry and other industries seeking to hedge the risk of losses in their wheat-related transactions, as well as investors seeking exposure to the wheat market. Accordingly, depending on the investment objective of an individual investor, the risks generally associated with investing in the wheat market and/or the risks involved in
hedging may exist. In addition, an investment in the Fund involves the risks that the changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares will not accurately track the changes in the Benchmark, and that changes in the Benchmark will not closely correlate with changes in the price of wheat on the spot market. Furthermore, as noted above, the Fund also invests in short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents to meet its current or potential margin or collateral requirements with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests and to invest cash not required to be used as margin or collateral. The Fund does not expect there to be any meaningful correlation between the performance of the Fund’s investments in Treasury Securities/cash/cash equivalents and the changes in the price of wheat or Wheat Interests. While the level of interest earned on or the market price of these investments may in some respects correlate to changes in
the price of wheat, this correlation is not anticipated as part of the Fund’s efforts to meet its objective. This and certain risk factors discussed in this prospectus may cause a lack of correlation between changes in the Fund’s NAV and changes in the price of wheat. The Sponsor does not intend to operate the Fund in a fashion such that its per share NAV will equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of a bushel or other unit of wheat or the price of any particular Wheat Futures Contract.
The Fund creates and redeems Shares only in blocks called Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets, respectively. Only Authorized Purchasers may purchase or redeem Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets, and an Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to offer to the public Shares of any baskets it does create. Baskets are generally created when there is a demand for Shares, including, but not limited to, when the market price per share is at (or perceived to be at) a premium to the NAV per share. Similarly, baskets are generally redeemed when the market price per share is at (or perceived to be at) a discount to the NAV per share. Retail investors seeking to purchase or sell Shares
on any day are expected to effect such transactions in the secondary market, on the NYSE Arca, at the market price per share, rather than in connection with the creation or redemption of baskets.
The Fund will commence making the investments described in this prospectus as quickly as practicable (no more than three business days) after the initial Creation Basket is sold. All proceeds from the sale of subsequent Creation Baskets will also be invested as quickly as practicable in such investments. The Fund’s cash and investments are held through the Fund’s Custodian, in accounts with the Fund’s commodity futures brokers or in collateral accounts with respect to over-the-counter Wheat Interests. There is no stated maximum time period for the Fund’s operations and the Fund will continue until all Shares are redeemed or the Fund is liquidated pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement.
There is no specified limit on the maximum amount of Creation Baskets that can be sold. At some point, however, applicable position limits on Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps or Other Wheat Interests may practically limit the number of Creation Baskets that will be sold if the Sponsor determines that the other investment alternatives available to the Fund at that time will not enable it to meet its stated investment objective.
Shares may also be purchased and sold by individuals and entities that are not Authorized Purchasers in smaller increments than Creation Baskets on the NYSE Arca. However, these transactions are effected at bid and ask prices established by specialist firm(s). Like any listed security, Shares of the Fund can be purchased and sold at any time a secondary market is open.
In managing the Fund’s assets, the Sponsor does not use a technical trading system that automatically issues buy and sell orders. Instead, each time one or more baskets are purchased or redeemed, the Sponsor will purchase or sell Wheat Interests with an aggregate market value that approximates the amount of cash received or paid upon the purchase or redemption of the basket(s).
Note to Secondary Market Investors:
The Shares can be directly purchased from or redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets, respectively, and only by Authorized Purchasers. Each Creation Basket and Redemption Basket consists of 50,000 Shares and therefore may require a commitment of over a million dollars (
e.g.
, 50,000 Shares times an initial Share price of $25.00 equals $1.25 million). Accordingly, investors who do not have such resources or who are not Authorized Purchasers should be aware that some of the information contained in this prospectus, including information about purchases and redemptions of Shares directly with the Fund, is only relevant
to Authorized Purchasers. Shares will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “WEAT” and may be purchased and sold as individual Shares. Individuals interested in purchasing Shares in the secondary market should contact their broker. Shares purchased or sold through a broker may be subject to commissions.
Except when aggregated in Redemption Baskets, Shares are not redeemable securities. There is no guarantee that Shares will trade at prices that are at or near the per-Share NAV.
The Shares
The Shares are registered as securities under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and do not provide dividend rights or conversion rights and there will not be sinking funds. The Shares may only be redeemed when aggregated in Redemption Baskets as discussed under “Creation and Redemption of Shares” and holders of Fund shares (“Shareholders”) generally will not have voting rights as discussed below under “The Trust Agreement – Voting Rights” below. Cumulative voting is neither permitted nor required and there are no preemptive rights. The Trust Agreement provides that, upon liquidation of the Fund, its assets will be distributed pro rata to the
Shareholders based upon the number of Shares held. Each Shareholder will receive its share of the assets in cash or in kind, and the proportion of such share that is received in cash may vary from Shareholder to Shareholder, as the Sponsor in its sole discretion may decide.
The offering of Shares under this prospectus is a continuous
offering under Rule 415 of the 1933 Act and will terminate on _________, 2013 (two years from the date of this prospectus)
.
The offering may be extended beyond such date as permitted under the rules under 1933 Act. The offering will terminate before such date or before the end of any extension period if all of the registered Shares have been sold. However, the Sponsor expects to cause the Trust to file one or more additional registration statements as necessary to permit additional Shares to be registered and offered on an uninterrupted basis. The offering may also be suspended or terminated at any
time for certain specified reasons, including if and when suitable investments for the Fund are not available or practicable. See “Creation and Redemption of Shares – Rejection of Purchase Orders” below. As discussed above, the minimum purchase requirement for Authorized Purchasers is a Creation Basket, which consists of 50,000 Shares. Under the plan of distribution, the Fund does not require a minimum purchase amount for investors who purchase Shares from Authorized Purchasers. There are no arrangements to place funds in an escrow, trust, or similar account.
The Fund’s Investments in Wheat Interests
A brief description of the principal types of Wheat Interests in which the Fund may invest is set forth below.
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A futures contract is an exchange-traded contract traded with standard terms that calls for the delivery of a specified quantity of a commodity at a specified price, on a specified date and at a specified location.
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A swap agreement is a bilateral contract to exchange a periodic stream of payments determined by reference to a notional amount, with payment typically made between the parties on a net basis. For instance, in the case of wheat swap, the Fund may be obligated to pay a fixed price per bushel of wheat and be entitled to receive an amount per bushel equal to the current value of an index of wheat prices, the price of a specified Wheat Futures Contract, or the average price of a group of Wheat Futures Contracts such as the Benchmark. The Fund expects to invest primarily in Cleared Wheat Swaps, rather than over-the-counter wheat swaps.
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The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in the following types of Wheat Interests:
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Swap agreements other than Cleared Wheat Swaps (i.e., over-the-counter wheat swaps).
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A forward contract is an over-the-counter bilateral contract for the purchase of sale of a specified quantity of a commodity at a specified price, on a specified date and at a specified location.
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An option on a futures contract, forward contract or a commodity on the spot market gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract, forward contract or commodity, as applicable, at a specified price on or before a specified date. The seller, or writer, of the option is obligated to take a position in the underlying interest at a specified price opposite to the option buyer if the option is exercised. Options on futures contracts, like the future contracts to which they relate, are standardized contracts traded on an exchange, while options on forward contracts and commodities generally are individually negotiated, over-the-counter, bilateral contracts.
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Unlike exchange-traded contracts, over-the-counter contracts expose the Fund to the credit risk of the other party to the contract. (As discussed below, exchange-traded contracts may expose the Fund to the risk of the clearing broker’s and/or the exchange clearing house(s)’ bankruptcy.) The Sponsor does not currently intend to purchase and sell wheat in the “spot market” for the Fund. Spot market transactions are cash transactions in which the buyer and seller agree to the immediate purchase and sale of a commodity, usually with a two-day settlement period. In addition, the Sponsor does not currently intend that the Fund will enter into or hold spot month Wheat Futures Contracts, except that spot month contracts that were formerly second-to-expire
contracts may be held for a brief period until they can be disposed of in accordance with the Fund’s roll strategy.
A more detailed description of Wheat Interests and other aspects of the wheat and Wheat Interest markets can be found later in this prospectus.
As noted, the Fund invests in Wheat Futures Contracts, including those traded on the CBOT, and in Cleared Wheat Swaps cleared through CBOT affiliates. The Fund expressly disclaims any association with the CBOT or any other futures exchange or endorsement of the Fund by any exchange and acknowledges that “CBOT” and “Chicago Board of Trade” are registered trademarks of such exchange.
Principal Investment Risks of an Investment in the Fund
An investment in the Fund involves a degree of risk. Some of the risks you may face are summarized below. A more extensive discussion of these risks appears beginning on page [ ].
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Unlike mutual funds, commodity pools and other investment pools that manage their investments so as to realize income and gains for distribution to their investors, the Fund generally will not distribute dividends to Shareholders. You should not invest in the Fund if you will need cash distributions from the Fund to pay taxes on your share of income and gains of the Fund, if any, or for other purposes.
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Investors may choose to use the Fund as a means of investing indirectly in wheat, and there are risks involved in such investments. The risks and hazards that are inherent in wheat production may cause the price of wheat to fluctuate widely. Price movements for wheat are influenced by, among other things: weather conditions, crop failure, production decisions, governmental policies, changing demand, the wheat harvest cycle, and various economic and monetary events. Wheat production is also subject to U.S. federal, state and local
regulations that materially affect operations.
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To the extent that investors use the Fund as a means of investing indirectly in wheat, there is the risk that the changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca will not closely track the changes in spot price of wheat. This could happen if the price of Shares traded on the NYSE Arca does not correlate closely with the Fund’s NAV; the changes in the Fund’s NAV do not correlate closely with changes in the Benchmark; or the changes in the Benchmark do not correlate closely with changes in the cash or spot price of wheat. This is a risk because if these correlations are not sufficiently close, then investors may not be able to use the Fund as a cost-effective way to invest indirectly in wheat or as a hedge against the risk of loss in wheat-related transactions.
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The Sponsor has limited experience operating commodity pools. Although the Sponsor currently sponsors six commodity pools (the Teucrium Funds), only three have commenced operations. Prior to June 9, 2010, the Sponsor had never operated a commodity pool.
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The Fund has no operating history, so there is no performance history to serve as a basis for you to evaluate an investment in the Trust.
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The price relationship between the near month Wheat Futures Contract to expire and the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will vary and may impact both the Fund’s total return over time and the degree to which such total return tracks the total return of wheat price indices. In cases in which the near month contract’s price is lower than later-expiring contracts’ prices (a situation known as “contango” in the futures markets), then absent the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to decline as they approach expiration. In cases in which the near month contract’s price is higher than later-expiring contracts’ prices (a situation known as “backwardation” in the futures markets), then absent the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices
the value of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to rise as they approach expiration.
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Investors, including those who directly participate in the wheat market, may choose to use the Fund as a vehicle to hedge against the risk of loss and there are risks involved in hedging activities. While hedging can provide protection against an adverse movement in market prices, it can also preclude a hedger’s opportunity to benefit from a favorable market movement.
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The Fund seeks to have the changes in its Shares’ NAV in percentage terms track changes in the Benchmark in percentage terms, rather than profit from speculative trading of Wheat Interests. The Sponsor therefore endeavors to manage the Fund so that the Fund’s assets are, unlike those of many other commodity pools, not leveraged (
i.e.
, so that the aggregate amount of the Fund’s exposure to losses from its investments in Wheat Interests at any time will not exceed the value of the Fund’s assets). There is no assurance that the Sponsor will successfully implement this investment strategy. If the Sponsor permits the Fund to become leveraged, you could lose all or substantially all of your investment if the Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn unprofitable. These
movements in price may be the result of factors outside of the Sponsor’s control and may not be anticipated by the Sponsor.
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The Fund may invest in Other Wheat Interests. To the extent that these Other Wheat Interests are contracts individually negotiated between their parties, they may not be as liquid as Wheat Futures Contracts and will expose the Fund to credit risk that its counterparty may not be able to satisfy its obligations to the Fund.
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The Fund invests primarily in Wheat Interests that are traded or sold in the United States. However, a portion of the Fund’s trades may take place in markets and on exchanges outside the United States. Some non-U.S. markets present risks because they are not subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S. counterparts. In some of these non-U.S. markets, the performance on a contract is the responsibility of the counterparty and is not backed by an exchange or clearing corporation and therefore exposes the Fund to credit risk. Trading in non-U.S. markets also leaves the Fund susceptible to fluctuations in the value of the local currency against the U.S. dollar.
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The structure and operation of the Fund may involve conflicts of interest. For example, a conflict may arise because the Sponsor and its principals and affiliates may trade for themselves. In addition, the Sponsor has sole current authority to manage the investments and operations, and the interests of the Sponsor may conflict with the Shareholders’ best interests.
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You will have no rights to participate in the management of the Fund and will have to rely on the duties and judgment of the Sponsor to manage the Fund.
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The Fund pays fees and expenses that are incurred regardless of whether it is profitable.
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Regulation of the financial markets is extensive and dynamic. On July 21, 2010, “The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” was signed into law. This new law contains broad changes to the financial services industry including provisions changing the regulation of commodity interests. Such changes include the requirement that position limits on most types of commodity futures contracts be established; new registration, recordkeeping, capital and margin requirements for “swap dealers” and “major swap participants”; the forced use of clearinghouse mechanisms for most over-the-counter transactions; and the aggregation, for purposes of position limits, of all positions relating to a particular commodity held by a single entity and its affiliates, whether such positions exist on U.S. futures exchanges,
non-U.S. futures exchanges, or in over-the-counter contracts. The new law and the rules to be promulgated thereunder may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective.
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For additional risks, see “What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?”
Financial Condition of the Fund
The Fund’s NAV is determined as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time on each day that the NYSE Arca is open for trading.
Defined Terms
For a glossary of defined terms, see Appendix A.
Breakeven Analysis
The breakeven analysis below indicates the approximate dollar returns and percentage returns required for the redemption value of a hypothetical $25.00 initial investment in a single Share to equal the amount invested twelve months after the investment was made. This breakeven analysis refers to the redemption of baskets by Authorized Purchasers and is not related to any gains an individual investor would have to achieve in order to break even. The breakeven analysis is an approximation only.
Assumed initial selling price per Share
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$
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25.00
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Sponsor’s Fee (1.00%)
(1)
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$
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0.25
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Creation Basket Fee
(2)
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$
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0.01
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Estimated Brokerage Fees (0.03%)
(3)
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$
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0.01
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Other Fund Fees and Expenses
(4)
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$
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0.15
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Interest Income (0.13%)
(5)
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$
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(0.03
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)
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Amount of trading income (loss) required for the redemption value at the end of one year to equal the initial selling price of the Share
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$
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0.39
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Percentage of initial selling price per share
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1.53
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%
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(1)
The Fund is obligated to pay the Sponsor a management fee at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, payable monthly.
(2)
Authorized Purchasers are required to pay a Creation Basket fee of $500 for each order they place to create one or more baskets. An order must be at least one basket, which is 50,000 Shares. This breakeven analysis assumes a hypothetical investment in a single Share so the Creation Basket fee is $.01 (500/50,000).
(3)
The Fund determined this amount as follows. Assuming that the price of a Share is $25.00, the Fund would receive $1,250,000 upon the sale of a Creation Basket (50,000 Shares multiplied by $25.00). Assuming that this entire amount is invested in Wheat Futures Contracts and that there is no change in the settlement price of such contracts, the Fund would be required to purchase approximately 29 Wheat Futures Contracts to support the Creation Basket ($1,250,000 divided by $43,000, the value of the July 2011 Futures Contract as of March 4, 2011, which is used to approximate the price of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts). In order to reflect changes in the Benchmark
Component Futures Contracts, the Fund would have to replace one-third (approximately 10) of the contracts it holds with new contracts five times per year. Assuming further that futures commission merchants charge approximately $4.00 per Wheat Futures Contract for each purchase or sale, the annual futures commission merchant charge would be approximately $400 (20 total Wheat Futures Contract transactions (10 purchases and 10 sales) multiplied by five times per year multiplied by $4.00). As a percentage of the total investment of $1,250,000, this annual commission expense would be approximately 0.03%.
(4) Other Fund Fees and Expenses include legal, printing, accounting, custodial, administration, bookkeeping, transfer agency and marketing agent costs. The per-share cost of these fixed or estimated fees has been calculated assuming that the Fund has $30 million in assets and assuming certain fee reimbursements from the Sponsor. If a minimum assets of $2.5 million is used, Other Fund Fees and Expenses would equal $1.80 per share, and the amount of trading income required to break even would be $2.04 per share or 8.16%. If a maximum offering proceeds of $250 million is assumed, Other Fund Fees and Expenses would equal $0.09 per Share, and the amount of trading income required to break even would be $0.33 per share or
1.29%.
(5)
The Fund earns interest on funds it deposits with the futures commission merchant and the Custodian and it estimates that the interest rate will be 0.13% based on the interest rate on three-month Treasury Bills as of February 15, 2011. The actual rate will vary.
The Offering
Offering
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The Fund will offer Creation Baskets consisting of 50,000 Shares through the Marketing Agent to Authorized Purchasers. Authorized Purchasers may purchase Creation Baskets consisting of 50,000 Shares at the Fund’s NAV, which is expected to initially be $25.00. The initial Authorized Purchaser intends to offer the Shares of the initial Creation Basket(s) publicly. The initial Creation Basket is expected to be purchased by the initial Authorized Purchaser on or soon after the day the SEC declares the registration statement effective. The Shares are expected to begin trading on the NYSE Arca on the day following the purchase of the initial Creation Basket(s) by the initial Authorized Purchaser.
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Use of Proceeds
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The Sponsor will apply substantially all of the Fund’s assets toward investing in Wheat Interests, Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. The Sponsor will deposit a portion of the Fund’s net assets with the futures commission merchant, Newedge USA, LLC, or other custodians to be used to meet its current or potential margin or collateral requirements in connection with its investment in Wheat Interests. The Fund will use only Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents to satisfy these requirements. The Sponsor expects that all entities that will hold or trade the Fund’s assets will be based in the United States and will be subject to United States regulations. The Sponsor believes that approximately 5% to 10% of the Fund’s assets
will normally be committed as margin for Wheat Futures Contracts and collateral for Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests. However, from time to time, the percentage of assets committed as margin/collateral may be substantially more, or less, than such range. The remaining portion of the Fund’s assets will be held in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents by the Custodian. All interest income earned on these investments is retained for the Fund’s benefit.
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NYSE Arca Symbol
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“WEAT”
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Creation and Redemption
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Authorized Purchasers pay a $500 fee for each order to create one or more Creation Baskets, and a $500 fee per Redemption Basket redeemed. Authorized Purchasers are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares. The per share price of Shares offered in Creation Baskets on any day after the effective date of the registration statement relating to this prospectus is the total NAV of the Fund calculated as of the close of the NYSE Arca on that day divided by the number of issued and outstanding Shares.
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Inter-Series Limitation on Liability
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While the Fund is currently one of six separate series of the Trust, additional series may be created in the future. The Trust has been formed and will be operated with the goal that the Fund and any other series of the Trust will be liable only for obligations of such series, and a series will not be responsible for or affected by any liabilities or losses of or claims against any other series. If any creditor or shareholder in any particular series (such as the Fund) were to successfully assert against a series a claim with respect to its indebtedness or Shares, the creditor or shareholder could recover only from that particular series and its assets. Accordingly, the debts and other obligations incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing solely with respect to a particular
series will be enforceable only against the assets of that series, and not against any other series or the Trust generally or any of their respective assets. The assets of the Fund and any other series will include only those funds and other assets that are paid to, held by or distributed to the series on account of and for the benefit of that series, including, without limitation, amounts delivered to the Trust for the purchase of Shares in a series.
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Registration Clearance and Settlement
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Individual certificates will not be issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares will be represented by one or more global certificates, which will be deposited by the Custodian with the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Beneficial interests in Shares will be held through DTC’s book-entry system, which means that Shareholders are limited to: (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (“Indirect Participants”), and (3) those who hold interests
in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on behalf of investors holding Shares through such DTC Participants’ accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities eligible for DTC’s Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Shares will be credited to DTC Participants’ securities accounts following confirmation of receipt of payment.
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Net Asset Value
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The NAV will be calculated by taking the current market value of the Fund’s total assets and subtracting any liabilities. Under the Fund’s current operational procedures, the Fund’s administrator, The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administrator”) will calculate the NAV of the Fund’s Shares as of the earlier of 4:00 p.m. New York time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange each day. NYSE Arca will calculate an approximate net asset value every 15 seconds throughout each day that the Fund’s Shares are traded on the NYSE Arca for as long as the CBOT’s main pricing mechanism is open.
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Fund Expenses
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The Fund pays the Sponsor a management fee at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Fund is also responsible for other ongoing fees, costs and expenses of its operations, including
(
i) brokerage and other fees and commissions incurred in connection with the trading activities of the Fund; (ii) expenses incurred in connection with registering additional Shares of the Fund or offering Shares of the Fund after the time any Shares have begun trading on NYSE Arca; (iii) the routine expenses associated with the preparation and, if required, the printing and mailing of monthly, quarterly, annual and other reports required by applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory authorities, Trust meetings and preparing, printing
and mailing proxy statements to Shareholders; (iv) the payment of any distributions related to redemption of Shares; (v) payment for routine services of the Trustee, legal counsel and independent accountants; (vi) payment for routine accounting, bookkeeping, custody and transfer agency services, whether performed by an outside service provider or by Affiliates of the Sponsor; (vii) postage and insurance; (viii) costs and expenses associated with investor relations and services; (ix) costs of preparation of all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns and any taxes payable on the income, assets or operations of the Fund; and (x) extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto).
The Sponsor will bear the costs and expenses related to the initial offer and sale of Shares, including registration fees paid or to be paid to the
SEC, FINRA or any other regulatory body. Total fees to be paid by the Fund are currently estimated to be approximately 1.62% for the twelve-month period ending ______, 2012, though this amount may change in future years. The Sponsor may, in its discretion, pay or reimburse the Fund for, or waive a portion of its management fee to offset, expenses that would otherwise be borne by the Fund.
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General expenses of the Trust will be allocated among the existing Funds and any future series of the Trust as determined by the Sponsor in its discretion. The Trust may be required to indemnify the Sponsor, and the Trust and/or the Sponsor may be required to indemnify the Trustee, Marketing Agent or Administrator, under certain circumstances.
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Termination Events
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The Trust and the Fund shall continue in existence from the date of their formation in perpetuity, unless the Trust or the Fund, as the case may be, is sooner terminated upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the Trust Agreement, including the following: (1) the filing of a certificate of dissolution or cancellation of the Sponsor or revocation of the Sponsor’s charter or the withdrawal of the Sponsor, unless shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust elect within ninety (90) days after such event to continue the business of the Trust and appoint a successor Sponsor; (2) the occurrence of any event which would make the existence of the Trust or the Fund unlawful; (3) the suspension, revocation, or termination of the Sponsor’s registration as a CPO with the CFTC or
membership with the NFA; (4) the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Trust or the Fund; (5) a vote by the shareholders holding at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares of the Trust to dissolve the Trust, subject to certain conditions; and (6) the determination by the Sponsor to dissolve the Trust or the Fund, subject to certain conditions. Upon termination of the Fund, the affairs of the Fund will be wound up and all of its debts and liabilities discharged or otherwise provided for in the order of priority as provided by law. The fair market value of the remaining assets of the Fund will then be determined by the Sponsor. Thereupon, the assets of the Fund will be distributed pro rata to the Shareholders in accordance with their Shares.
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Authorized Purchasers
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We expect the initial Authorized Purchaser to be _________________, and we expect that there will be additional Authorized Purchasers in the future. A list of Authorized Purchasers will be available from the Marketing Agent. Authorized Purchasers must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions, and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Purchaser, a person must enter into an Authorized Purchaser Agreement with the Marketing Agent.
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WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS INVOLVED WITH AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND?
You should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. You should also refer to the other information included in this prospectus, which includes the Fund’s and the Sponsor’s financial statements and the related notes.
Risks Associated With Investing Directly or Indirectly in Wheat
Investing in Wheat Interests subjects the Fund to the risks of the wheat market, and this could result in substantial fluctuations in the price of the Fund’s Shares.
The Fund is subject to the risks and hazards of the wheat market because it invests in Wheat Interests. The risks and hazards that are inherent in the wheat market may cause the price of wheat to fluctuate widely. If the changes in percentage terms of the Fund’s Shares accurately track the percentage changes in the Benchmark or the spot price of wheat, then the price of its Shares will fluctuate accordingly.
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The price and availability of wheat is influenced by economic and industry conditions, including but not limited to supply and demand factors such as: crop disease; weed control; water availability; various planting, growing, or harvesting problems; severe weather conditions such as drought, floods, or frost that are difficult to anticipate and which cannot be controlled. Additionally, demand for food products made from wheat flour is affected by changes in consumer tastes, national, regional and local economic conditions, and demographic trends. More specifically, demand for such food products in the United States is relatively unaffected by changes in wheat prices or disposable income, but is closely tied to tastes and preferences. For example, in recent years the increase in the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets caused the consumption of wheat flour to
decrease rapidly before rebounding somewhat after 2005. Export demand for wheat fluctuates yearly, based largely on crop yields in the importing countries.
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Wheat production is subject to United States federal, state and local policies and regulations that materially affect operations. Governmental policies affecting the agricultural industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies, incentives, acreage control, and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities and commodity products, can influence the planting of certain crops, the location and size of crop production, the volume and types of imports and exports, the availability and competitiveness of feedstocks, and industry profitability. Additionally, wheat production is affected by laws and regulations relating to, but not limited to, the sourcing, transporting, storing and processing of agricultural raw materials as well as the transporting, storing and distributing of related agricultural products. Wheat producers also may need to comply
with various environmental laws and regulations, such as those regulating the use of certain pesticides. In addition, international trade disputes can adversely affect agricultural commodity trade flows by limiting or disrupting trade between countries or regions.
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Seasonal fluctuations in the price of wheat may cause risk to an investor because of the possibility that Share prices will be depressed because of the wheat harvest cycle. In the United States, the market for winter wheat, the type of wheat upon which CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are based, is at its lowest point, and wheat prices are lowest, shortly before and during the harvest (in the spring or early summer), due to the high supply of wheat in the market. Conversely, winter wheat prices are typically highest in the fall or early winter, when the wheat harvested that year has largely been sold and used. In the futures market, these seasonal fluctuations are typically reflected in contracts expiring in the relevant season (e.g., contracts expiring during the harvest season are typically priced lower than contracts expiring in the fall and early
winter). Thus, seasonal fluctuations could result in an investor incurring losses upon the sale of Fund Shares, particularly if the investor needs to sell Shares when the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts are, in whole or part, Wheat Futures Contracts expiring in the spring.
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The Benchmark is not designed to correlate exactly with the spot price of wheat and this could cause the changes in the price of the Shares to substantially vary from the changes in the spot price of wheat. Therefore, you may not be able to effectively use the Fund to hedge against wheat-related losses or to indirectly invest in wheat.
The Benchmark Component Futures Contracts reflect the price of wheat for future delivery, not the current spot price of wheat, so at best the correlation between changes in such Wheat Futures Contracts and the spot price of wheat will be only approximate. Weak correlation between the Benchmark and the spot price of wheat may result from the typical seasonal fluctuations in wheat prices discussed above. Imperfect correlation may also result from speculation in Wheat Interests, technical factors in the trading of Wheat Futures Contracts, and expected inflation in the economy as a whole. If there is a weak correlation between the Benchmark and the spot price of wheat, then the price of Shares may not accurately track the spot price of wheat and you may not be able to effectively use
the Fund as a way to hedge the risk of losses in your wheat-related transactions or as a way to indirectly invest in wheat.
Changes in the Fund’s NAV may not correlate well with changes in the price of the Benchmark. If this were to occur, you may not be able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against wheat-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in wheat.
The Sponsor endeavors to invest the Fund’s assets as fully as possible in Wheat Interests so that the changes in percentage terms in the NAV closely correlate with the changes in percentage terms in the Benchmark. However, changes in the Fund’s NAV may not correlate with the changes in the Benchmark for various reasons, including those set forth below:
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The Fund does not intend to invest only in the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts. While its investments in Wheat Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests would be for the purpose of causing the Fund’s performance to track that of the Benchmark most effectively and efficiently, the performance of these Wheat Interests may not correlate well with the performance of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, resulting in a greater potential for error in tracking price changes in those futures contracts. Additionally, if the trading market for Wheat Futures Contracts is suspended or closed, the Fund may not be able to purchase these investments at the last reported price for such investments.
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The Fund will incur certain expenses in connection with its operations, and will hold most of its assets in income-producing, short-term securities for margin and other liquidity purposes and to meet redemptions that may be necessary on an ongoing basis. These expenses and income will cause imperfect correlation between changes in the Fund’s NAV and changes in the Benchmark.
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The Sponsor may not be able to invest the Fund’s assets in Wheat Interests having an aggregate notional amount exactly equal to the Fund’s NAV. As a standardized contract, a single Wheat Futures Contracts or Cleared Wheat Swap is for a specified amount of wheat, and the Fund’s NAV and the proceeds from the sale of a Creation Basket is unlikely to be an exact multiple of that amount. In such case, the Fund could not invest the entire proceeds from the purchase of the Creation Basket in such futures contracts. (For example, assuming the Fund receives $1,250,000 for the sale of a Creation Basket and that the value (i.e., the notional amount) of a Wheat Futures Contract is $43,000, the Fund could only enter into 29 Wheat Futures Contracts with an aggregate value of $1,247,000). While the Fund may be better able to achieve the exact
amount of exposure to the wheat market through the use of over-the-counter Other Wheat Interests, there is no assurance that the Sponsor will be able to continually adjust the Fund’s exposure to such Other Wheat Interests to maintain such exact exposure. Furthermore, as noted above, the use of Other Wheat Interests may itself result in imperfect correlation with the Benchmark. Any amounts not invested in Wheat Interests will be held in short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents.
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As Fund assets increase, there may be more or less correlation. On the one hand, as the Fund grows it should be able to invest in Wheat Futures Contracts with a notional amount that is closer on a percentage basis to the Fund’s NAV. For example, if the Fund’s NAV is equal to 4.9 times the value of a single futures contract, it can purchase only four futures contracts, which would cause only 81.6% of the Fund’s assets to be exposed to the wheat market. On the other hand, if the Fund’s NAV is equal to 100.9 times the value of a single Wheat Futures Contract, it can purchase 100 such contracts, resulting in 99.1% exposure. However, at certain asset levels the Fund may be limited in its ability to purchase Wheat Futures Contracts due to position limits imposed by the CFTC or position limits or accountability levels imposed by the
relevant exchanges. In these instances, the Fund would likely invest to a greater extent in Wheat Interests not subject to these position limits or accountability levels. To the extent that the Fund invests in Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests, the correlation between the Fund’s NAV and the Benchmark may be lower. In certain circumstances, position limits or accountability levels could limit the number of Creation Baskets that will be sold.
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If changes in the Fund’s NAV do not correlate with changes in the Benchmark, then investing in the Fund may not be an effective way to hedge against wheat-related losses or indirectly invest in wheat.
Changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca may not correlate perfectly with changes in the NAV of the Fund’s Shares. If this variation occurs, then you may not be able to effectively use the Fund to hedge against wheat-related losses or to indirectly invest in wheat.
While it is expected that the trading prices of the Shares will fluctuate in accordance with the changes in the Fund’s NAV, the prices of Shares may also be influenced by other factors, including the supply of and demand for the Shares, whether for the short term or the longer term. There is no guarantee that the Shares will not trade at appreciable discounts from, and/or premiums to, the Fund’s NAV. This could cause the changes in the price of the Shares to substantially vary from the changes in the spot price of wheat, even if the Fund’s NAV was closely tracking movements in the spot price of wheat. If this occurs, you may not be able to effectively use the Fund to hedge the risk of losses in your wheat-related transactions or to indirectly invest in wheat.
The Fund may experience a loss if it is required to sell Treasury Securities or cash equivalents at a price lower than the price at which they were acquired.
If the Fund is required to sell Treasury Securities or cash equivalents at a price lower than the price at which they were acquired, the Fund will experience a loss. This loss may adversely impact the price of the Shares and may decrease the correlation between the price of the Shares, the Benchmark, and the spot price of wheat. The value of Treasury Securities and other debt securities generally moves inversely with movements in interest rates. The prices of longer maturity securities are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. While the short-term nature of the Fund’s investments in Treasury Securities and cash equivalents should minimize the interest rate risk to which the Fund is subject, it is possible that the Treasury
Securities and cash equivalents held by the Fund will decline in value.
Certain of the Fund’s investments could be illiquid, which could cause large losses to investors at any time or from time to time.
The Fund may not always be able to liquidate its positions in its investments at the desired price. As to futures contracts, it may be difficult to execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. Limits imposed by futures exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity with respect to some exchange-traded Wheat Interests. In addition, over-the-counter contracts and cleared swaps may be illiquid because they are contracts between two parties and generally may not be transferred by one party to a third party without the counterparty’s consent. Conversely, a counterparty may give its consent, but
the Fund still may not be able to transfer an over-the-counter Wheat Interest to a third party due to concerns regarding the counterparty’s credit risk.
A market disruption, such as a foreign government taking political actions that disrupt the market in its currency, its wheat production or exports, or in another major export, can also make it difficult to liquidate a position. Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses to investors at any time or from time to time. In addition, the Fund does not intend at this time to establish a credit facility, which would provide an additional source of liquidity, but instead will rely only on the Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents that it holds to meet its liquidity needs. The anticipated large value of the positions in Wheat Interests that the Sponsor will acquire or enter into for the Fund increases the risk of illiquidity. Because Wheat Interests may be
illiquid, the Fund’s holdings may be more difficult to liquidate at favorable prices in periods of illiquid markets and losses may be incurred during the period in which positions are being liquidated.
If the nature of the participants in the futures market shifts such that wheat purchasers are the predominant hedgers in the market, the Fund might have to reinvest at higher futures prices or choose Other Wheat Interests.
The changing nature of the participants in the wheat market will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price. Wheat producers will typically seek to hedge against falling wheat prices by selling Wheat Futures Contracts. Therefore, if wheat producers become the predominant hedgers in the futures market, prices of Wheat Futures Contracts will typically be below expected future spot prices. Conversely, if the predominant hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the wheat who purchase Wheat Futures Contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, prices of Wheat Futures Contracts will likely be higher than expected future spot prices. This can have significant implications for the Fund when it is time to sell a Wheat Futures
Contract that is no longer a Benchmark Component Futures Contract and purchase a new Wheat Futures Contract or to sell a Wheat Futures Contract to meet redemption requests.
While the Fund does not intend to take physical delivery of wheat under its Wheat Interests, the possibility of physical delivery impacts the value of the contracts.
While it is not the current intention of the Fund to take physical delivery of wheat under its Wheat Interests, Wheat Futures Contracts are traditionally not cash-settled contracts, and it is possible to take delivery under these and some Other Wheat Interests. Storage costs associated with purchasing wheat could result in costs and other liabilities that could impact the value of Wheat Futures Contracts or certain Other Wheat Interests. Storage costs include the time value of money invested in wheat as a physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the wheat less any benefits from ownership of wheat that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract. In general, Wheat Futures Contracts have a one-month delay for contract delivery and back month contracts (the back
month is any future delivery month other than the spot month) include storage costs. To the extent that these storage costs change for wheat while the Fund holds Wheat Interests, the value of the Wheat Interests, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, may change as well.
The price relationship between the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts at any point in time and the Wheat Futures Contacts that will become Benchmark Component Futures Contracts on the next roll date will vary and may impact both the Fund’s total return and the degree to which its total return tracks that of wheat price indices.
The design of the Fund’s Benchmark is such that the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will change five times per year, and the Fund’s investments must be rolled periodically to reflect the changing composition of the Benchmark. For example, when the second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract becomes the first-to-expire contract, such contract will no longer be a Benchmark Component Futures Contract and the Fund’s position in it will no longer be consistent with tracking the Benchmark. In the event of a wheat futures market where near-to-expire contracts trade at a higher price than longer-to-expire contracts, a situation referred to as “backwardation,” then absent the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the Benchmark Component Futures
Contracts would tend to rise as they approach expiration. As a result the Fund may benefit because it would be selling more expensive contracts and buying less expensive ones on an ongoing basis. Conversely, in the event of a wheat futures market where near-to-expire contracts trade at a lower price than longer-to-expire contracts, a situation referred to as “contango,” then absent the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to decline as they approach expiration. As a result the Fund’s total return may be lower than might otherwise be the case because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expensive ones. The impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return of the Fund to vary significantly from the total return of other price references, such as the spot price of wheat. In the event of a prolonged period of
contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling wheat prices, this could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s NAV and total return. Historically, periods of contango in the wheat futures market have been more frequent than periods of backwardation.
Regulation of the commodity interests and commodity markets is extensive and constantly changing; future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect the Fund.
The regulation of futures contracts and futures exchanges has historically been comprehensive. The CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of commodity interest transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of the law and is subject to ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action. On July 21, 2010, “The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” was signed into law. It includes provisions altering the regulation of commodity interests. Provisions in the new law include the requirement that position limits on most types of commodity futures contracts be established; new registration, recordkeeping, capital and margin requirements for “swap dealers” and “major swap participants”; and the forced use of clearing house mechanisms for most over-the-counter transactions. Additionally, the new law requires the
aggregation, for purposes of position limits, of all positions relating to a particular commodity held by a single entity and its affiliates, whether such positions exist on U.S. futures exchanges, non-U.S. futures exchanges, or in over-the-counter contracts. The CFTC, along with the SEC and other federal regulators, has been tasked with developing the rules and regulations enacting the provisions noted above. The new law and rules to be promulgated may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective through limits or requirements imposed either on it or upon its counterparties. In particular, new position limits imposed on the Fund or its counterparty may impact the Fund’s ability to invest in a manner that most efficiently meets its investment objective, and new requirements, including capital and mandatory clearing, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and doing business.
In addition, considerable regulatory attention has recently been focused on non-traditional publicly distributed investment pools such as the Fund. Furthermore, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in certain commodity markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse.
If you are investing in the Fund for purposes of hedging, you might be subject to several risks, including the possibility of losing the benefit of favorable market movements.
Producers and commercial users of wheat may use the Fund as a vehicle to hedge the risk of losses in their wheat-related transactions. There are several risks in connection with using the Fund as a hedging device. While hedging can provide protection against an adverse movement in market prices, it can also preclude a hedger’s opportunity to benefit from a favorable market movement. For instance, in a hedging transaction the hedger may be a user of a commodity concerned that the hedged commodity will increase in price, but must recognize the risk that the price may instead decline. If this happens, the hedger will have lost the benefit of being able to purchase the commodity at the lower price because the hedging transaction will result in a loss that would offset
(at least in part) this benefit. Thus, the hedger forgoes the opportunity to profit from favorable price movements. In addition, if the hedge is not a perfect one, the hedger can lose on the hedging transaction and not realize an offsetting gain in the value of the underlying item being hedged.
When using Wheat Interests as a hedging technique, at best, the correlation between changes in prices of futures contracts and of the items being hedged can be only approximate. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends upon circumstances such as: variations in speculative markets, demand for futures and for wheat products, technical influences in futures trading, and differences between anticipated costs being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard futures contracts available for trading. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of unexpected market behavior as well as the expenses associated with creating the hedge.
In addition, using an investment in the Fund as a hedge for changes in food costs generally may not be successful because changes in the price of wheat may vary substantially from changes in the prices of other food products, including products made with wheat. In addition, the price of wheat and the Fund’s NAV would not reflect the refining, transportation, and other costs that are specific to the hedger.
An investment in the Fund may provide you little or no diversification benefits. Thus, in a declining market, the Fund may have no gains to offset your losses from other investments, and you may suffer losses on your investment in the Fund at the same time you incur losses with respect to other asset classes.
Historically, Wheat Interests have not generally been correlated to the performance of other asset classes such as stocks and bonds. Non-correlation means that there is a low statistical relationship between the performance of Wheat Interests, on the one hand, and stocks or bonds, on the other hand. However, there can be no assurance that such non-correlation will continue during future periods. If, contrary to historic patterns, the Fund’s performance were to move in the same general direction as the financial markets, you will obtain little or no diversification benefits from an investment in the Shares. In such a case, the Fund may have no gains to offset your losses from other investments, and you may suffer losses on your investment in the Fund at the same time
you incur losses with respect to other investments.
Variables such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and other political events may have a larger impact on wheat and Wheat Interest prices than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks that subject the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Non-correlation should not be confused with negative correlation, where the performance of two asset classes would be opposite of each other. There is no historic evidence that the spot price of wheat and prices of financial assets such as stocks and bonds are negatively correlated. In the absence of negative correlation, the Fund cannot be expected to be automatically profitable during unfavorable periods for the stock market, or vice versa.
The Fund’s Operating Risks
The Fund is not a registered investment company, so you do not have the protections of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The Fund is not an investment company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940. Accordingly, you do not have the protections afforded by that statute, which, for example, requires investment companies to have a board of directors with a majority of disinterested directors and regulates the relationship between the investment company and its investment manager.
The Sponsor has limited experience operating commodity pools.
While certain of the Sponsor’s principals and employees have experience with investing in Wheat Interests and other commodity interests, the Sponsor was formed for the purpose of sponsoring the Trust and serving as the Teucrium Funds’ commodity pool operator and has limited experience operating commodity pools. The Sponsor currently sponsors six Teucrium Funds, but only three of the Teucrium Funds have commenced operations, and none of the Teucrium Funds had commenced operations prior to June 9, 2010. In addition, the Fund is new and has no operating history.
In light of this limited experience, only the Teucrium Corn Fund has significant past performance available for your review, and that performance is for only a short period of time. Furthermore, the past performance of the Teucrium Corn Fund will not necessarily reflect the future performance of the Fund. If the experience of the Sponsor and its management is not adequate or suitable, the operation and performance of the Fund may be adversely affected.
The Sponsor is leanly staffed and relies heavily on key personnel to manage trading activities.
In managing and directing the day-to-day activities and affairs of the Fund, the Sponsor relies almost entirely on Mr. Sal Gilbertie, Mr. Dale Riker, Mr. Carl N. Miller III and Mr. Kelly Teevan. If one or more of these individuals were to leave or be unable to carry out their present responsibilities, it may have an adverse effect on the management of the Fund. To the extent that the Sponsor establishes additional commodity pools, even greater demands will be placed on these individuals.
The Sponsor has limited capital and may be unable to continue to manage the Fund if it sustains continued losses.
The Sponsor was formed for the purpose of managing the Trust, including the Fund, the other Teucrium Funds, and any other series of the Trust that may be formed in the future, and has been provided with capital primarily by its principals and a small number of outside investors. If the Sponsor operates at a loss for an extended period, its capital will be depleted and it may be unable to obtain additional financing necessary to continue its operations. If the Sponsor were unable to continue to provide services to the Fund, the Fund would be terminated if a replacement sponsor could not be found.
Position limits, accountability levels, and daily price fluctuation limits set by the exchanges have the potential to cause tracking error, which could cause the price of Shares to substantially vary from the Benchmark and prevent you from being able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against wheat-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in wheat.
The CFTC and U.S. designated contract markets such as the CBOT
may establish position limits on the maximum net long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than as a hedge, which an investment by the Fund is not) may hold, own or control. For example, the current position limit for investments at any one time in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are 600 spot month contracts, 5,000 contracts expiring in any other single month, and 6,500 contracts total for all months. Cleared Wheat Swaps are subject to position limits that are substantially identical to, but measured separately from, the limits on Wheat Futures Contracts. Position limits are fixed
ceilings that the Fund would not be able to exceed without specific exchange authorization.
In addition to position limits, the exchanges may daily price fluctuation limits on futures contracts. The daily price fluctuation limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of futures contracts may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily price fluctuation limit has been reached in a particular futures contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond that limit.
For example, the CBOT imposes a $3,000 per contract price fluctuation limit for Wheat Futures Contracts. This limit is initially based off of the previous trading day’s settlement price. If two or more Wheat Futures Contract months within the first five listed non-spot contracts close at the limit, the daily price limit increases to $4,500 per contract for the next business day and to $6,750 for the next business day.
All of these limits may potentially cause a tracking error between the price of the Shares and the Benchmark. This may in turn prevent you from being able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against wheat-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in wheat.
The Fund does not intend to limit the size of the offering and will attempt to expose substantially all of its proceeds to the wheat market utilizing Wheat Interests. If the Fund encounters position limits, accountability levels, or price fluctuation limits for Wheat Futures Contracts and/or Cleared Wheat Swaps on the CBOT, it may then, if permitted under applicable regulatory requirements, purchase Other Wheat Interests and/or Wheat Futures Contracts listed on other domestic or foreign exchanges. However, the Wheat Futures Contracts available on such foreign exchanges may have different underlying sizes, deliveries, and prices. In addition, the Wheat Futures Contracts available on these exchanges may be subject to their own position limits and accountability levels. In
any case, notwithstanding the potential availability of these instruments in certain circumstances, position limits could force the Fund to limit the number of Creation Baskets that it sells.
There are no independent advisers representing Fund investors.
The Sponsor has consulted with legal counsel, accountants and other advisers regarding the formation and operation of the Trust and Fund. No counsel has been appointed to represent you in connection with the offering of Shares. Accordingly, you should consult your own legal, tax and financial advisers regarding the desirability of an investment in the Shares.
The Fund and the Sponsor may have conflicts of interest, which may cause them to favor their own interests to your detriment.
The Fund and the Sponsor may have inherent conflicts to the extent the Sponsor attempts to maintain the Fund’s asset size in order to preserve its fee income and this may not always be consistent with the Fund’s objective of having the value of its Shares’ NAV track changes in the Benchmark. The Sponsor’s officers, directors and employees do not devote their time exclusively to the Fund. These persons may be directors, officers or employees of other entities. They could have a conflict between their responsibilities to the Fund and to those other entities.
In addition, the Sponsor’s principals, officers, directors or employees may trade futures and related contracts for their own accounts. A conflict of interest may exist if their trades are in the same markets and at the same time as the Fund trades using the clearing broker to be used by the Fund. A potential conflict also may occur if the Sponsor’s principals, officers, directors or employees trade their accounts more aggressively or take positions in their accounts that are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken by the Fund.
The Sponsor has sole current authority to manage the investments and operations of the Fund, and this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests and in conflict with your best interests. Shareholders have very limited voting rights, which will limit the ability to influence matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, changes in the Fund’s basic investment policies, dissolution of the Fund, or the sale or distribution of the Fund’s assets.
Shareholders have only very limited voting rights and generally will not have the power to replace the Sponsor. Shareholders will not participate in the management of the Fund and do not control the Sponsor so they will not have influence over basic matters that affect the Fund.
Shareholders will have very limited voting rights with respect to the Fund’s affairs. Shareholders may elect a replacement Sponsor only if the current Sponsor resigns voluntarily or loses its corporate charter. Shareholders will not be permitted to participate in the management or control of the Fund or the conduct of its business. Shareholders must therefore rely upon the duties and judgment of the Sponsor to manage the Fund’s affairs.
The Sponsor may manage a large amount of assets and this could affect the Fund’s ability to trade profitably.
Increases in assets under management may affect trading decisions. While the Fund currently has only nominal assets, the Sponsor does not intend to limit the amount of Fund assets. The more assets the Sponsor manages, the more difficult it may be for it to trade profitably because of the difficulty of trading larger positions without adversely affecting prices and performance and of managing risk associated with larger positions.
The liability of the Sponsor and the Trustee are limited, and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Fund is required to indemnify the Trustee or the Sponsor.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee and the Sponsor are not liable, and have the right to be indemnified, for any liability or expense incurred absent gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee or Sponsor, as the case may be. That means the Sponsor may require the assets of a Fund to be sold in order to cover losses or liability suffered by the Sponsor or by the Trustee. Any sale of that kind would reduce the NAV of the Fund and the value of its Shares.
Although the Shares of the Fund are limited liability investments, certain circumstances such as bankruptcy could increase a Shareholder’s liability.
The Shares of the Fund are limited liability investments; Shareholders may not lose more than the amount that they invest plus any profits recognized on their investment. However, Shareholders could be required, as a matter of bankruptcy law, to return to the estate of the Fund any distribution they received at a time when the Fund was in fact insolvent or in violation of its Trust Agreement.
You cannot be assured of the Sponsor’s continued services, and discontinuance may be detrimental to the Fund.
You cannot be assured that the Sponsor will be willing or able to continue to service the Fund for any length of time. The Sponsor was formed for the purpose of sponsoring the Fund and other commodity pools, and has limited financial resources and no significant source of income apart from its management fee from the Fund to support its continued service for the Fund. If the Sponsor discontinues its activities on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be adversely affected. If the Sponsor’s registrations with the CFTC or memberships in the NFA were revoked or suspended, the Sponsor would no longer be able to provide services to the Fund.
The Fund could terminate at any time and cause the liquidation and potential loss of your investment and could upset the overall maturity and timing of your investment portfolio.
The Fund may terminate at any time, regardless of whether the Fund has incurred losses, subject to the terms of the Trust Agreement. For example, the dissolution or resignation of the Sponsor would cause the Trust to terminate unless shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust elect within 90 days of the event to continue the Trust and appoint a successor Sponsor. In addition, the Sponsor may terminate the Fund if it determines that the Fund’s aggregate net assets in relation to its operating expenses make the continued operation of the Fund unreasonable or imprudent. However, no level of losses will require the Sponsor to terminate the Fund. The Fund’s termination would result in the liquidation of its investments and the
distribution of its remaining assets to the Shareholders on a pro rata basis in accordance with their Shares, and the Fund could incur losses in liquidating its investments in connection with a termination. Termination could also negatively affect the overall maturity and timing of your investment portfolio.
As a Shareholder, you will not have the rights enjoyed by investors in certain other types of entities.
As interests in separate series of a Delaware statutory trust, the Shares do not involve the rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation (including, for example, the right to bring shareholder oppression and derivative actions). In addition, the Shares have limited voting and distribution rights (for example, Shareholders do not have the right to elect directors, as the Trust does not have a board of directors, and generally will not receive regular distributions of the net income and capital gains earned by the Fund). The Fund is also not subject to certain investor protection provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the NYSE Arca governance rules (for example, audit committee requirements).
A court could potentially conclude that the assets and liabilities of the Fund are not segregated from those of another series of the Trust, thereby potentially exposing assets in the Fund to the liabilities of another series.
The Fund is a series of a Delaware statutory trust and not itself a separate legal entity. The Delaware Statutory Trust Act provides that if certain provisions are included in the formation and governing documents of a statutory trust organized in series and if separate and distinct records are maintained for any series and the assets associated with that series are held in separate and distinct records and are accounted for in such separate and distinct records separately from the other assets of the statutory trust, or any series thereof, then the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by a particular series are enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the statutory trust generally or any other series thereof. Conversely, none of the
debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred with respect to any other series thereof is enforceable against the assets of such series. The Sponsor is not aware of any court case that has interpreted this inter-series limitation on liability or provided any guidance as to what is required for compliance. The Sponsor intends to maintain separate and distinct records for the Fund and account for the Fund separately from any other Trust series, but it is possible a court could conclude that the methods used do not satisfy the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, which would potentially expose assets in the Fund to the liabilities of one or more of the Teucrium Funds and/or any other Trust series created in the future.
The Sponsor and the Trustee are not obligated to prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Fund property.
Neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is obligated to, although each may in its respective discretion, prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Fund property. The Trust Agreement does not confer upon Shareholders the right to prosecute any such action, suit or other proceeding.
The Fund does not expect to make cash distributions.
The Sponsor intends to re-invest any income and realized gains of the Fund in additional Wheat Interests rather than distributing cash to Shareholders. Therefore, unlike mutual funds, commodity pools or other investment pools that generally distribute income and gains to their investors, the Fund generally will not distribute cash to Shareholders. You should not invest in the Fund if you will need cash distributions from the Fund to pay taxes on your share of income and gains of the Fund, if any, or for any other reason. Although the Fund does not intend to make cash distributions, the income earned from its investments held directly or posted as margin may reach levels that merit distribution, e.g., at levels where such income is not necessary to support its underlying investments
in wheat interests and investors adversely react to being taxed on such income without receiving distributions that could be used to pay such tax. Cash distributions may be made in these and similar instances.
There is a risk that the Fund will not earn gains sufficient to compensate for the fees and expenses that it must pay and as such the Fund may not earn any profit.
The Fund pays management fees at an annual rate of 1.00% of its average net assets, brokerage charges of approximately 0.02% (based on futures commission merchant fees of $4.00 per buy or sell), over-the-counter spreads and various other expenses of its ongoing operations (e.g., fees of the Administrator, Trustee and Marketing Agent), resulting in a total estimated expense ratio of approximately 1.62% of net assets (not including the transaction fees paid by Authorized Purchaser when purchasing or redeeming Creation Baskets). These fees and expenses must be paid in all events, regardless of whether the Fund’s activities are profitable. Accordingly, the Fund must realize interest income and/or gains on Wheat Interests sufficient to cover these fees and expenses before it can earn any
profit.
If this offering of Shares does not raise sufficient funds to make the Fund’s future operations viable, the Fund may be forced to terminate and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
All of the expenses relating to the Fund incurred prior to the date of this prospectus have been or will be paid by the Sponsor. These payments by the Sponsor were designed to allow the Fund the ability to commence the public offering of its Shares. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund pays the fees, costs and expenses of its operations. If the Sponsor and the Fund are unable to raise sufficient funds so that the Fund’s expenses are reasonable in relation to its NAV, the Fund may be forced to terminate and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
The Fund may incur higher fees and expenses upon renewing existing or entering into new contractual relationships.
The arrangements between clearing brokers and counterparties on the one hand and the Fund on the other generally are terminable by the clearing brokers or counterparty upon notice to the Fund. In addition, the agreements between the Fund and its third-party service providers, such as the Marketing Agent and the Custodian, are generally terminable at specified intervals. Upon termination, the Sponsor may be required to renegotiate or make other arrangements for obtaining similar services if the Fund intends to continue to operate. Comparable services from another party may not be available, or even if available, these services may not be available on the terms as favorable as those of the expired or terminated arrangements.
The Fund may miss certain trading opportunities because it will not receive the benefit of the expertise of independent trading advisors.
The Sponsor does not employ trading advisors for the Fund; however, it reserves the right to employ them in the future. The only advisor to the Fund is the Sponsor. A lack of independent trading advisors may be disadvantageous to the Fund because it will not receive the benefit of their expertise.
The net asset value calculation of the Fund may be overstated or understated due to the valuation method employed when a settlement price is not available on the date of net asset value calculation.
The Fund’s NAV includes, in part, any unrealized profits or losses on open swap agreements, futures or forward contracts. Under normal circumstances, the NAV will reflect the settlement price of open futures contracts on the date when the NAV is being calculated. However, if a futures contract traded on an exchange could not be liquidated on such day (due to the operation of daily limits or other rules of the exchange or otherwise), the settlement price on the most recent day on which the futures contract position could have been liquidated will be the basis for determining the market value of such position for such day. In these situations, there is a risk that the calculation of the NAV of the Fund on such day will not accurately reflect the realizable market value of the
futures contracts.
An unanticipated number of redemption requests during a short period of time could have an adverse effect on the NAV of the Fund.
If a substantial number of requests for redemption of Redemption Baskets are received by the Fund during a relatively short period of time, the Fund may not be able to satisfy the requests from the Fund’s assets not committed to trading. As a consequence, it could be necessary to liquidate the Fund’s trading positions before the time that its trading strategies would otherwise call for liquidation.
The financial markets have recently been in a period of disruption and recession and these conditions may not improve in the near future.
A period of recession for the economy as a whole began in 2008, and the financial markets have experienced very difficult conditions and volatility during that period. The conditions in these markets resulted in a decrease in availability of corporate credit and liquidity and led indirectly to the insolvency, closure or acquisition of a number of major financial institutions and contributed to further consolidation within the financial services industry. A continued recession or a depression could adversely affect the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund’s service providers and Authorized Purchasers, which would impact the ability of the Sponsor to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.
The liquidity of the Shares may be affected by the withdrawal from participation of Authorized Purchasers, which could adversely affect the market price of the Shares.
In the event that one or more Authorized Purchasers that are actively involved in purchasing and selling Shares cease to be so involved, the liquidity of the Shares will likely decrease, which could adversely affect the market price of the Shares and result in your incurring a loss on your investment.
You may be adversely affected by redemption orders that are subject to postponement, suspension or rejection under certain circumstances.
The Trust may, in its discretion, suspend the right to redeem Shares of the Fund or postpone the redemption settlement date: (1) for any period during which an applicable exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closing, or trading is suspended or restricted; (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of the Fund’s assets is not reasonably practicable; or (3) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of Shareholders. In addition, the Trust will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the agreement with the Authorized Purchaser or if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. Any such
postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely affect a redeeming Shareholder. For example, the resulting delay may adversely affect the value of the Shareholder’s redemption proceeds if the NAV of the Fund declines during the period of delay. The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its designees will not be liable for any loss or damage that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
The failure or bankruptcy of a clearing broker could result in substantial losses for the Fund; the clearing broker could be subject to proceedings that impair its ability to execute the Fund’s trades.
Under CFTC regulations, a clearing broker with respect to the Fund’s exchange-traded Wheat Interests must maintain customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. If a clearing broker fails to do so, or is unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its other customers may be subject to risk of a substantial loss of their funds in the event of that clearing broker’s bankruptcy. In that event, the clearing broker’s customers, such as the Fund, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share of all property available for distribution to all of that clearing broker’s customers. The Fund also may be subject to the risk of the failure of, or delay in performance by, any
exchanges and markets and their clearing organizations, if any, on which Wheat Interests are traded.
From time to time, the clearing brokers may be subject to legal or regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of their business. A clearing broker’s involvement in costly or time-consuming legal proceedings may divert financial resources or personnel away from the clearing broker’s trading operations, which could impair the clearing broker’s ability to successfully execute and clear the Fund’s trades.
The failure or insolvency of the Fund’s custodian could result in a substantial loss of the Fund’s assets.
As noted above, the vast majority of the Fund’s assets are held in short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents with the Custodian. The insolvency of the Custodian could result in a complete loss of the Fund’s assets held by the Custodian, which, at any given time, would likely comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s total assets.
Third parties may infringe upon or otherwise violate intellectual property rights or assert that the Sponsor has infringed or otherwise violated their intellectual property rights, which may result in significant costs and diverted attention.
Third parties may assert that the Sponsor has infringed or otherwise violated their intellectual property rights. Third parties may independently develop business methods, trademarks or proprietary software and other technology similar to that of the Sponsor and claim that the Sponsor has violated their intellectual property rights, including their copyrights, trademark rights, trade names, trade secrets and patent rights. As a result, the Sponsor may have to litigate in the future to determine the validity and scope of other parties’ proprietary rights, or defend itself against claims that it has infringed or otherwise violated other parties’ rights. Any litigation of this type, even if the Sponsor is successful and regardless of the merits, may result in significant
costs, divert resources from the Fund, or require the Sponsor to change its proprietary software and other technology or enter into royalty or licensing agreements.
Third parties may utilize the Sponsor’s intellectual property or technology, including the use of its business methods, trademarks or trade names and trading program software, without permission, which could cause competitive harm to the Sponsor and the Fund. The Sponsor has not registered any trademarks and does not have patent protections on any business methods or technology used with respect to the Fund. The Sponsor does not currently have any proprietary software. However, if it obtains proprietary software in the future, then any unauthorized use of such proprietary software and other technology could also adversely affect the competitive advantage of the Sponsor or the Fund and/or cause the Sponsor to take legal action to protect its rights.
The success of the Fund depends on the ability of the Sponsor to accurately implement its trading strategies, and any failure to do so could subject the Fund to losses on such transactions.
The Sponsor’s trading strategy is quantitative in nature and it is possible that the Sponsor will make errors in its implementation. The execution of the quantitative strategy is subject to human error, such as incorrect inputs into the Sponsor’s computer systems and incorrect information provided to the Fund’s clearing brokers. In addition, it is possible that a computer or software program may malfunction and cause an error in computation. Any failure, inaccuracy or delay in executing the Fund’s transactions could affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. It could also result in decisions to undertake transactions based on inaccurate or incomplete information. This could cause substantial losses on transactions.
The Fund may experience substantial losses on transactions if the computer or communications system fails.
The Fund’s trading activities, including its risk management, depend on the integrity and performance of the computer and communications systems supporting them. Extraordinary transaction volume, hardware or software failure, power or telecommunications failure, a natural disaster or other catastrophe could cause the computer systems to operate at an unacceptably slow speed or even fail. Any significant degradation or failure of the systems that the Sponsor uses to gather and analyze information, enter orders, process data, monitor risk levels and otherwise engage in trading activities may result in substantial losses on transactions, liability to other parties, lost profit opportunities, damages to the Sponsor’s and Fund’s reputations, increased operational expenses and
diversion of technical resources.
If the computer and communications systems are not upgraded when necessary, the Fund’s financial condition could be harmed.
The development of complex computer and communications systems and new technologies may render the existing computer and communications systems supporting the Fund’s trading activities obsolete. In addition, these computer and communications systems must be compatible with those of third parties, such as the systems of exchanges, clearing brokers and the executing brokers. As a result, if these third parties upgrade their systems, the Sponsor will need to make corresponding upgrades to continue effectively its trading activities. The Fund’s future success may depend on the Fund’s ability to respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis.
The Fund depends on the reliable performance of the computer and communications systems of third parties, such as brokers and futures exchanges, and may experience substantial losses on transactions if they fail.
The Fund depends on the proper and timely function of complex computer and communications systems maintained and operated by the futures exchanges, brokers and other data providers that the Sponsor uses to conduct trading activities. Failure or inadequate performance of any of these systems could adversely affect the Sponsor’s ability to complete transactions, including its ability to close out positions, and result in lost profit opportunities and significant losses on commodity interest transactions. This could have a material adverse effect on revenues and materially reduce the Fund’s available capital. For example, unavailability of price quotations from third parties may make it difficult or impossible for the Sponsor to conduct trading activities so that the Fund
will closely track the Benchmark. Unavailability of records from brokerage firms may make it difficult or impossible for the Sponsor to accurately determine which transactions have been executed or the details, including price and time, of any transaction executed. This unavailability of information also may make it difficult or impossible for the Sponsor to reconcile its records of transactions with those of another party or to accomplish settlement of executed transactions.
Risk of Leverage and Volatility
If the Sponsor causes or permits the Fund to become leveraged, you could lose all or substantially all of your investment if the Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn unprofitable.
Commodity pools’ trading positions in futures contracts or other commodity interests are typically required to be secured by the deposit of margin funds that represent only a small percentage of a futures contract’s (or other commodity interest’s) entire market value. This feature permits commodity pools to “leverage” their assets by purchasing or selling futures contracts (or other commodity interests) with an aggregate face amount in excess of the commodity pool’s assets. While this leverage can increase a pool’s profits, relatively small adverse movements in the price of the pool’s commodity interests can cause significant losses to the pool. While the Sponsor does not intend to leverage the Fund’s assets, it is not prohibited
from doing so under the Trust Agreement. If the Sponsor were to cause or permit the Fund to become leveraged, you could lose all or substantially all of your investment if the Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn unprofitable.
The price of wheat can be volatile which could cause large fluctuations in the price of Shares.
Movements in the price of wheat will be the result of factors outside of the Sponsor’s control and may not be anticipated by the Sponsor. As discussed in more detail above, price movements for wheat are influenced by, among other things, weather conditions, crop disease, transportation difficulties, various planting, growing and harvesting problems, governmental policies, changing demand, and seasonal fluctuations in supply. More generally, commodity prices may be influenced by economic and monetary events such as changes in interest rates, changes in balances of payments and trade, U.S. and international inflation rates, currency valuations and devaluations, U.S. and international economic events, and changes in the philosophies and emotions of market participants. Because
the Fund invests primarily in interests in a single commodity, it is not a diversified investment vehicle, and therefore may be subject to greater volatility than a diversified portfolio of stocks or bonds or a more diversified commodity pool.
Over-the-Counter Contract Risk
Over-the-counter transactions are subject to little, if any, regulation.
A portion of the Fund’s assets may be used to trade over-the-counter Wheat Interests, such as forward contracts or swaps. Over-the-counter contracts are typically traded on a principal-to-principal basis through dealer markets that are dominated by major money center and investment banks and other institutions and are essentially unregulated by the CFTC. You therefore do not receive the protection of CFTC regulation or the statutory scheme of the Commodity Exchange Act in connection with this trading activity. The markets for over-the-counter contracts rely upon the integrity of market participants in lieu of the additional regulation imposed by the CFTC on participants in the futures markets. The lack of regulation in these markets could expose the Fund in certain
circumstances to significant losses in the event of trading abuses or financial failure by participants.
The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to counterparties to over-the-counter contracts entered into by the Fund.
The Fund faces the risk of non-performance by the counterparties to the over-the-counter contracts. Unlike in futures contracts, the counterparty to these contracts is generally a single bank or other financial institution, rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. As a result, there will be greater counterparty credit risk in these transactions. A counterparty may not be able to meet its obligations to the Fund, in which case the Fund could suffer significant losses on these contracts.
If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. During any such period, the Fund may have difficulty in determining the value of its contracts with the counterparty, which in turn could result in the overstatement or understatement of the Fund’s NAV. The Fund may eventually obtain only limited recovery or no recovery in such circumstances.
The Fund may be subject to liquidity risk with respect to its over-the-counter contracts.
Over-the-counter contracts may have terms that make them less marketable than futures contracts. Over-the-counter contracts are less marketable because they are not traded on an exchange, do not have uniform terms and conditions, and are entered into based upon the creditworthiness of the parties and the availability of credit support, such as collateral, and in general, they are not transferable without the consent of the counterparty. These conditions may diminish the ability to realize the full value of such contracts.
Risk of Trading in International Markets
Trading in international markets would expose the Fund to credit and regulatory risk.
A significant portion of the Wheat Futures Contracts entered into by the Fund will be traded on United States exchanges including the CBOT. However, a portion of the Fund’s trades may take place on markets and exchanges outside the United States. Some non-U.S. markets present risks because they are not subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S. counterparts. None of the CFTC, NFA, or any domestic exchange regulates activities of any foreign boards of trade or exchanges, including the execution, delivery and clearing of transactions, nor has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of a foreign board of trade or exchange or of any applicable non-U.S. laws. Similarly, the rights of market participants, such as the Fund, in the event of the insolvency
or bankruptcy of a non-U.S. market or broker are also likely to be more limited than in the case of U.S. markets or brokers. As a result, in these markets, the Fund has less legal and regulatory protection than it does when it trades domestically.
In some of these non-U.S. markets, the performance on a futures contract is the responsibility of the counterparty and is not backed by an exchange or clearing corporation and therefore exposes the Fund to credit risk. Additionally, trading on non-U.S. exchanges is subject to the risks presented by exchange controls, expropriation, increased tax burdens and exposure to local economic declines and political instability. An adverse development with respect to any of these variables could reduce the profit or increase the loss earned on trades in the affected international markets.
International trading activities subject the Fund to foreign exchange risk.
The price of any non-U.S. Wheat Interest and, therefore, the potential profit and loss on such investment, may be affected by any variance in the foreign exchange rate between the time the order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised. As a result, changes in the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar may cause losses to the Fund even if the contract is profitable.
The Fund’s international trading could expose it to losses resulting from non-U.S. exchanges that are less developed or less reliable than United States exchanges.
Some non-U.S. exchanges also may be in a more developmental stage so that prior price histories may not be indicative of current price dynamics. In addition, the Fund may not have the same access to certain positions on foreign trading exchanges as do local traders, and the historical market data on which the Sponsor bases its strategies may not be as reliable or accessible as it is for U.S. exchanges.
Tax Risk
Please refer to “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for information regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares.
Your tax liability from holding Shares may exceed the amount of distributions, if any, on your Shares.
Cash or property will be distributed at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, and the Sponsor currently does not intend to make cash or other distributions with respect to Shares. You will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax and, in some cases, state, local, or foreign income tax, on your allocable share of the Fund’s taxable income, without regard to whether you receive distributions or the amount of any distributions. Therefore, the tax liability resulting from your ownership of Shares may exceed the amount of cash or value of property (if any) distributed.
Your allocable share of income or loss for tax purposes may differ from your economic income or loss on your Shares.
Due to the application of the assumptions and conventions applied by the Fund in making allocations for tax purposes and other factors, your allocable share of the Fund’s income, gain, deduction or loss may be different than your economic profit or loss from your Shares for a taxable year. This difference could be temporary or permanent and, if permanent, could result in your being taxed on amounts in excess of your economic income.
Items of income, gain, deduction, loss and credit with respect to Shares could be reallocated if the IRS does not accept the assumptions and conventions applied by the Fund in allocating those items, with potential adverse consequences for you.
The Fund will be treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes. The U.S. tax rules pertaining to entities taxed as partnerships are complex and their application to publicly traded partnerships such as the Fund is in many respects uncertain. The Fund will apply certain assumptions and conventions in an attempt to comply with the intent of the applicable rules and to report taxable income, gains, deductions, losses and credits in a manner that properly reflects Shareholders’ economic gains and losses. These assumptions and conventions may not fully comply with all aspects of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and applicable Treasury Regulations, however, and it is possible that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service will successfully
challenge our allocation methods and require us to reallocate items of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit in a manner that adversely affects you. If this occurs, you may be required to file an amended tax return and to pay additional taxes plus deficiency interest.
The Fund could be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, which may substantially reduce the value of your Shares.
The Trust has received an opinion of counsel that, under current U.S. federal income tax laws, the Fund will be treated as a partnership that is not taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, provided that (i) at least 90 percent of the Fund’s annual gross income consists of “qualifying income” as defined in the Code, (ii) the Fund is organized and operated in accordance with its governing agreements and applicable law, and (iii) the Fund does not elect to be taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Although the Sponsor anticipates that the Fund has satisfied and will continue to satisfy the “qualifying income” requirement for all of its taxable years, that result cannot be assured. The Fund has not requested and will not request
any ruling from the IRS with respect to its classification as a partnership not taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. If the IRS were to successfully assert that the Fund is taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes in any taxable year, rather than passing through its income, gains, losses and deductions proportionately to Shareholders, the Fund would be subject to tax on its net income for the year at corporate tax rates. In addition, although the Sponsor does not currently intend to make distributions with respect to Shares, any distributions would be taxable to Shareholders as dividend income. Taxation of the Fund as a corporation could materially reduce the after-tax return on an investment in Shares and could substantially reduce the value of your Shares.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE POSSIBLE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF AN INVESTMENT IN SHARES; SUCH TAX CONSEQUENCES MAY DIFFER IN RESPECT OF DIFFERENT INVESTORS.
THE OFFERING
The Fund in General
The Fund is a series of the Trust, a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on September 11, 2009. Currently, the Trust has five additional series that are separate commodity pools: the Teucrium Corn Fund, the Teucrium Soybean Fund, the Teucrium Sugar Fund, the Teucrium Natural Gas Fund, and the Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund. Additional series of the Trust may be created in the future at the Sponsor’s discretion.
The Fund maintains its main business office at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. The Fund is a commodity pool. It operates pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, which is dated as of March 31, 2010 and grants full management control to the
Sponsor.
The Fund is publicly traded, and seeks to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the price of wheat for future delivery, as measured by the Benchmark. The Fund will invest in a mixture of listed Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps, Other Wheat Interests, short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents.
THE FUND HAS NOT COMMENCED TRADING AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY
PERFORMANCE HISTORY.
The Sponsor
The Sponsor of the Trust is Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The principal office of the Sponsor and the Trust are located at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. The Sponsor registered as a CPO with the CFTC and became a member of the NFA on November 10, 2009.
The Sponsor established the Trust and caused the Trust to establish three series (the Teucrium Corn Fund, Teucrium Natural Gas Fund and Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund) that commenced offering their shares prior to the date of this prospectus and three other series, including the Fund, that have not yet commenced offering their shares. Aside from the activity described in the previous sentence and obtaining capital from a small number of outside investors in order to engage in this activity, the Sponsor did not engage in any business activity prior to the date of this prospectus. Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor is solely responsible for the management and conducts or directs the conduct of the business of the Trust, the Fund, and any other series of the Trust that may from time to time
be established and designated by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is required to oversee the purchase and sale of Shares by Authorized Purchasers and to manage the Fund’s investments, including to evaluate the credit risk of futures commission merchants and swap counterparties and to review daily positions and margin/collateral requirements. The Sponsor has the power to enter into agreements as may be necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the Fund’s Shares and the conduct of the Trust’s activities. Accordingly, the Sponsor is responsible for selecting the Trustee, Administrator, Marketing Agent, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust, and any legal counsel employed by the Trust. The Sponsor is also responsible for preparing and filing periodic reports on behalf of the Trust with the SEC and will provide any required certification for such reports. No person other than the Sponsor and
its principals was involved in the organization of the Trust or the Fund.
The Marketing Agent will assist the Sponsor in marketing the Shares. The Sponsor may determine to engage additional or successor marketing agents. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about the Marketing Agent.
The Sponsor maintains a public website on behalf of the Fund,
www.teucriumweatfund.com
, which contains information about the Trust, the Fund and the other Teucrium Funds, and the Shares, and oversees certain services for the benefit of Shareholders.
The Sponsor has discretion to appoint one or more of its affiliates as additional Sponsors.
The Sponsor receives a fee as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily and is paid monthly at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Sponsor receives no compensation from the Fund other than such fee. The Fund is also responsible for other ongoing fees, costs and expenses of its operations, including brokerage fees, SEC and FINRA registration fees and legal, printing, accounting, custodial, administration and transfer agency costs, although
the Sponsor has borne or will bear the costs and expenses related to the initial offer and sale of Shares.
Shareholders have no right to elect the Sponsor on an annual or any other continuing basis or to remove the Sponsor. If the Sponsor voluntarily withdraws, the holders of a majority of the Trust’s outstanding shares (excluding for purposes of such determination shares owned by the withdrawing Sponsor and its affiliates) may elect its successor. Prior to withdrawing, the Sponsor must give ninety days’ written notice to the holders of the Trust’s outstanding shares and the Trustee.
Ownership or “membership” interests in the Sponsor are owned by persons referred to as “members.” The Sponsor currently has three voting or “Class A” members – Mr. Sal Gilbertie, Mr. Dale Riker and Mr. Carl N. Miller III – and a small number of non-voting or “Class B” members who have provided working capital to the Sponsor. Messrs. Gilbertie and Riker each currently own 45% of the Sponsor’s Class A membership interests.
Management of the Sponsor
In general, under the Sponsor’s Limited Liability Company Agreement, the Sponsor (and as a result the Trust and the Fund) is managed by the officers of the Sponsor. In particular, the President of the Sponsor is responsible for the general and active management of the business of the Sponsor (or for the delegation of management responsibilities to the Sponsor’s other officers), and for the supervision of such other officers. However, certain fundamental actions regarding the Sponsor, such as the removal of officers, the addition or substitution of members, or the incurrence of liabilities other than those incurred in the ordinary course of business and
de minimis
liabilities, may not be taken without the affirmative vote
of a majority of the Class A members (which is generally defined as the affirmative vote of Mr. Gilbertie and one of the other two Class A members). The Sponsor has no board of directors, and the Trust has no board of directors or officers.
The three Class A members of the Sponsor, two of whom also serve as its officers, are as follows:
Sal Gilbertie
has been the President of the Sponsor since its inception, was approved by the NFA as a principal of the Sponsor on September 23, 2009, and was registered as an associated person of the Sponsor on November 10, 2009. He maintains his main business office at436 Cerillos Road, Suite C, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. From October, 2005 until December, 2009, Mr. Gilbertie was employed by Newedge USA, LLC, where he headed the Renewable Fuels/Energy Derivatives OTC Execution Desk and was an active futures contract and over-the-counter derivatives trader and market maker in multiple classes of commodities. (Between January 2008 and October 2008, he also held a comparable position with
Newedge Financial, Inc., an affiliate of Newedge USA, LLC.) From October 1998 until October 2005, Mr. Gilbertie was principal and co-founder of Cambial Asset Management, LLC, an adviser to two private funds that focused on equity options, and Cambial Financing Dynamics, a private boutique investment bank. While at Cambial Asset Management, LLC and Cambial Financing Dynamics, Mr. Gilbertie served as principal and managed the day-to-day activities of the business and the portfolio of both companies. Mr. Gilbertie is 50 years old.
Dale Riker
has been the Treasurer of the Sponsor since its inception and its Secretary since January, 2010, was approved by the NFA as a principal of the Sponsor on October 29, 2009, and was registered as an associated person of the Sponsor on February 17, 2010. He maintains his main business office at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, and is responsible for risk management and the day-to-day financial operations of the Sponsor. From February 2005 to the present, Mr. Riker has been President of Cambial Emerging Markets LLC, a consulting company specializing in emerging market equity investment. As President of Cambial Emerging Markets LLC, Mr. Riker had responsibility for business
strategy, planning and operations. From July 1996 to February 2005, Mr. Riker was a private investor. Mr. Riker is 53 years old.
Carl N. (Chuck) Miller III
was approved by the NFA as a principal of the Sponsor on November 10, 2009, and was registered as an associated person of the Sponsor on April 19, 2010. He maintains his main business office at436 Cerillos Road, Suite C, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. Mr. Miller has certain voting authority as a Class A member of the Sponsor as described above, but is not involved with the Sponsor’s day-to-day trading or operations.
The three individuals set forth above are individual “principals,” as that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, for the Sponsor. These individuals are principals due to their positions and/or due to their ownership interests in the Sponsor. None of the principals owns or has any other beneficial interest in the Fund. In addition, each of the three Class A members of the Sponsor are registered with the CFTC as associated persons of the Sponsor and are NFA associate members. GFI Group LLC is a principal for the Sponsor under CFTC Rules due to its ownership of certain non-voting securities of the Sponsor.
Mr. Gilbertie and Kelly Teevan, an employee of the Sponsor who is not a member of the Sponsor, are primarily responsible for making trading and investment decisions for the Fund, and for directing Fund trades for execution. Mr. Teevan has been a Managing Director of the Sponsor since October 2009, was approved by the NFA as a principal of the Sponsor on March 25, 2010, was registered as an associated person of the Sponsor on February 24, 2010 and was registered as a branch office manager of the Sponsor on June 1, 2010. He maintains his main business office at 42 West Union Street, Goffstown, New Hampshire 03045. Mr. Teevan graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard College and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Mr. Teevan worked as a
commodities broker and trader for the period of April 1984 to April 1989. From April 1984 through November 1984, Mr. Teevan was the Account Executive, Energy and Options Specialist in charge of commercial client and execution with ACLI Futures in White Plains, New York. In December 1984, the ACLI Futures team in White Plains moved to Rudolf Wolff Futures Brokers Inc. located in New York, New York, where Mr. Teevan continued his same job responsibilities. In July 1986, Rudolf Wolff Futures Brokers Inc. was acquired by Elders Futures Inc. in New York, New York where Mr. Teevan continued his same job responsibilities until October 1987. In October 1987, Mr. Teevan joined the group of Drury, Teevan and Salomon located in San Francisco, California, as a partner engaging in the business development in commodities trading. Mr. Teevan continued that role until June 1988 when Drury, Teevan and Salomon joined Capel Court Investment Bank in
Sydney, Australia. At Capel Court Investment Bank, Mr. Teevan served as the Director, Capel Court Futures, leading business plan work for trading in global markets. Mr. Teevan served in that role until April 1989. From April 1989 until January 2003, Mr. Teevan was primarily engaged in non-profit management and development. Mr. Teevan was primarily retired between January 2003 and October 2009.
Mr. Teevan is 59 years old.
Prior Performance of the Sponsor and Affiliates
The Sponsor and its trading principals have limited experience operating commodity pools. Although the Sponsor currently operates six commodity pools (the Teucrium Funds), none of the Teucrium Funds began operating prior to 2010. The Teucrium Corn Fund (“CORN”) is the only Teucrium Fund that commenced operations more than three months prior to the date of this prospectus. CORN is listed on NYSE Arca and commenced investment operations on June 9, 2010.
PERFORMANCE DATA FOR TEUCRIUM CORN FUND
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS
Units of beneficial interest issued (from inception until March 31, 2011)
|
___,004
|
Aggregate gross sale price for units issued
|
$_________
|
NAV as of March 31, 2011
|
$_________
|
Worst monthly percentage draw-down*
|
(__.__)% ____, 201_
|
Worst peak-to-valley draw-down**
|
(__.__)% ____, 201_ - ____, 201_
|
* A draw-down is a loss experienced by the fund over a specified period. Draw-downs are measured on the basis of monthly returns only and do not reflect intra-month figures. The worst monthly percentage draw-down reflects the largest single month loss sustained since inception of investment operations.
** The worst peak-to-valley draw-down is the largest percentage decline in the NAV per unit over the history of the fund. This need not be a continuous decline, but can be a series of positive and negative returns. Worst peak-to-valley draw-down represents the greatest percentage decline from any month-end NAV per unit that occurs without such month-end NAV per unit being equaled or exceeded as of a subsequent month-end. For example, if the NAV per unit declined by $1 in each of January and February, increased by $1 in March and declined again by $2 in April, a “peak-to-valley drawdown” analysis conducted as of the end of April would consider that “drawdown” to be continuing and to be $3 in amount, whereas if the NAV per unit had increased by $2 in March, the
drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the $2 level.
|
|
Rates of Return*
|
|
Month
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
January
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.07
|
%
|
February
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.51
|
%
|
March
|
|
|
|
|
|
%
|
April
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
|
|
|
3.56
|
%**
|
|
|
|
|
July
|
|
|
7.38
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
August
|
|
|
5.54
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
September
|
|
|
10.74
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
October
|
|
|
15.14
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
November
|
|
|
-8.23
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
December
|
|
|
13.78
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%
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Annual Rate of Return
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56.24
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%***
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%***
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* The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV for a given month by the ending NAV for the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.
** Partial from June 9, 2011.
*** Not annualized.
There are significant differences between the Fund and CORN. Most significantly, the Fund and CORN invest primarily in interests in different commodities, the prices of which will not move exactly in tandem. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Initial Contribution to the Fund
The Sponsor contributed $100 to the Fund as an initial contribution of capital, and received four Shares of the Fund in exchange for such capital contribution. Accordingly, the Sponsor is currently the beneficial owner of all outstanding Shares of the Fund.
The Trustee
The sole Trustee of the Trust is Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation. The Trustee’s principal offices are located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890-0001. The Trustee is unaffiliated with the Sponsor. The Trustee’s duties and liabilities with respect to the offering of Shares and the management of the Trust and the Fund are limited to its express obligations under the Trust Agreement.
The Trustee will accept service of legal process on the Trust in the State of Delaware and will make certain filings under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. The Trustee does not owe any other duties to the Trust, the Sponsor or the Shareholders. The Trustee is permitted to resign upon at least sixty (60) days’ notice to the Sponsor. If no successor trustee has been appointed by the Sponsor within such sixty-day period, the Trustee may, at the expense of the Trust, petition a court to appoint a successor. The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee is entitled to reasonable compensation for its services from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor (including the Trust), and is indemnified by the Sponsor against any expenses it incurs relating to or arising out
of the formation, operation or termination of the Trust, or any action or inaction of the Trustee under the Trust Agreement, except to the extent that such expenses result from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Trustee. The Sponsor has the discretion to replace the Trustee.
The Trustee has not signed the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and is not subject to issuer liability under the federal securities laws for the information contained in this prospectus and under federal securities laws with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares. Under such laws, neither the Trustee, either in its capacity as Trustee or in its individual capacity, nor any director, officer or controlling person of the Trustee is, or has any liability as, the issuer or a director, officer or controlling person of the issuer of the Shares.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee has delegated to the Sponsor the exclusive management and control of all aspects of the business of the Trust and the Fund. The Trustee has no duty or liability to supervise or monitor the performance of the Sponsor, nor does the Trustee have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor.
Because the Trustee has delegated substantially all of its authority over the operation of the Trust to the Sponsor, the Trustee itself is not registered in any capacity with the CFTC.
Operation of the Fund
The investment objective of the Fund is to have daily changes in percentage terms of the Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices of three Wheat Futures Contracts that are traded on the CBOT, specifically: (1) the second-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of the third-to-expire contracts, weighted 35%.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing under normal market conditions in Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or, in certain circumstances, in other Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT or on other domestic or foreign exchanges. In addition, and to a limited extent, the Fund also may invest in exchange-traded options on Wheat Futures Contracts and in Cleared Wheat Swaps in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective. Once position limits in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are applicable, the Fund's intention is to invest first in Cleared Wheat Swaps to the extent practicable in light of the accountability levels applicable to Cleared Wheat Swaps and appropriate in light of the liquidity in the Cleared Wheat Swap market, and then in Other Wheat
Interests. See “The Offering – Futures Contracts” below. By utilizing certain or all of these investments, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the Fund's performance to closely track that of the Benchmark.
The Fund will invest in Wheat Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests. After fulfilling such margin and collateral requirements, the Fund will invest the remainder of its proceeds from the sale of baskets in short-term Treasury Securities or cash equivalents, and/or merely hold such assets in cash (generally in interest-bearing accounts). Therefore, the focus of the Sponsor in managing the Fund is investing in Wheat Interests and in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. The Sponsor expects to manage the Fund’s investments directly, although it has been authorized by the Trust to retain, establish the terms of
retention for, and terminate third-party commodity trading advisors to provide such management. The Sponsor has substantial discretion in managing the Fund’s investments consistent with meeting its investment objective of closely tracking the Benchmark, including the discretion: (1) to choose whether to invest in the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or other Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps or Other Wheat Interests with similar investment characteristics; (2) to choose when to “roll” the Fund’s positions in Wheat Interests as described below, and (3) to manage the Fund’s investments in Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily by investing in Wheat Interests such that the changes in its NAV will be expected to closely track the changes in the Benchmark. The Fund’s positions in Wheat Interests will be changed or “rolled” on a regular basis in order to track the changing nature of the Benchmark. For example, five times a year (on the dates on which a Wheat Futures Contract expires), the second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract will become the next-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract and will no longer be a Benchmark Component Futures Contract, and the Fund’s investments will have to be changed accordingly. In order that the Fund’s trading does not cause unwanted market movements and to make it more difficult for third
parties to profit by trading based on such expected market movements, the Fund’s investments typically will not be rolled entirely on that day, but rather will typically be rolled over a period of days.
The Sponsor does not intend that the Fund will be operated in a fashion such that its NAV will equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of a bushel or other unit of wheat or the price of any particular Wheat Futures Contract.
Consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective of closely tracking the Benchmark, the Sponsor may for certain reasons cause the Fund to enter into or hold Wheat Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps and/or Other Wheat Interests. For example, certain Cleared Wheat Swaps have standardized terms similar to, and are priced by reference to, a corresponding Benchmark Component Futures Contract. Additionally, over-the-counter Wheat Interests can generally be structured as the parties to the contract desire. Therefore, the Fund might enter into multiple Cleared Wheat Swaps and/or over-the-counter Wheat Interests intended to exactly replicate the performance of each of the three Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, or a
single over-the-counter Wheat Interest designed to replicate the performance of the Benchmark as a whole. Assuming that there is no default by a counterparty to an over-the-counter Wheat Interest, the performance of the Wheat Interest will necessarily correlate exactly with the performance of the Benchmark or the applicable Benchmark Component Futures Contract. The Fund might also enter into or hold Wheat Interests other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts to facilitate effective trading, consistent with the discussion of the Fund’s “roll” strategy in the preceding paragraph. In addition,
the Fund might enter into or hold Wheat Interests that would be expected to alleviate overall deviation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Benchmark that may result from certain market and trading inefficiencies or other reasons.
By
utilizing certain or all of the investments described above, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the Fund’s performance to closely track that of the Benchmark.
The Sponsor endeavors to place the Fund’s trades in Wheat Interests and otherwise manage the Fund’s investments so that the Fund’s average daily tracking error against the Benchmark will be less than 10 percent over any period of 30 trading days. More specifically, the Sponsor will endeavor to manage the Fund so that A will be within plus/minus 10 percent of B, where:
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·
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A is the average daily change in the Fund’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days; i.e., any trading day as of which the Fund calculates its NAV, and
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·
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B is the average daily change in the price of the Benchmark over the same period.
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The Sponsor believes that market arbitrage opportunities cause daily changes in the Fund’s Share price on the NYSE Arca to closely track daily changes in the Fund’s NAV per share. The Sponsor believes that the net effect of this expected relationship and the expected relationship described above between the Fund’s NAV and the Benchmark will be that daily changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca will closely track daily changes in the Benchmark. While the Benchmark is composed of Futures Contracts and is therefore a measure of the price of wheat for future delivery, there is nonetheless expected to be a reasonable degree of correlation between the Benchmark and the cash or spot price of wheat.
These relationships are illustrated in the following diagram:
An investment in the Shares provides a means for diversifying an investor’s portfolio or hedging exposure to changes in wheat prices. An investment in the Shares allows both retail and institutional investors to easily gain this exposure to the wheat market in a transparent, cost-effective manner.
The Sponsor employs a “neutral” investment strategy intended to track changes in the Benchmark regardless of whether the Benchmark goes up or goes down. The Fund’s “neutral” investment strategy is designed to permit investors generally to purchase and sell the Fund’s Shares for the purpose of investing indirectly in the wheat market in a cost-effective manner. Such investors may include participants in the wheat industry and other industries seeking to hedge the risk of losses in their wheat-related transactions, as well as investors seeking exposure to the wheat market. Accordingly, depending on the investment objective of an individual investor, the risks generally associated with investing in the wheat market and/or the risks involved in
hedging may exist. In addition, an investment in the Fund involves the risk that the changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares will not accurately track the changes in the Benchmark, and that changes in the Benchmark will not closely correlate with changes in the price of wheat on the spot market. Furthermore, as noted above, the Fund will also hold short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents to meet its current or potential margin or collateral requirements with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests and to invest cash not required to be used as margin or collateral. The Fund does not expect there to be any meaningful correlation between the performance of the Fund’s investments in Treasury Securities/cash/cash equivalents and the changes in the price of wheat or Wheat Interests. While the level of interest earned on or the market price of these investments may in some respects correlate to changes in the
price of wheat, this correlation is not anticipated as part of the Fund’s efforts to meet its objective.
The Fund’s total portfolio composition is disclosed each business day that the NYSE Arca is open for trading on the Fund’s website at
www.teucriumweatfund.com
. The website disclosure of portfolio holdings is made daily and includes, as applicable, the name and value of each Wheat Futures Contract and Cleared Wheat Swap, the specific types of Other Wheat Interests and characteristics of such Other Wheat Interests, the name and value of each Treasury security and cash equivalent, and the amount of cash held in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s website is publicly accessible at no charge.
The Shares issued by the Fund may only be purchased by Authorized Purchasers and only in blocks of 50,000 Shares called Creation Baskets. The amount of the purchase payment for a Creation Basket is equal to the aggregate NAV of Shares in the Creation Basket. Similarly, only Authorized Purchasers may redeem Shares and only in blocks of 50,000 Shares called Redemption Baskets. The amount of the redemption proceeds for a Redemption Basket is equal to the aggregate NAV of Shares in the Redemption Basket. The purchase price for Creation Baskets and the redemption price for Redemption Baskets are the actual NAV calculated at the end of the business day when a request for a purchase or redemption is received by the Fund. The NYSE Arca will publish an approximate
NAV intra-day based on the prior day’s NAV and the current price of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, but the price of Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets is determined based on the actual NAV calculated at the end of each trading day.
While the Fund issues Shares only in Creation Baskets, Shares may also be purchased and sold in much smaller increments on the NYSE Arca. These transactions, however, are effected at the bid and ask prices established by the specialist firm(s). Like any listed security, Shares can be purchased and sold at any time a secondary market is open.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
In managing the Fund’s assets, the Sponsor does not use a technical trading system that automatically issues buy and sell orders. Instead, each time one or more baskets are purchased or redeemed, the Sponsor will purchase or sell Wheat Interests with an aggregate market value that approximates the amount of cash received or paid upon the purchase or redemption of the basket(s).
As an example, assume that a Creation Basket is sold by the Fund, and that the Fund’s closing NAV per share is $25.00. In that case, the Fund would receive $1,250,000 in proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket ($25.00 NAV per share multiplied by 50,000 Shares, and ignoring the Creation Basket fee of $500). If one were to assume further that the Sponsor wants to invest the entire proceeds from the Creation Basket in the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts and that the market value of each such Benchmark Component Futures Contracts is $43,000, the Fund would be unable to buy an exact number of Wheat Futures Contracts with an aggregate market value equal to $1,250,000. Instead, the Fund would be able to purchase
29 Benchmark Component Futures Contracts with an aggregate market value of $1,247,000. Assuming a margin requirement equal to 10% of the value of the Wheat Futures Contracts, the Fund would be required to deposit $124,700 in Treasury Securities and cash with the futures commission merchant through which the Wheat Futures Contracts were purchased. The remainder of the proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket, $1,125,300,
would remain invested in cash, cash equivalents, and Treasury Securities as determined by the Sponsor from time to time based on factors such as potential calls for margin or anticipated redemptions.
The specific Wheat Interests purchased will depend on various factors, including a judgment by the Sponsor as to the appropriate diversification of the Fund’s investments. While the Sponsor anticipates that a substantial majority of its assets will be invested in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps, for various reasons, including the ability to enter into the precise amount of exposure to the wheat market and position limits on Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps, it will also invest in Other Wheat Interests, including swaps other than Cleared Wheat Swaps, in the over-the-counter market to a potentially significant degree.
The Sponsor does not anticipate letting its Wheat Futures Contracts expire and taking delivery of wheat. Instead, the Sponsor will close out existing positions, e.g., in response to ongoing changes in the Benchmark or if it otherwise determines it would be appropriate to do so and reinvest the proceeds in new Wheat Interests. Positions may also be closed out to meet orders for Redemption Baskets, in which case the proceeds from closing the positions will not be reinvested.
Futures Contracts
Futures contracts are agreements between two parties. One party agrees to buy a commodity such as wheat from the other party at a later date at a price and quantity agreed upon when the contract is made. In market terminology, a party who purchases a futures contract is long in the market and a party who sells a futures contract is short in the market. The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller may generally be satisfied by taking or making physical delivery of the underlying commodity or by making an offsetting sale or purchase of an identical futures contract on the same or linked exchange before the designated date of delivery. The difference between the price at which the futures contract is purchased or sold and the price paid for the offsetting sale or
purchase, after allowance for brokerage commissions, constitutes the profit or loss to the trader.
If the price of the commodity increases after the original futures contract is entered into, the buyer of the futures contract will generally be able to sell a futures contract to close out its original long position at a price higher than that at which the original contract was purchased, generally resulting in a profit to the buyer. Conversely, the seller of a futures contract will generally profit if the price of the underlying commodity decreases, as it will generally be able to buy a futures contract to close out its original short position at a price lower than that at which the original contract was sold. Because the Fund seeks to track the Benchmark directly and profit when the price of wheat and, as a likely result of an increase in the price of wheat, the price of Wheat Futures
Contracts increase, the Fund will generally be long in the market for wheat, and will generally sell Wheat Futures Contracts only to close out existing long positions.
Futures contracts are typically traded on futures exchanges such as the CBOT, which provide centralized market facilities in which multiple persons may trade contracts. Members of a particular futures exchange and the trades executed on such exchange are subject to the rules of that exchange. Futures exchanges and their related clearing organizations are given reasonable latitude in promulgating rules and regulations to control and regulate their members.
Trades on a futures exchange are generally cleared by the exchange or an affiliated clearing organization, which provides services designed to mutualize or transfer the credit risk arising from the trading of contracts on an exchange. The clearing organization effectively becomes the other party to the trade, and each clearing member party to the trade looks only to the clearing organization for performance.
Wheat Futures Contracts are traded on the CBOT in units of 5,000 bushels. Generally, futures contracts traded on the CBOT are priced by floor brokers and other exchange members through an electronic, screen-based system that determines the price by electronically matching offers to purchase and sell. Futures contracts may also be based on commodity indices, in that they call for a cash payment based on the change in the value of the specified index during a specified period. No futures contracts based on an index of wheat prices are currently available, although the Fund could enter into such contracts should they become available in the future.
Certain typical and significant characteristics of Wheat Futures Contracts are discussed below. Additional risks of investing in Wheat Futures Contracts are included in “What are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?”
Impact of Position Limits, Accountability Levels, and Price Fluctuation Limits.
The CFTC and U.S. designated contract markets such as the CBOT may establish position limits and accountability levels on the maximum net long or net short positions in futures contracts in commodities that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than as a hedge, which an investment by the Fund would not be) may hold, own or control. The net position is the difference between an individual or firm’s open long contracts and open short contracts in any one commodity. In addition, most U.S. futures exchanges limit the daily price fluctuation for futures contracts.
Position limits generally impose a fixed ceiling on aggregate holdings in futures contracts relating to a particular commodity, and may also impose separate ceilings on contracts expiring in any one month, contracts expiring in the spot month, and/or contracts in certain specified final days of trading. Specifically, the CFTC’s position limits for Wheat Futures Contracts (including related options) are 600 spot month contracts, 5,000 contracts expiring in any other single month, and 6,500 contracts for all months. All futures contracts held under the control of the Sponsor, including those held by any future series of the Trust, will be aggregated in determining the application of these position limits. The Fund is new and is not expected to reach asset levels that would
cause these position limits to be implicated in the near future. Assuming a contract price of $4.745 per bushel and that the Fund was fully invested in Wheat Futures Contracts, the position limit of 6,500 contracts total would apply when the Fund’s assets reached approximately $154 million ($4.745 per bushel times 5,000 bushels per contract times 6,500 contracts). If such position limits become applicable to the Fund in the future, the Sponsor may enter into for the Fund Other Wheat Interests that are not subject to position limits to a greater degree than would otherwise be the case. (There are generally no position limits applicable to Other Wheat Interests, except that options on Wheat Futures Contracts must be aggregated with the related Wheat Futures Contracts for purposes of the position limits on Wheat Futures Contracts. Cleared Wheat Swaps are covered by separate position limits that are similar to those covering Wheat Futures
Contracts.) In any event, however, position limits could in certain circumstances effectively limit the number of Creation Baskets that the Fund can sell.
In contrast to position limits, accountability levels are not fixed ceilings, but rather thresholds above which an exchange may exercise greater scrutiny and control over an investor, including by imposing position limits on the investor. In light of the position limits discussed above, the CBOT has not set any accountability levels for Wheat Futures Contracts.
Futures exchanges also may limit the amount of price fluctuation for Wheat Futures Contracts. For example, the CBOT imposes an initial$0.60 per bushel ($3,000 per contract) daily price fluctuation limit for Wheat Futures Contracts. If two or more Wheat Futures Contract months within the first five listed non-spot contracts close at the limit, the daily price limit increases to $0..90 per bushel ($4,500 per contract) the next business day and to $1.35 per bushel ($6,750 per contract) the next business day. These limits are based off the previous trading day’s settlement price.
Price Volatility
Despite daily price limits, the price volatility of futures contracts generally has been historically greater than that for traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Price volatility often is greater day-to-day as opposed to intra-day. Economic factors that may cause volatility in Wheat Futures Contracts include changes in interest rates; governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; weather and climate conditions; changing supply and demand relationships; changes in balances of payments and trade; U.S. and international rates of inflation; currency devaluations and revaluations; U.S. and international political and economic events; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. Because the Fund invests a
significant portion of its assets in futures contracts, the assets of the Fund, and therefore the price of the Fund’s Shares, may be subject to greater volatility than traditional securities.
Term Structure of Futures Contracts and the Impact on Total Return
Several factors determine the total return from investing in futures contracts. Because the Fund must periodically “roll” futures contract positions, closing out soon-to-expire contracts that are no longer part of the Benchmark and entering into subsequent-to-expire contracts, one such factor is the price relationship between soon-to-expire contracts and later-to-expire contracts. For example, if market conditions are such that the prices of soon-to-expire contracts are higher than later-to-expire contracts (a situation referred to as “backwardation” in the futures market), then the price of contracts will rise as they approach expiration. Conversely, if the price of soon-to-expire contracts is lower than later-to-expire contracts (a situation referred to as
“contango” in the futures market), then absent a change in the market the price of contracts will decline as they approach expiration.
Over time, the price of the wheat will fluctuate based on a number of market factors, including demand for wheat relative to its supply. The value of Wheat Futures Contracts will likewise fluctuate in reaction to a number of market factors. If investors seek to maintain their holdings in Wheat Futures Contracts with a roughly constant expiration profile and not take delivery of the wheat, they must on an ongoing basis sell their current positions as they approach expiration and invest in later-to-expire contracts.
If the futures market is in a state of backwardation (i.e., when the price of wheat in the future is expected to be less than the current price), the Fund will buy later-to-expire contracts for a lower price than the sooner-to-expire contracts that it sells. Hypothetically, and assuming no changes to either prevailing wheat prices or the price relationship between the spot price, soon-to-expire contracts and later-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will rise as it approaches expiration, increasing the Fund’s total return (ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest earned on Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents). As an example, assume that the Fund owns 100 Wheat Futures Contracts that have recently become spot month contracts, that the price of spot
month Wheat Futures Contracts is $5.00 per bushel, and the price of second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contracts is $4.75 per bushel. The Fund will close out the spot month Wheat Futures Contracts at a value of $2,500,000 (100 contracts multiplied by 5,000 bushels per contract multiplied by $5.00), and will be able to enter into 105 second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contracts with the proceeds, representing an additional 25,000 bushels of wheat than it previously owned.
If the futures market is in contango, the Fund will buy later-to-expire contracts for a higher price than the sooner-to-expire contracts that it sells. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to either prevailing wheat prices or the price relationship between the spot price, soon-to-expire contracts and later-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will fall as it approaches expiration, decreasing the Fund’s total return (ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest earned on Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents). As an example, assume the same facts as in the prior paragraph except that the price of second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contracts is $5.25 per bushel. The Fund will sell the spot month Wheat Futures Contracts for $2,500,000 and will
be able to purchase only 95 second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contracts with the proceeds, representing 25,000 fewer bushels of wheat than it previously owned.
Historically, the wheat futures markets have experienced periods of both contango and backwardation, at times to a very substantial degree. Typically, whether contango or backwardation exists is partly a function of the seasonality of the wheat market and the wheat harvest cycle, as discussed above. In addition, the storage costs associated with holding physical wheat would tend to cause contango in the wheat futures market in the absence of any countervailing forces.
Margin Requirements and Marking-to-Market Futures Positions
“Initial margin” is an amount of funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest trader with the trader’s broker to initiate an open position in futures contracts. A margin deposit is like a cash performance bond. It helps assure the trader’s performance of the futures contracts that he or she purchases or sells. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on initial margin that represents a small percentage (ranging upward from less than 2%) of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract. The amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded. Brokerage firms, such as the Fund’s clearing broker, carrying accounts for traders in
commodity interest contracts may require higher amounts of margin as a matter of policy to further protect themselves.
Futures contracts are marked to market at the end of each trading day and the margin required with respect to such contracts is adjusted accordingly. This process of marking-to-market is designed to prevent losses from accumulating in any futures account. Therefore, if the Fund’s futures positions have declined in value, the Fund may be required to post “variation margin” to cover this decline. Alternatively, if the Fund’s futures positions have increased in value, this increase will be credited to the Fund’s account.
Cleared Wheat Swaps
A swap agreement is a bilateral contract to exchange a periodic stream of payments determined by reference to a notional amount, with payment typically made between the parties on a net basis. For instance, in the case of a wheat swap, the Fund may be obligated to pay a fixed price per bushel of wheat and be entitled to receive an amount per bushel equal to the current value of an index of wheat prices, the price of a specified Wheat Futures Contract, or the average price of a group of Wheat Futures Contracts such as the Benchmark.
The CFTC recently issued an order that permits certain privately-negotiated agricultural swap contracts, including certain types of wheat swaps, to be cleared by CBOT’s affiliated provider of clearing services. The Fund expects to focus on investments in these Cleared Wheat Swaps, as well as Wheat Futures Contracts, rather than over-the-counter wheat swaps. Cleared Wheat Swaps are subject to position limits that are substantially identical to, but measured separately from, the positions limits applicable to Wheat Futures Contracts.
Like Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps are standardized as to certain material economic terms, including that each such swap be for a quantity of 5,000 bushels, which permits less flexibility in their structuring than with over-the-counter Wheat Interests. The two parties to a Cleared Wheat Swap agree on the specific fixed price component and the calendar month of expiration, and agree to submit the Cleared Wheat Swap to the clearing organization. The clearing organization assumes the credit risk relating to the transaction, which effectively eliminates the creditworthiness of the counterparty as a risk. Unlike Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps call for settlement in cash, and do not permit settlement by delivery or receipt of physical wheat.
Over-the-Counter Derivative
s
In addition to futures contracts, options on futures contracts and cleared swaps, derivative contracts that are tied to various commodities, including wheat, are entered into outside of public exchanges. These “over-the-counter” contracts are entered into between two parties in private contracts. Unlike Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps, which are guaranteed by a clearing organization, each party to an over-the-counter derivative contract bears the credit risk of the other party,
i.e.
, the risk that the other party will not be able to perform its obligations under its contract.
Some over-the-counter derivatives contracts contain relatively standardized terms and conditions and are available from a wide range of participants. Others have highly customized terms and conditions and are not as widely available. While the Fund may enter into these more customized contracts, the Fund will only enter into over-the-counter contracts containing certain terms and conditions, as discussed further below, that are designed to minimize the credit risk to which the Fund will be subject and only if the terms and conditions of the contract are consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective of closely tracking the Benchmark. The over-the-counter contracts that the Fund may enter into will take the form of either forward contracts or swaps.
A forward contract is a contractual obligation to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a commodity at or before a specified date in the future at a specified price and, therefore, is economically similar to a futures contract. Unlike futures contracts, however, forward contracts are typically traded in the over-the-counter markets. In some instances such contracts may provide for cash settlement instead of making or taking delivery of the underlying commodity. Forward contracts for a given commodity are generally available for various amounts and maturities and are subject to individual negotiation between the parties involved. Moreover, generally there is no direct means of offsetting or closing out a forward contract by taking an offsetting position as one would a
futures contract on a U.S. exchange. If a trader desires to close out a forward contract position, he generally will establish an opposite position in the contract but will settle and recognize the profit or loss on both positions simultaneously on the delivery date. Thus, unlike in the futures contract market where a trader who has offset positions will recognize profit or loss immediately, in the forward market a trader with a position that has been offset at a profit will generally not receive such profit until the delivery date, and likewise a trader with a position that has been offset at a loss will generally not have to pay money until the delivery date. However, in some instances such contracts may provide a right of offset that will allow for the receipt of profit and payment for losses prior to the delivery date.
Like a Cleared Wheat Swap, an over-the-counter swap agreement is a bilateral contract to exchange a periodic stream of payments determined by reference to a notional amount, with payment typically made between the parties on a net basis. For instance, in the case of a wheat swap, the Fund may be obligated to pay a fixed price per bushel of wheat and be entitled to receive an amount per bushel equal to the current value of an index of wheat prices, the price of a specified Wheat Futures Contract, or the average price of a group of Wheat Futures Contracts such as the Benchmark. Unlike Cleared Wheat Swaps, however, each party to the swap is subject to the credit risk of the other party. The Fund will only enter into over-the-counter swaps on a net basis, where the two payment streams
are netted out on a daily basis, with the parties receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Swaps do not generally involve the delivery of underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to an over-the-counter swap will generally be limited to the net amount of payments that the counterparty is contractually obligated to make less any collateral deposits the Fund is holding.
To reduce the credit risk that arises in connection with over-the-counter contracts, the Fund will generally enter into an agreement with each counterparty based on the Master Agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. that provides for the netting of the Fund’s overall exposure to its counterparty and for daily payments based on the marked-to-market value of the contract.
The creditworthiness of each potential counterparty will be assessed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor will assess or review, as appropriate, the creditworthiness of each potential or existing counterparty to an over-the-counter contract pursuant to guidelines approved by the Sponsor. The creditworthiness of existing counterparties will be reviewed periodically by the Sponsor. The Sponsor’s President has over 25 years of experience in over-the-counter derivatives trading, including the counterparty creditworthiness analysis inherent therein, and the Sponsor’s Treasurer and Secretary, through his prior experience as a Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, has extensive experience evaluating the creditworthiness of business partners and counterparties to commercial and
derivative contracts. Notwithstanding this experience, there is no guarantee that the Sponsor’s creditworthiness analysis will be successful and that counterparties selected for Fund transactions will not default on their contractual obligations.
The Fund also may require that a counterparty be highly rated and/or provide collateral or other credit support. The Sponsor on behalf of the Fund may enter into over-the-counter contracts with various types of counterparties, including: (a) banks regulated by a United States federal bank regulator, (b) broker-dealers regulated by the SEC, (c) insurance companies domiciled in the United States, (d) producers of wheat such as farmers and related agricultural enterprises, (e) users of wheat such as producers of prepared food products, (f) any other person (including affiliates of any of the above) who are engaged to a substantial degree in the business of trading commodities. Certain of these types of counterparties will not be subject to regulation by the CFTC or any other significant federal
or state regulatory structure. While it is the Sponsor’s preference to use regulated entities as counterparties, the Sponsor will primarily consider creditworthiness in selecting counterparties rather than the primary business of the prospective counterparty or the regulatory structure to which it is subject.
Benchmark Performance
See the graph below under “Benchmark Performance” in the Statement of Additional Information at the end of this prospectus.
The Wheat Market
Wheat is used to produce flour, the key ingredient for breads, pasta, crackers and many other food products, as well as several industrial products such as starches and adhesives. Wheat by-products are used in livestock feeds. Wheat is the principal food grain produced in the United States, and the United States’ output of wheat is typically exceeded only by that of China, the European Union and India. Typically, almost half of the U.S. wheat crop is exported, although the United States also imports wheat, principally from Canada.
There are several types of wheat grown in the U.S., which are classified in terms of color, hardness, and growing season. CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts call for delivery of #2 soft red winter wheat, which is generally grown in the eastern third of the United States, but other types and grades of wheat may also be delivered in certain circumstances. (Grade #1 soft red winter wheat may be delivered at 3 cents per bushel over the contract price.) Winter wheat is planted in the fall and is harvested in the late spring or early summer of the following year, while spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer or fall of the same year.
Standard Wheat Futures Contracts trade on the CBOT in units of 5,000 bushels, although 1,000 bushel “mini-wheat” Wheat Futures Contracts also trade. There are five months each year in which CBOT Corn Futures Contracts expire: March, May, July, September and December.
The Fund’s Investments in Treasury Securities, Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Fund seeks to have the aggregate “notional” amount of the Wheat Interests it holds approximate at all times the Fund’s aggregate NAV. At any given time, however, most of the Fund’s investments will be in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents that support the Fund’s positions in Wheat Interests. For example, the purchase of a Wheat Futures Contract with a stated or notional amount of $10 million would not require the Fund to pay $10 million upon entering into the contract; rather, only a margin deposit, generally of 5%-10% of the notional amount, would be required. To secure its Wheat Futures Contract obligations, the Fund would deposit the required margin with the futures commission merchant and would separately hold its remaining assets
through its Custodian in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. Such remaining assets may be used to meet future margin payments that the Fund may be required to make on its Wheat Futures Contracts. Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests typically also involve collateral requirements that represent a small fraction of their notional amounts, so most of the Fund’s assets dedicated to these Wheat Interests will also be held in Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents.
The Fund earns interest income from the Treasury Securities and/or cash equivalents that it purchases and on the cash it holds through the Custodian. The Sponsor anticipates that the earned interest income will increase the Fund’s NAV. The Fund applies the earned interest income to the acquisition of additional investments or uses it to pay its expenses. If the Fund reinvests the earned interest income, it makes investments that are consistent with its investment objectives.
Any Treasury Security invested in by the Fund will have a remaining maturity of less than two years at the time of investment, or will be subject to a demand feature that enables that Fund to sell the security within two years at approximately the security’s face value (plus accrued interest). Any cash equivalents invested in by the Fund will have a remaining maturity of less than one year at the time of investment, or will be subject to a demand feature that enables that Fund to sell the security within one year at approximately the security’s face value (plus accrued interest). Any cash equivalents invested in by the Fund will be rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or will be deemed by the Sponsor to be of
comparable quality.
Other Trading Policies of the Fund
Exchange For Risk
An “exchange for risk” transaction, sometimes refers to a “exchange for swap” or “exchange of futures for risk,” is a privately negotiated and simultaneous exchange of a futures contract position for a swap or other over-the-counter instrument on the corresponding commodity. An exchange for risk can be used by the Fund as a technique to avoid taking physical delivery of wheat, in that a counterparty will take the Fund’s position in a Wheat Futures Contract into its own account in exchange for a swap that does not by its terms call for physical delivery. The Fund will become subject to the credit risk of a counterparty when it acquires an over-the-counter position in an exchange for risk transaction.
Options on Futures Contracts
An option on a futures contract gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. The option buyer deposits the purchase price or “premium” for the option with his broker, and the money goes to the option seller. Regardless of how much the market swings, the most an option buyer can lose is the option premium. However, the buyer will typically lose the premium if the exercise price of the option is above (in the case of an option to buy or “call” option) or below (in the case of an option to sell or “put” option) the market value at the time of exercise. Option sellers, on the other hand, face risks similar to participants in the
futures markets. For example, since the seller of a call option is assigned a short futures position if the option is exercised, his risk is the same as someone who initially sold a futures contract. Because no one can predict exactly how the market will move, the option seller posts margin to demonstrate his ability to meet any potential contractual obligations.
In addition to Wheat Futures Contracts, there are also options on Wheat Futures Contracts listed on the CBOT
,
Kansas City Board of Trade and Minneapolis Grain Exchange. These contracts offer investors and hedgers another set of financial vehicles to use in managing exposure to the commodities market. The Fund may purchase and sell (write) options on Wheat Futures Contracts in pursuing its investment objective, except that it will not sell call options when it does not own the underlying Wheat Futures Contract. The Fund would make use of options on Wheat Futures Contracts if, in the opinion of the Sponsor, such an approach would cause the Fund to more closely track its Benchmark or if it would lead to an overall lower cost of
trading to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in wheat prices.
Liquidity
The Fund invests only in Wheat Futures Contracts that, in the opinion of the Sponsor, are traded in sufficient volume to permit the ready taking and liquidation of positions in these financial interests and in over-the-counter Commodity Interests that, in the opinion of the Sponsor, may be readily liquidated with the original counterparty or through a third party assuming the Fund’s position.
Spot Commodities
While most futures contracts can be physically settled, the Fund does not intend to take or make physical delivery. However, the Fund may from time to time trade in Other Wheat Interests based on the spot price of wheat.
Leverage
The Sponsor endeavors to have the value of the Fund’s Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents, whether held by the Fund or posted as margin or collateral, at all times approximate the aggregate market value of its obligations under the Fund’s Wheat Interests.
Borrowings
The Fund does not intend to nor foresee the need to borrow money or establish credit lines. The Fund maintains Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents, either held by the Fund or posted as margin or collateral, with a value that at all times approximates the aggregate market value of its obligations under Wheat Interests.
Pyramiding
The Fund does not and will not employ the technique, commonly known as pyramiding, in which the speculator uses unrealized profits on existing positions as variation margin for the purchase or sale of additional positions in the same or another commodity interest.
The Service Providers
In its capacity as the Fund’s custodian, the Custodian holds the Fund’s Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents pursuant to a custodial agreement. The Custodian is also the registrar and transfer agent for the Fund’s Shares. In addition, the Custodian also serves as Administrator for the Fund, performing certain administrative and accounting services and preparing certain SEC and CFTC reports on behalf of the Fund. For these services, the Fund pays fees to the Custodian as set forth in the table below.
The Custodian’s principal business address is One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286. The Custodian is a New York state chartered bank subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the New York State Banking Department.
The Fund also employs Foreside Fund Services, LLC as Marketing Agent, which is further discussed under “Plan of Distribution”. The Fund pays the Marketing Agent’s fees as set forth in the table below.
The Marketing Agent’s principal business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Marketing Agent is a broker-dealer registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
Currently, Newedge USA, LLC (“Newedge”) serves as the Fund’s clearing broker to execute and clear the Fund’s futures transactions and provide other brokerage-related services. Newedge USA’s affiliate, Newedge Alternative Strategies, Inc. (“NAST”), may execute foreign exchange or other over-the-counter transactions with the Fund as principal. Newedge USA and NAST are subsidiaries of Newedge Group. Newedge is a futures commission merchant and broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In its capacity as a broker-dealer, Newedge may act as an Authorized Purchaser for the Fund and, accordingly, may engage in the marketing and distribution of Fund
Shares. Newedge is a clearing member of all principal futures exchanges located in the United States as well as a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, International Securities Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, Options Clearing Corporation, and Government Securities Clearing Corporation. NAST is an eligible swap participant that is not registered or required to be registered with the CFTC or the SEC, and is not a member of any exchange.
Newedge and NAST are headquartered at 550 W. Jackson, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60661 with branch offices in San Francisco, California; New York, New York; Kansas City, Missouri; Cypress, Texas; and Montreal, Canada.
Prior to January 2, 2008, Newedge USA was known as Fimat USA, LLC, while NAST was known as Fimat Alternative Strategies Inc. On September 1, 2008, Newedge merged with future commission merchant and broker-dealer Newedge Financial Inc. (“NFI”) – formerly known as Calyon Financial Inc. Newedge was the surviving entity.
In March 2008, NFI settled, without admitting or denying the allegations, a disciplinary action brought by the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) alleging that NFI violated NYMEX rules related to: numbering and time stamping orders by failing properly to record a floor order ticket; wash trading; failure to adequately supervise employees; and violation of a prior NYMEX cease and desist order, effective as of December 5, 2006, related to numbering and time stamping orders and block trades. NFI paid a $100,000 fine to the NYMEX in connection with this settlement.
In February 2011, Newedge settled, without admitting or denying the allegations, a disciplinary action brought by the CFTC alleging that Newedge exceeded speculative limits in the October 2009 live cattle futures contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and failed to provide accurate and timely reports to the CFTC regarding their larger trader positions. Newedge paid a $140,000 civil penalty and disgorgement value of $80,910 to settle this matter. In addition, the CFTC Order required Newedge to implement and maintain a program designed to prevent and detect reporting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
Other than the foregoing proceedings, which did not have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition of Newedge, there have been no material administrative, civil or criminal actions brought, pending or concluded against Newedge, NAST or their principals in the past five years.
None of Newedge, NAST or any affiliate, officer, director or employee thereof has passed on the merits of this prospectus or the offering of Shares, or given any guarantee as to the performance or any other aspect of the Fund.
Newedge is not affiliated with the Fund or the Sponsor. Therefore, the Sponsor and the Fund do not believe that the Fund has any conflicts of interest with them or their trading principals arising from their acting as the Fund’s futures commission merchant. While Sal Gilbertie, the President of the Sponsor, was previously employed by Newedge, he no longer receives any compensation from Newedge and will not receive any share of the commissions paid to Newedge by the Fund.
Currently, the Sponsor does not employ commodity trading advisors. If, in the future, the Sponsor does employ commodity trading advisors, it will choose each advisor based on arm’s-length negotiations and will consider the advisor’s experience, fees, and reputation.
Fees to be Paid by the Fund
Fees and Compensation Arrangements with the Sponsor and Non-Affiliated Service Providers
Service Provider
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Compensation Paid by the Fund
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Teucrium Trading, LLC, Sponsor
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1.00% of average net assets annually
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The Bank of New York Mellon, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Administrator
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For custody services: 0.0075% of average gross assets up to $1 billion, and 0.0050% of average gross assets over $1 billion, annually, plus certain per-transaction charges
For transfer agency services: 0.0075% of average gross assets annually
For administrative services: 0.05% of average gross assets up to $1 billion, 0.04% of average gross assets between $1 billion and $3 billion, and 0.03% of average gross assets over $3 billion, annually
A combined minimum annual fee of $125,000 for custody, transfer agency and administrative services will be assessed.
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Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Marketing Agent
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0.10% of average net assets annually, with a minimum annual fee of $300,000 in the aggregate for all commodity pools sponsored by the Sponsor for which the Marketing Agent serves as such.
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Newedge USA, LLC, Futures Commission Merchant and Clearing Broker
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$4.00 per Wheat Futures Contract purchase or sale
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Wilmington Trust Company, Trustee
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$3,000 annually
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Asset-based fees are calculated on a daily basis (accrued at 1/365 of the applicable percentage of NAV on that day) and paid on a monthly basis. NAV is calculated by taking the current market value of the Fund’s total assets and subtracting any liabilities.
Form of Shares
Registered Form
Shares are issued in registered form in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The Custodian has been appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of transferring Shares in certificated form. The Custodian keeps a record of all Shareholders and holders of the Shares in certificated form. The Sponsor recognizes transfers of Shares in certificated form only if done in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The beneficial interests in such Shares are held in book-entry form through participants and/or accountholders in DTC.
Book Entry
Individual certificates are not issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares are represented by one or more global certificates, which are deposited by the Custodian with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Shareholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (“Indirect Participants”), and (3) those who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on
behalf of investors holding Shares through such participants’ accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities eligible for DTC’s Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Shares are credited to DTC Participants’ securities accounts following confirmation of receipt of payment.
DTC
DTC has advised us as follows: It is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC holds securities for DTC Participants and facilitates the clearance and settlement of transactions between DTC Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of DTC Participants.
Transfer of Shares
The Shares are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers are made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.
Transfers of interests in Shares with DTC are made in accordance with the usual rules and operating procedures of DTC and the nature of the transfer. DTC has established procedures to facilitate transfers among the participants and/or accountholders of DTC. Because DTC can only act on behalf of DTC Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Indirect Participants, the ability of a person or entity having an interest in a global certificate to pledge such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in DTC, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a certificate or other definitive document representing such interest.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a Shareholder (including, without limitation, the presentation of a global certificate for exchange) only at the direction of one or more DTC Participants in whose account with DTC interests in global certificates are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the global certificate as to which such DTC Participant or Participants has or have given such direction.
Inter-Series Limitation on Liability
Because the Trust was established as a Delaware statutory trust, each Teucrium Fund and each other series that may be established under the Trust in the future will be operated so that it will be liable only for obligations attributable to such series and will not be liable for obligations of any other series or affected by losses of any other series. If any creditor or shareholder of any particular series (such as the Fund) asserts against the series a valid claim with respect to its indebtedness or shares, the creditor or shareholder will only be able to obtain recovery from the assets of that series and not from the assets of any other series or the Trust generally. The assets of the Fund and any other series will include only those funds and other assets that are paid to, held by or
distributed to the series on account of and for the benefit of that series, including, without limitation, amounts delivered to the Trust for the purchase of shares in a series. This limitation on liability is referred to as the Inter-Series Limitation on Liability. The Inter-Series Limitation on Liability is expressly provided for under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, which provides that if certain conditions (as set forth in Section 3804(a)) are met, then the debts of any particular series will be enforceable only against the assets of such series and not against the assets of any other series or the Trust generally. In furtherance of the Inter-Series Limitation on Liability, every party providing services to the Trust, the Fund or the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or the Fund, will acknowledge and consent in writing to the Inter-Series Limitation on Liability with respect to such party’s claims.
The existence of a Trustee should not be taken as an indication of any additional level of management or supervision over the Fund. Consistent with Delaware law, the Trustee acts in an entirely passive role, delegating all authority for the management and operation of the Fund and the Trust to the Sponsor. The Trustee does not provide custodial services with respect to the assets of the Fund.
Plan of Distribution
Buying and Selling Shares
Most investors buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares trade on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “WEAT.” Shares are bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, most investors incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Investors are encouraged to review the terms of their brokerage account for details on applicable charges and, as discussed below under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” any provisions authorizing the broker to borrow Shares held on your behalf.
Marketing Agent and Authorized Purchasers
The offering of the Fund’s Shares is a best efforts offering. The Fund will continuously offer Creation Baskets consisting of 50,000 Shares through the Marketing Agent, to Authorized Purchasers. It is expected that on the effective date, the initial Authorized Purchaser will purchase one or more initial Creation Baskets of 50,000 Shares at a price equal to $25.00. The initial offering price of $25.00 was set as an appropriate and convenient price that would facilitate secondary market trading of Shares, and the Shares of the Fund acquired by the Sponsor in connection with its initial capital contribution were purchased at a price of $25.00 per Share. All Authorized Purchasers pay a $500 fee for each order to create one or more Creation Baskets, regardless of the
number of Creation Baskets in the order.
The Marketing Agent will receive, for its services as marketing agent to the Fund, a fee at an annual rate of 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee of $300,000 in the aggregate for all commodity pools sponsored by the Sponsor for which the Marketing Agent serves as such; provided, however, that in no event may the aggregate compensation paid to the Marketing Agent and any affiliate of the Marketing Agent for distribution-related services in connection with this offering of Shares exceed 10 percent (10%) of the gross proceeds of this offering. The maximum compensation the Marketing Agent may receive over the expected two year period of this offering is estimated to be $________. This estimate assumes that: (1) all Shares being
registered are sold on the first day of the offering at a price equal to the closing NAV on that day ($25.00); and (2) the value of the Fund's net assets remain constant throughout the period. This actual compensation received by the Marketing Agent may vary. The actual compensation could be lower if the NAV of the Shares declines or if, as is likely, the full number of Shares being registered is not sold on the first day of the offering, and could be higher if the NAV of the Shares increases.
The Distribution Services Agreement and Distribution Consulting and Marketing Agent Agreement among the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor and the Trust together call for the Marketing Agent, among other responsibilities, to: (1) work with the Custodian in connection with the receipt and processing of orders for Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets; (2) market the Fund to financial intermediaries and increase financial intermediaries’ awareness of the Fund; (3) assist with the market positioning of the Fund; (4) attend relevant industry conferences as appropriate; and (5) deploy sales team resources as needed to target markets. The Marketing Agent and the Sponsor have also entered into a Securities Activities and Service Agreement (the “SASA”) under which certain employees and officers
of the Sponsor are licensed as registered representatives or registered principals of the Marketing Agent under FINRA rules. As registered persons of the Marketing Agent, these persons are permitted to engage in certain marketing activities for the Fund that they would otherwise not be permitted to engage in. Under the SASA, the Sponsor is obligated to ensure that such marketing activities comply with applicable law and are permitted by the SASA and the Marketing Agent’s internal procedures.
The offering of baskets is being made in compliance with Conduct Rule 2310 of FINRA. Accordingly, Authorized Purchasers will not make any sales to any account over which they have discretionary authority without the prior written approval of a purchaser of Shares.
The per share price of Shares offered in Creation Baskets on any subsequent day will be the total NAV of the Fund calculated shortly after the close of the NYSE Arca on that day divided by the number of issued and outstanding Shares. An Authorized Purchaser is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares.
By executing an Authorized Purchaser Agreement, an Authorized Purchaser becomes part of the group of parties eligible to purchase baskets from, and put baskets for redemption to, the Fund. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets or to offer to the public Shares of any baskets it does create.
If an Authorized Purchaser sells Shares that it has created to the public, it will be expected to sell them at per-Share offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Fund at the time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation Baskets and the NAV at the time of the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares
at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the markets for Wheat Interests. The prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers are expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale.
We expect the initial Authorized Purchaser to be _____________, and we expect that there will be additional Authorized Purchasers in the future. A list of Authorized Purchasers will be available from the Marketing Agent.
Because new Shares can be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the Fund, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, will be occurring. Authorized Purchasers, other broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some of their activities may result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that would render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. For example, an Authorized Purchaser, other broker-dealer firm or its client will be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a basket from the Fund, breaks the basket down into the constituent Shares and sells the Shares to its customers; or if it chooses to couple the creation of a
supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for the Shares. In contrast, Authorized Purchasers may engage in secondary market or other transactions in Shares that would not be deemed “underwriting.” For example, an Authorized Purchaser may act in the capacity of a broker or dealer with respect to Shares that were previously distributed by other Authorized Purchasers. A determination of whether a particular market participant is an underwriter must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that would lead to designation as an underwriter and subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.
Dealers who are neither Authorized Purchasers nor “underwriters” but are nonetheless participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus-delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act.
The Sponsor expects that any broker-dealers selling Shares will be members of FINRA. Investors intending to create or redeem baskets through Authorized Purchasers in transactions not involving a broker-dealer registered in such investor’s state of domicile or residence should consult their legal advisor regarding applicable broker-dealer regulatory requirements under the state securities laws prior to such creation or redemption.
While the Authorized Purchasers may be indemnified by the Sponsor, they will not be entitled to receive a discount or commission from the Trust or the Sponsor for their purchases of Creation Baskets.
The Flow of Shares
Calculating NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated by:
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Taking the current market value of its total assets, and
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Subtracting any liabilities.
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The Administrator will calculate the NAV of the Fund once each trading day. It will calculate NAV as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time. The NAV for a particular trading day will be released after 4:15 p.m. New York time.
In determining the value of Wheat Futures Contracts, the Administrator will use the CBOT closing price (typically 2:15 p.m. New York time) , except that the “fair value” of a Wheat Futures Contract (as described in more detail below) may be used when Wheat Futures Contracts close at their price fluctuation limit for the day. The Administrator will determine the value of all other Fund investments as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time, in accordance with the current Services Agreement between the Administrator and the Trust. The value of Cleared Wheat Swaps and over-the-counter Wheat Interests will be determined based on the value of the commodity or Futures Contract underlying such Wheat Interest, except that a fair value may be
determined if the Sponsor believes that the Fund is subject to significant credit risk relating to the counterparty to such Wheat Interest. Treasury Securities held by the Fund will be valued by the Administrator using values received from recognized third-party vendors (such as Reuters) and dealer quotes. NAV will include any unrealized profit or loss on open Wheat Interests and any other credit or debit accruing to the Fund but unpaid or not received by the Fund.
The fair value of a Wheat Interest shall be determined by the Sponsor in good faith and in a manner that assesses the Wheat Interest’s value based on a consideration of all available facts and information on the valuation date. When a Wheat Futures Contract has closed at its price fluctuation limit, the fair value determination attempts to estimate the price at which such Wheat Futures Contract would be trading in the absence of the price fluctuation limit (either above such limit when an upward limit has been reached or below such limit when a downward limit has been reached). Typically, this estimate will be made primarily by reference to the price of comparable Wheat Interests trading in the over-the-counter market. The fair value of a Wheat Interest may not reflect such
instrument’s market value or the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon closing out the instrument.
In addition, in order to provide updated information relating to the Fund for use by investors and market professionals, NYSE Arca will calculate and disseminate throughout the trading day an updated “indicative fund value.” The indicative fund value is calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV per share of the Fund as a base and updating that value throughout the trading day to reflect changes in the value of the Fund’s Wheat Interests during the trading day. Changes in the value of Treasury Securities and cash equivalents will not be included in the calculation of indicative value. For this and other reasons, the indicative fund value disseminated during NYSE Arca trading hours should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the
NAV. NAV is calculated only once at the end of each trading day.
The indicative fund value will be disseminated on a per Share basis every 15 seconds during regular NYSE Arca trading hours of 9:30 a.m. New York time to 4:00 p.m. New York time.
The normal trading hours for Wheat Futures Contracts on the CBOT are 10:30 a.m. New York time to 2:15 p.m. New York time. This means that there is a gap in time at the beginning and the end of each day during which the Fund’s Shares are traded on the NYSE Arca, but real-time CBOT trading prices for Wheat Futures Contracts traded on such exchange are not available. As a result, during those gaps there will be no update to the indicative fund value.
The NYSE Arca will disseminate the indicative fund value through the facilities of CTA/CQ High Speed Lines. In addition, the indicative fund value is published on the NYSE Arca’s website and is available through on-line information services such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
Dissemination of the indicative fund value provides additional information that is not otherwise available to the public and is useful to investors and market professionals in connection with the trading of Fund Shares on the NYSE Arca. Investors and market professionals are able throughout the trading day to compare the market price of the Fund and the indicative fund value. If the market price of Fund Shares diverges significantly from the indicative fund value, market professionals will have an incentive to execute arbitrage trades. For example, if the Fund appears to be trading at a discount compared to the indicative fund value, a market professional could buy Fund Shares on the NYSE Arca, aggregate them into Redemption Baskets, and receive the NAV of such Shares by redeeming
them to the Trust. Such arbitrage trades can tighten the tracking between the market price of the Fund and the indicative fund value and thus can be beneficial to all market participants.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
The Fund creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Fund or the distribution by the Fund of the amount of Treasury Securities and/or cash equal to the combined NAV of the number of Shares included in the baskets being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. New York time on the day the order to create or redeem baskets is properly received.
Authorized Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers must be (1) either registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Purchaser, a person must enter into an Authorized Purchaser Agreement with the Sponsor. The Authorized Purchaser Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of baskets and for the delivery of the Treasury Securities and/or cash required for such creations and redemptions. The procedures may be amended by the Sponsor, without the consent of any
Shareholder or Authorized Purchaser. Authorized Purchasers pay a transaction fee of $500 to the Sponsor for each order they place to create one or more baskets and a fee of $500 per basket when they redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers who make deposits with the Fund in exchange for baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person will have any obligation or responsibility to the Trust or the Sponsor to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Certain Authorized Purchasers are expected to be capable of participating directly in the physical wheat and the Wheat Interest markets. Some Authorized Purchasers or their affiliates may from time to time buy or sell wheat or Wheat Interests and may profit in these instances. The Sponsor believes that the size and operation of the wheat market make it unlikely that Authorized Purchasers’ direct activities in the wheat or securities markets will significantly affect the price of wheat, Wheat Interests, or the Fund’s Shares.
Each Authorized Purchaser will be required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and a member in good standing with FINRA, or exempt from being or otherwise not required to be registered as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and will be qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Purchasers may also be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Purchaser has its own set of rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.
Under the Authorized Purchaser Agreement, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify the Authorized Purchasers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the 1933 Act, and to contribute to the payments the Authorized Purchasers may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of baskets is only a summary and an investor should refer to the relevant provisions of the Trust Agreement and the form of Authorized Purchaser Agreement for more detail, each of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information” for information about where you can obtain the registration statement.
Creation Procedures
On any business day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Custodian to create one or more baskets. For purposes of processing purchase and redemption orders, a “business day” means any day other than a day when any of the NYSE Arca, the CBOT or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular trading. Purchase orders must be placed by 1:15 p.m. New York time or the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on which the Custodian receives a valid purchase order is referred to as the purchase order date.
By placing a purchase order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deposit Treasury Securities, cash or a combination of Treasury Securities and cash with the Trust, as described below. Prior to the delivery of baskets for a purchase order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have wired to the Custodian the non-refundable transaction fee due for the purchase order. Authorized Purchasers may not withdraw a purchase order without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its discretion.
Determination of Required Deposits
The total deposit required to create each basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) is the amount of Treasury Securities and/or cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Fund (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the purchase order date as the number of Shares to be created under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the purchase order date. The Sponsor determines, directly in its sole discretion or in consultation with the Custodian, the requirements for Treasury Securities and cash, including the remaining maturities of the Treasury Securities and proportions of Treasury Securities and cash, that may be included in deposits to create baskets. If Treasury Securities are to be
included in a Creation Basket Deposit for orders placed on a given business day, the Marketing Agent will publish an estimate of the Creation Basket Deposit requirements at the beginning of such day.
Delivery of Required Deposits
An Authorized Purchaser who places a purchase order is responsible for transferring to the Fund’s account with the Custodian the required amount of Treasury Securities and/or cash by the end of the next business day following the purchase order date or by the end of such later business day, not to exceed three business days after the purchase order date, as agreed to between the Authorized Purchaser and the Custodian when the purchase order is placed (the “Purchase Settlement Date”). Upon receipt of the deposit amount, the Custodian will direct DTC to credit the number of baskets ordered to the Authorized Purchaser’s DTC account on the Purchase Settlement Date.
Because orders to purchase baskets must be placed by 1:15 p.m., New York time, but the total payment required to create a basket during the continuous offering period will not be determined until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date the purchase order is received, Authorized Purchasers will not know the total amount of the payment required to create a basket at the time they submit an irrevocable purchase order for the basket. The Fund’s NAV and the total amount of the payment required to create a basket could rise or fall substantially between the time an irrevocable purchase order is submitted and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined.
Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Sponsor acting by itself or through the Marketing Agent or Custodian may reject a purchase order or a Creation Basket Deposit if:
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it determines that, due to position limits or otherwise, investment alternatives that will enable the Fund to meet its investment objective are not available or practicable at that time;
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it determines that the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit is not in proper form;
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it believes that acceptance of the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to the Fund or its Shareholders;
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the acceptance or receipt of the Creation Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or
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circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor, Marketing Agent or Custodian make it, for all practical purposes, not feasible to process creations of baskets.
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None of the Sponsor, Marketing Agent or Custodian will be liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Creation Basket Deposit.
Redemption Procedures
The procedures by which an Authorized Purchaser can redeem one or more baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Custodian to redeem one or more baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by 1:15 p.m. New York time or the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. A redemption order so received will be effective on the date it is received in satisfactory form by the Custodian. The redemption procedures allow Authorized Purchasers to redeem baskets and do not entitle an individual Shareholder to redeem any Shares in an amount less than a Redemption Basket, or to redeem baskets other than through an Authorized Purchaser. By placing
a redemption order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deliver the baskets to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to the Fund by the end of the next business day following the effective date of the redemption order or by the end of such later business day, not to exceed three business days after the effective date of the redemption order, as agreed to between the Authorized Purchaser and the Custodian when the redemption order is placed (the “Redemption Settlement Date”). Prior to the delivery of the redemption distribution for a redemption order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have wired to the Sponsor’s account at the Custodian the non-refundable transaction fee due for the redemption order. An Authorized Purchaser may not withdraw a redemption order without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its discretion.
Determination of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution from the Fund will consist of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Purchaser of an amount of Treasury Securities and/or cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Fund (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the order to redeem is properly received as the number of Shares to be redeemed under the redemption order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the date the order is received. The Sponsor, directly or in consultation with the Custodian, determines the requirements for Treasury Securities and cash, including the remaining maturities of the Treasury Securities and proportions of Treasury Securities and cash, that will be included in distributions to redeem baskets. If
Treasury Securities are to be included in a redemption distribution for orders placed on a given business day, the Custodian will publish an estimate of the redemption distribution composition as of the beginning of such day.
Delivery of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution due from the Fund will be delivered to the Authorized Purchaser on the Redemption Settlement Date if the Fund’s DTC account has been credited with the baskets to be redeemed. If the Fund’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the baskets to be redeemed by the end of such date, the redemption distribution will be delivered to the extent of whole baskets received. Any remainder of the redemption distribution will be delivered on the next business day after the Redemption Settlement Date to the extent of remaining whole baskets received if the Sponsor receives the fee applicable to the extension of the Redemption Settlement Date which the Sponsor may, from time to time, determine and the remaining baskets to be redeemed are credited to the
Fund’s DTC account on such next business day. Any further outstanding amount of the redemption order shall be cancelled. Pursuant to information from the Sponsor, the Custodian will also be authorized to deliver the redemption distribution notwithstanding that the baskets to be redeemed are not credited to the Fund’s DTC account by noon New York time on the Redemption Settlement Date if the Authorized Purchaser has collateralized its obligation to deliver the baskets through DTC’s book entry-system on such terms as the Sponsor may from time to time determine.
Suspension or Rejection of Redemption Orders
The Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the redemption settlement date, (1) for any period during which the NYSE Arca or the CBOT is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the NYSE Arca or the CBOT is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Treasury Securities is not reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of the Shareholders. For example, the Sponsor may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Fund’s assets at an appropriate value to fund a redemption. If the Sponsor has difficulty liquidating
the Fund’s positions, e.g., because of a market disruption event in the futures markets or an unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position in an over-the-counter contract, it may be appropriate to suspend redemptions until such time as such circumstances are rectified. None of the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent, or the Custodian will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
Redemption orders must be made in whole baskets. The Sponsor will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Purchaser Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The Sponsor may also reject a redemption order if the number of Shares being redeemed would reduce the remaining outstanding Shares to 50,000 Shares (i.e., one basket) or less, unless the Sponsor has reason to believe that the placer of the redemption order does in fact possess all the outstanding Shares and can deliver them.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee
To compensate the Sponsor for its expenses in connection with the creation and redemption of baskets, an Authorized Purchaser is required to pay a transaction fee to the Sponsor of $500 per order to create or redeem baskets, regardless of the number of baskets in such order. In addition, an Authorized Purchaser is required to pay a transaction fee to the Sponsor of $500 per basket redeemed. The transaction fees may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor shall notify DTC of any change in a transaction fee and will not implement any increase in the fee for the redemption of baskets until 30 days after the date of the notice.
Tax Responsibility
Authorized Purchasers are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation or redemption of baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Purchaser, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Fund if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest thereon.
Secondary Market Transactions
As noted, the Fund will create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Fund or the distribution by the Fund of the amount of Treasury Securities and/or cash equal to the aggregate NAV of the number of Shares included in the baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem baskets is properly received.
As discussed above, Authorized Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets, and an Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to offer to the public Shares of any baskets it does create. Authorized Purchasers that do offer to the public Shares from the baskets they create will do so at per-Share offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Shares at the
time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation Baskets, the NAV of the Shares at the time of the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the Wheat Interest markets. The prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers are expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. Shares initially comprising the same basket but offered by Authorized Purchasers to the public at different times may have different offering prices. An order for one or more baskets may be placed by an Authorized Purchaser on behalf of multiple clients. Shares are expected to trade in the secondary market on the NYSE Arca. Shares may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to their NAV per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the
NAV per Share may be influenced by various factors, including the number of investors who seek to purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market and the liquidity of the Wheat Interest markets. While the Shares trade on the NYSE Arca until 4:00 p.m. New York time, liquidity in the markets for Wheat Interests may be reduced after the close of regular CBOT trading for Wheat Futures Contracts at 2:00 p.m. New York time. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on the Shares may widen.
Use of Proceeds
The Sponsor will cause the Fund to transfer the proceeds of the sale of Creation Baskets to the Custodian or another custodian for use in trading activities. The Sponsor will invest the Fund’s assets in Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests, short-term Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents. When the Fund purchases Wheat Futures Contracts and certain Other Wheat Interests that are exchange-traded, the Fund will be required to deposit with the futures commission merchant on behalf of the exchange a portion of the value of the contract or other interest as security to ensure payment for the obligation under the Wheat Interests at maturity. This deposit is known as initial margin. Counterparties in transactions in Cleared Wheat
Swaps and over-the-counter Wheat Interests will generally impose similar collateral requirements on the Fund. The Sponsor will invest the Fund’s assets that remain after margin and collateral is posted in short-term Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. Subject to these margin and collateral requirements, the Sponsor has sole authority to determine the percentage of assets that will be:
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held as margin or collateral with futures commission merchants or other custodians;
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used for other investments; and
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held in bank accounts to pay current obligations and as reserves.
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In general, the Fund expects that it will be required to post between 5% and 10% of the notional amount of a Wheat Interest as initial margin when entering into such Wheat Interest. Ongoing margin and collateral payments will generally be required for both exchange-traded and over-the-counter Wheat Interests based on changes in the value of the Wheat Interests. Furthermore, ongoing collateral requirements with respect to over-the-counter Wheat Interests are negotiated by the parties, and may be affected by overall market volatility, volatility of the underlying commodity or index, the ability of the counterparty to hedge its exposure under the Wheat Interest, and each party’s creditworthiness. In light of the differing requirements for initial payments under exchange-traded
and over-the-counter Wheat Interests and the fluctuating nature of ongoing margin and collateral payments, it is not possible to estimate what portion of the Fund’s assets will be posted as margin or collateral at any given time. The Treasury Securities, cash and cash equivalents held by the Fund will constitute reserves that will be available to meet ongoing margin and collateral requirements. All interest income will be used for the Fund’s benefit.
A futures commission merchant, counterparty, government agency or commodity exchange could increase margin or collateral requirements applicable to the Fund to hold trading positions at any time. Moreover, margin is merely a security deposit and has no bearing on the profit or loss potential for any positions held.
The Fund’s assets will be held in segregation pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Critical Accounting Policies
Preparation of the financial statements and related disclosures in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the application of appropriate accounting rules and guidance, as well as the use of estimates. The Trust’s application of these policies involves judgments and actual results may differ from the estimates used.
The Sponsor has evaluated the nature and types of estimates that it will make in preparing the Fund’s financial statements and related disclosures once the Fund commences operations. The Sponsor has determined that the valuation of Wheat Interests that are not traded on a U.S. or internationally recognized futures exchange (such as swaps and other over-the-counter contracts) involves a critical accounting policy. While not currently applicable given the fact that the Fund is not currently involved in trading activities, the Administrator will use the closing price on the relevant exchange to value Wheat Futures Contracts, and will determine the value of Cleared Wheat Swaps and over-the-counter Wheat Interest based on the value of the commodity or Wheat Futures Contract underlying such
Wheat Interest, except that a fair value may be determined if the Sponsor believes that the Fund is subject to significant credit risk relating to the counterparty to such Wheat Interest
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Values will be determined on a daily basis.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Fund does not anticipate making use of borrowings or other lines of credit to meet its obligations. It is anticipated that the Fund will meet its liquidity needs in the normal course of business from the proceeds of the sale of its investments or from the cash, cash equivalents and/or the Treasuries Securities that it intends to hold at all times. The Fund’s liquidity needs include: redeeming Shares, providing margin deposits for existing futures contracts or the purchase of additional futures contracts, posting collateral for over-the-counter Wheat Interests, and payment of expenses, summarized below under “Contractual Obligations.”
The Fund will generate cash primarily from (i) the sale of Creation Baskets and (ii) interest earned on cash, cash equivalents and its investments in Treasuries Securities. Trading activities for the Fund have not begun. Once the Fund begins trading activities, it is anticipated that all of the net assets of the Fund will be allocated to trading in Wheat Interests. Most of the assets of the Fund will be held in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents that could or will be used as margin or collateral for trading in Wheat Interests. The percentage that such assets will bear to the total net assets will vary from period to period as the market values of the Wheat Interests change. Interest earned on interest-bearing assets of the Fund will be paid to
the Fund.
The investments of the Fund in Wheat Interests will be subject to periods of illiquidity because of market conditions, regulatory considerations and other reasons. For example, the CBOT limits the fluctuations in Wheat Futures Contract prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a Wheat Futures Contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in the contract can neither be taken nor liquidated unless the traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Such market conditions could prevent the Fund from promptly liquidating a position in Wheat Futures Contracts.
To date, all of the expenses of the Fund
have been funded by the Sponsor. If the Fund is unsuccessful in raising sufficient funds to cover its expenses and the Sponsor is unable or unwilling to continue covering the Fund’s expenses, the Fund
may
terminate.
Market Risk
Trading in Wheat Interests such as Wheat Futures Contracts will involve the Fund entering into contractual commitments to purchase or sell specific amounts of wheat at a specified date in the future. The gross or face amount of the contracts is expected to significantly exceed the future cash requirements of the Fund since the Fund
intends to close out any open positions prior to the contractual expiration date. As a result, the Fund’s market risk is the risk of loss arising from the decline in value of the contracts, not from the need to make delivery under the contracts. The Fund considers the “fair value” of derivative instruments to be the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts. The
market risk associated with the commitment by the Fund to purchase a specific commodity will be limited to the aggregate face amount of the contacts held.
The exposure of the Fund to market risk will depend on a number of factors including the markets for wheat, the volatility of interest rates and foreign exchange rates, the liquidity of the Wheat Interest markets and the relationships among the contracts held by the Fund. The lack of experience of the Sponsor in utilizing its model to trade in Wheat Interests in a manner that tracks changes in the Benchmark
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as well as drastic market events, could ultimately lead to the loss of all or substantially all of a Shareholder’s investment.
Credit Risk
When the Fund enters into Wheat Interests, it will be exposed to the credit risk that the counterparty will not be able to meet its obligations. For purposes of credit risk, the counterparties for Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps are the clearinghouses associated with the relevant exchanges. In general, clearinghouses are backed by their members who may be required to share in the financial burden resulting from the nonperformance of one of their members, which should significantly reduce credit risk. Some foreign exchanges are not backed by their clearinghouse members but may be backed by a consortium of banks or other financial institutions. Unlike in the case of exchange-traded futures contracts, the counterparty to an over-the-counter Wheat Interest
contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution. As a result, there will be greater counterparty credit risk in over-the-counter transactions. There can be no assurance that any counterparty, clearing house, or their financial backers will satisfy their obligations to the Fund.
The Sponsor will attempt to manage the credit risk of the Fund by following certain trading limitations and policies. In particular, the Fund intends to post margin and collateral and/or hold liquid assets that will be equal to approximately the face amount of the Wheat Interests it holds. The Sponsor will implement procedures that will include, but will not be limited to, executing and clearing trades and entering into over-the-counter transactions only with parties it deems creditworthy and/or requiring the posting of collateral by such parties for the benefit of the Fund to limit its credit exposure.
Any commodity broker for the Fund, when acting as the futures commission merchant in accepting orders to purchase or sell futures contracts on United States exchanges, will be required by CFTC regulations to separately account for and treat as belonging to the Fund all of the Fund’s assets that relate to domestic futures contract trading. These commodity brokers are not allowed to commingle the assets of the Fund with the commodity broker’s own assets, although commodity brokers are allowed to commingle the assets of multiple customers in a bulk segregated account. In addition, the CFTC requires commodity brokers to hold in a secure account the assets of the Fund related to foreign futures contract trading.
Off Balance Sheet Financing
As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Trust nor the Fund has any loan guarantees, credit support or other off-balance sheet arrangements of any kind other than agreements entered into in the normal course of business, which may include indemnification provisions relating to certain risks service providers undertake in performing services which are in the best interests of the Fund. While the Fund’s exposure under these indemnification provisions cannot be estimated, they are not expected to have a material impact on the Fund’s financial positions.
Redemption Basket Obligation
Other than as necessary to meet the investment objective of the Fund and pay its contractual obligations described below, the Fund will require liquidity to redeem Redemption Baskets. The Fund intends to satisfy this obligation through the transfer of cash of the Fund (generated, if necessary, through the sale of Treasury Securities) in an amount proportionate to the number of units being redeemed, as described above under
“Redemption Procedures.”
Contractual Obligations
The Fund’s primary contractual obligations will be with the Sponsor and certain other service providers. The Sponsor, in return for its services, will be entitled to a management fee calculated as a fixed percentage of the Fund’s NAV, currently 1.00% of its average net assets. The Fund will also be responsible for all ongoing fees, costs and expenses of its operation, including
(
i) brokerage and other fees and commissions incurred in connection with the trading activities of the Fund; (ii) expenses incurred in connection with registering additional Shares of the Fund or offering Shares of the Fund after the time any Shares have begun trading on NYSE Arca; (iii) the routine expenses associated with the preparation and, if
required, the printing and mailing of monthly, quarterly, annual and other reports required by applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory authorities, Trust meetings and preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements to Shareholders; (iv) the payment of any distributions related to redemption of Shares; (v) payment for routine services of the Trustee, legal counsel and independent accountants; (vi) payment for routine accounting, bookkeeping, custody and transfer agency services, whether performed by an outside service provider or by Affiliates of the Sponsor; (vii) postage and insurance; (viii) costs and expenses associated with client relations and services; (ix) costs of preparation of all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns and any taxes payable on the income, assets or operations of the Fund; and (xi) extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto).
While the Sponsor has agreed to pay registration fees to the SEC, FINRA and any other regulatory agency in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares offered through this prospectus, the legal, printing, accounting and other expenses associated with such registrations, and the initial fee of $5,000 for listing the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the Fund will be responsible for any registration fees and related expenses incurred in connection with any future offer and sale of Shares of the Fund in excess of those offered through this prospectus.
The Fund pays its own brokerage and other transaction costs. The Fund will pay fees to futures commission merchants in connection with its transactions in futures contracts. Futures commission merchant fees are estimated to be
0.02% annually for the Fund. In general, transaction costs on over-the-counter Wheat Interests and on Treasuries and other short-term securities will be embedded in the purchase or sale price of the instrument being purchased or sold, and may not readily be estimated. Other expenses to be paid by the Fund, including but not limited to the fees to be paid to the Custodian and Marketing Agent with respect to the Fund, are estimated to be
0.60% for the twelve-month period ending ______, 2012, though this amount may change in future years. The Sponsor may, in its discretion, pay or reimburse the Fund for, or waive a portion of its management fee to offset, expenses that would otherwise be borne by the Fund.
Any general expenses of the Trust will be allocated among the Teucrium Funds and each other series that may be established under the Trust in the future as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion. The Trust is also responsible for extraordinary expenses, including, but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto. The Trust and/or the Sponsor may be required to indemnify the Trustee, Marketing Agent or Custodian/Administrator under certain circumstances.
The parties cannot anticipate the amount of payments that will be required under these arrangements for future periods as the Fund’s NAV and trading levels to meet their investment objectives will not be known until a future date. These agreements are effective for a specific term agreed upon by the parties with an option to renew, or, in some cases, are in effect for the duration of the Fund’s existence. The parties may terminate these agreements earlier for certain reasons listed in the agreements.
The Trust Agreement
The following paragraphs are a summary of certain provisions of the Trust Agreement. The following discussion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Trust Agreement.
Authority of the Sponsor
The Sponsor is generally authorized to perform all acts deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of the Trust and to conduct the business of the Trust. The Trust and the Fund will continue to exist until terminated in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor’s authority includes, without limitation, the right to take the following actions:
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To enter into, execute, deliver and maintain contracts, agreements and any other documents as may be in furtherance of the Trust’s purpose or necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the Shares and the conduct of Trust activities;
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To establish, maintain, deposit into, sign checks and otherwise draw upon accounts on behalf of the Trust with appropriate banking and savings institutions, and execute and accept any instrument or agreement incidental to the Trust’s business and in furtherance of its purposes;
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To adopt, implement or amend, from time to time, such disclosure and financial reporting information gathering and control policies and procedures as are necessary or desirable to ensure compliance with applicable disclosure and financial reporting obligations under any applicable securities laws;
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To pay or authorize the payment of distributions to the Shareholders and expenses of the Fund;
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To make any elections on behalf of the Trust under the Code, or any other applicable U.S. federal or state tax law as the Sponsor shall determine to be in the best interests of the Trust; and
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In its sole discretion, to determine to admit an affiliate or affiliates of the Sponsor as additional Sponsors.
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The Sponsor’s Obligations
In addition to the duties imposed by the Delaware Trust Statute, under the Trust Agreement the Sponsor has the following obligations as a sponsor of the Trust:
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Devote to the business and affairs of the Trust such of its time as it determines in its discretion (exercised in good faith) to be necessary for the benefit of the Trust and the Shareholders;
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Execute, file, record and/or publish all certificates, statements and other documents and do any and all other things as may be appropriate for the formation, qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its business in all appropriate jurisdictions;
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Appoint and remove independent public accountants to audit the accounts of the Trust and employ attorneys to represent the Trust;
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Use its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a statutory trust for state law purposes and as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
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Have fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of the Trust’s assets, whether or not in the Sponsor’s immediate possession or control;
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Enter into and perform agreements with each Authorized Purchaser, receive from Authorized Purchasers and process properly submitted purchase orders, receive Creation Basket Deposits, deliver or cause the delivery of Creation Baskets to the Depository for the account of the Authorized Purchaser submitting a purchase order;
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Receive from Authorized Purchasers and process, or cause the Marketing Agent or other Fund service provider to process, properly submitted redemption orders, receive from the redeeming Authorized Purchasers through the Depository, and thereupon cancel or cause to be cancelled, Shares corresponding to the Redemption Baskets to be redeemed;
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Interact with the Depository; and
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Delegate duties to one or more administrators, as the Sponsor determines.
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To the extent that, at law (common or statutory) or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Fund, the Shareholders or to any other person, the Sponsor will not be liable to the Trust, the Fund, the Shareholders or to any other person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of the Trust Agreement or this prospectus unless such reliance constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Sponsor.
Liability and Indemnification
Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor, the Trustee and their respective Affiliates (collectively, “Covered Persons”) shall have no liability to the Trust, the Fund, or to any Shareholder for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Fund which arises out of any action or inaction of such Covered Person if such Covered Person, in good faith, determined that such course of conduct was in the best interest of the Trust or the Fund and such course of conduct did not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Covered Person. A Covered Person shall not be liable for the conduct or willful misconduct of any administrator or other delegatee selected by the Sponsor with reasonable care, provided, however, that the Trustee and its Affiliates shall not, under any circumstances be liable for
the conduct or willful misconduct of any administrator or other delegatee or any other person selected by the Sponsor to provide services to the Trust.
The Trust Agreement also provides that the Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust (or by a series separately to the extent the matter in question relates to a single series or disproportionately affects a specific series in relation to other series) against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of gross
negligence, willful misconduct, or a breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and
(ii) any such indemnification will only be recoverable from the assets of the applicable series. The Sponsor’s rights to indemnification permitted under the Trust Agreement shall not be affected by the dissolution or other cessation to exist of the Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the Bankruptcy Code by or against the Sponsor.
The payment of any indemnification shall be allocated, as appropriate, among the Trust’s series. The Trust and its series shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance which insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is prohibited under the Trust Agreement.
Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding against the Sponsor shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a party other than the Trust; and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in which it is not entitled to indemnification.
The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and the Trust shall indemnify the Trustee and its successors, assigns, legal representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and servants (the “Trustee Indemnified Parties”) against any liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, taxes, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements which may be imposed on a Trustee Indemnified Party relating to or arising out of the formation, operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery and performance of any other agreements to which the Trust is a party, or the action or inaction of the Trustee under the Trust Agreement or any other agreement, except for expenses resulting from the gross
negligence or
willful misconduct of a Trustee Indemnified Party.
In the event the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise incurs any liability or expense as a result of or in connection with any Shareholder’s (or assignee’s) obligations or liabilities unrelated to the Trust business, such Shareholder (or assignees cumulatively) is required under the Trust Agreement to indemnify the Trust for all such liability and expense incurred, including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.
Withdrawal of the Sponsor
The Sponsor may withdraw voluntarily as the Sponsor of the Trust only upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the holders of the Trust’s outstanding shares and the Trustee. If the withdrawing Sponsor is the last remaining Sponsor, shareholders holding a majority (over 50%) of the Trust’s shares (not including shares acquired by the Sponsor through its initial capital contribution) may vote to elect a successor Sponsor. The successor Sponsor will continue the business of the Trust. Shareholders have no right to remove the Sponsor.
In the event of withdrawal, the Sponsor is entitled to a redemption of the shares it acquired through its initial capital contribution to any of the series of the Trust at their NAV per share. If the Sponsor withdraws and a successor Sponsor is named, the withdrawing Sponsor shall pay all expenses as a result of its withdrawal.
Meetings
Meetings of the Shareholders may be called by the Sponsor and will be called by it upon the written request of Shareholders holding at least 25% of the Shares of the Trust or the Fund, as applicable (not including Shares acquired by the Sponsor through its initial capital contribution), to vote on any matter with respect to which Shareholders have a right to vote under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor shall deposit in the United States mail or electronically transmit written notice to all Shareholders of the Fund of the meeting and the purpose of the meeting, which shall be held on a date not less than 30 nor more than 60 days after the date of mailing of such notice, at a reasonable time and place. When the meeting is being requested by Shareholders, the notice of the meeting shall be mailed
or transmitted within 45 days after receipt of the written request from Shareholders. Any notice of meeting shall be accompanied by a description of the action to be taken at the meeting. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy at any such meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting by written consent setting forth the actions so taken. Such written consents shall be treated for all purposes as votes at a meeting. If the vote or consent of any Shareholder to any action of the Trust, the Fund or any Shareholder, as contemplated by the Trust Agreement, is solicited by the Sponsor, the solicitation shall be effected by notice to each Shareholder given in the manner provided in accordance with the Trust Agreement.
Voting Rights
Shareholders have very limited voting rights. Specifically, the Trust Agreement provides that shareholders of the Trust’s series holding shares representing at least a majority (50%) of the Trust’s outstanding shares (excluding shares acquired by the Sponsor in connection with its initial capital contribution to any Trust series) may vote to (i) continue the Trust by electing a successor Sponsor as described above, and (ii) approve amendments to the Trust Agreement that impair the right to surrender Redemption Baskets for redemption. (Trustee consent to any amendment to the Trust Agreement is required if the Trustee reasonably believes that such amendment adversely affects any of its rights, duties or liabilities.) In addition, shareholders of the Trust’s series
holding shares representing seventy-five percent (75%) of the Trust’s outstanding shares (excluding shares acquired by the Sponsor in connection with its initial capital contribution to any Trust series) may vote to dissolve the Trust upon not less than ninety (90) days’ notice to the Sponsor. Shareholders have no voting rights with respect to the Trust or the Fund except as expressly provided in the Trust Agreement.
Limited Liability of Shareholders
Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the general corporation law of Delaware, and no Shareholder shall be liable for claims against, or debts of the Trust or the Fund in excess of his share of the Fund’s assets. The Trust or the Fund shall not make a claim against a Shareholder with respect to amounts distributed to such Shareholder or amounts received by such Shareholder upon redemption unless, under Delaware law, such Shareholder is liable to repay such amount.
The Trust or the Fund shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law and the Trust Agreement each Shareholder (excluding the Sponsor to the extent of its ownership of any Shares acquired through its initial capital contribution) against any claims of liability asserted against such Shareholder solely because of its ownership of Shares (other than for taxes on income from Shares for which such Shareholder is liable).
Every written note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or the Fund shall give notice to the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or the Fund and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon the Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund and no recourse may be had with respect to the personal property of a Shareholder for satisfaction of any obligation or claim.
The Sponsor Has Conflicts of Interest
There are present and potential future conflicts of interest in the Trust’s structure and operation you should consider before you purchase Shares. The Sponsor may use this notice of conflicts as a defense against any claim or other proceeding made.
The Sponsor’s principals, officers and employees do not devote their time exclusively to the Fund. Under the organizational documents of the Sponsor, Mr. Sal Gilbertie and Mr. Dale Riker are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to manage the Sponsor, devote such amount of time to the Sponsor as would be consistent with their roles in similarly placed commodity pool operators, and remain active in managing the Sponsor until they are no longer managing members of the Sponsor or the Sponsor dissolves. In addition, the Sponsor expects that operating the Teucrium Funds will generally constitute the principal and a full-time business activity of its principals, officers and employees. Notwithstanding these obligations and expectations, the Sponsor’s principals may
be directors, officers or employees of other entities, and may manage assets of entities other than the Fund, including the other Teucrium Funds, through the Sponsor or otherwise. In particular, the principals could have a conflict between their responsibilities to the Fund on the one hand and to those other entities on the other. The Sponsor believes that it currently has sufficient personnel, time, and working capital to discharge its responsibilities to the Fund in a fair manner and that these persons’ conflicts should not impair their ability to provide services to the Fund. However, it is not possible to quantify the proportion of their time that the Sponsor’s personnel will devote to the Fund and its management.
The Sponsor and its principals, officers and employees may trade futures and related contracts for their own accounts. Shareholders will not be permitted to inspect the trading records of such persons or any written policies of the Sponsor related to such trading. A conflict of interest may exist if their trades are in the same markets and at approximately the same times as the trades for the Fund. A potential conflict also may occur when the Sponsor’s principals trade their accounts more aggressively or take positions in their accounts which are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken by the Fund.
The Sponsor has sole current authority to manage the investments and operations of the Fund, and this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests and conflicts with your best interests. Shareholders have very limited voting rights, which will limit the ability to influence matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, change in the Fund’s basic investment policies, or dissolution of the Fund or the Trust.
The Sponsor serves as the Sponsor to the Teucrium Funds, and may in the future serve as the Sponsor or investment adviser to commodity pools other than the Teucrium Funds. The Sponsor may have a conflict to the extent that its trading decisions for the Fund may be influenced by the effect they would have on the other pools it manages. In addition, the Sponsor may be required to indemnify the officers and directors of the other pools, if the need for indemnification arises. This potential indemnification will cause the Sponsor’s assets to decrease. If the Sponsor’s other sources of income are not sufficient to compensate for the indemnification, it could cease operations, which could in turn result in Fund losses and/or termination of the Fund.
If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or arrangement that may be an opportunity for the Fund, it shall have no duty to offer such opportunity to the Fund. The Sponsor will not be liable to the Fund or the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty if Sponsor pursues such opportunity or directs it to another person or does not communicate such opportunity to the Fund. Neither the Fund nor any Shareholder has any rights or obligations by virtue of the Trust Agreement, the trust relationship created thereby, or this prospectus in such business ventures or the income or profits derived from such business ventures. The pursuit of such business ventures, even if competitive with the activities of the Fund, will not be deemed wrongful or improper.
Resolution of Conflicts Procedures
The Trust Agreement provides that whenever a conflict of interest exists between the Sponsor or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, any shareholder of a Trust series, or any other Person, on the other hand, the Sponsor shall resolve such conflict of interest considering the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted industry practices, and any applicable accepted accounting practices or principles.
Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
The Sponsor has employed Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP to prepare this prospectus. Neither the law firm nor any other expert hired by the Fund to give advice on the preparation of this offering document have been hired on a contingent fee basis. Nor do any of them have any present or future expectation of interest in the Sponsor, Marketing Agent, Authorized Purchasers, Custodian/Administrator or other service providers to the Fund.
Provisions of Federal and State Securities Laws
This offering is made pursuant to federal and state securities laws. The SEC and state securities agencies take the position that indemnification of the Sponsor that arises out of an alleged violation of such laws is prohibited unless certain conditions are met. Those conditions require that no indemnification of the Sponsor or any underwriter for the Fund may be made in respect of any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws unless: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the party seeking indemnification and the court approves the indemnification; (ii) such claim has been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of
competent jurisdiction as to the party seeking indemnification; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the party seeking indemnification and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made, provided that, before seeking such approval, the Sponsor or other indemnitee must apprise the court of the position held by regulatory agencies against such indemnification.
Books and Records
The Trust keeps its books of record and account at its office located at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, or at the offices of the Administrator located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, or such office, including of an administrative agent, as it may subsequently designate upon notice. The books of account of the Fund are open to inspection by any Shareholder (or any duly constituted designee of a Shareholder) at all times during the usual business hours of the Fund upon reasonable advance notice to the extent such access is required under CFTC rules and regulations. In addition, the Trust keeps a copy of the Trust Agreement on file in its office which will be available for inspection by any Shareholder at all times during its usual business
hours upon reasonable advance notice.
Analysis of Critical Accounting Policies
The Fund’s critical accounting policies are set forth in the financial statements that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require the use of certain accounting policies that affect the amounts reported in these financial statements, including the following: (i) Fund trades are accounted for on a trade-date basis and marked to market on a daily basis; (ii) the difference between the cost and market value of Wheat Interests is recorded as “change in unrealized profit/loss” for open (unrealized) contracts, and recorded as “realized profit/loss” when open positions are closed out; and (iii) earned interest income, as well as the fees and expenses of the Fund, are
recorded on an accrual basis. The Sponsor believes that all relevant accounting assumptions and policies have been considered.
Statements, Filings, and Reports to Shareholders
The Trust will furnish to DTC Participants for distribution to Shareholders annual reports (as of the end of each fiscal year) for the Fund as are required to be provided to Shareholders by the CFTC and the NFA. These annual reports will contain financial statements prepared by the Sponsor and audited by an independent registered public accounting firm designated by the Sponsor. The Trust will also post monthly reports to the Fund’s website (
www.teucriumweatfund.com
). These monthly reports will contain certain unaudited financial information regarding the Fund, including the Fund’s NAV. The Sponsor will furnish to the Shareholders other reports or information which the Sponsor, in its
discretion, determines to be necessary or appropriate. In addition, under SEC rules the Trust will be required to file quarterly and annual reports for the Fund with the SEC, which need not be sent to Shareholders but will be publicly available through the SEC. The Trust will post the same information that would otherwise be provided in the Trust’s CFTC, NFA and SEC reports on the Fund’s website
www.teucriumweatfund.com
.
The Sponsor is responsible for the registration and qualification of the Shares under the federal securities laws, federal commodities laws, and laws of any other jurisdiction as the Sponsor may select. The Sponsor is responsible for preparing all required reports, but has entered into an agreement with the Administrator to prepare these reports on the Trust’s behalf.
The accountants’ report on its audit of the Fund’s financial statements will be furnished by the Trust to Shareholders upon request. The Trust will make such elections, file such tax returns, and prepare, disseminate and file such tax reports for the Fund, as it is advised by its counsel or accountants are from time to time required by any applicable statute, rule or regulation.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”), 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 1800, Dallas, Texas 75201-2997, will provide tax information in accordance with applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. Persons treated as middlemen for purposes of these regulations may obtain tax information regarding the Fund from PwC or from the Fund’s website,
www.teucriumweatfund.com
.
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Fund is the calendar year.
Governing Law; Consent to Delaware Jurisdiction
The rights of the Sponsor, the Trust, the Fund, DTC (as registered owner of the Fund’s global certificate for Shares) and the Shareholders are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. The Sponsor, the Trust, the Fund and DTC and, by accepting Shares, each DTC Participant and each Shareholder, consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware and any federal courts located in Delaware. Such consent is not required for any person to assert a claim of Delaware jurisdiction over the Sponsor, the Trust or the Fund.
Legal Matters
Litigation and Claims
Within the past 5 years of the date of this prospectus, there have been no material administrative, civil or criminal actions against the Sponsor, the Trust or the Fund, or any principal or affiliate of any of them. This includes any actions pending, on appeal, concluded, threatened, or otherwise known to them.
Legal Opinion
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP has been retained to advise the Trust and the Sponsor with respect to the Shares being offered hereby and has passed upon the validity of the Shares being issued hereunder. Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP has also provided the Sponsor with its opinion with respect to federal income tax matters addressed herein.
Experts
Rothstein Kass, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the financial statements of the Trust, the Fund and the Sponsor as of December 31, 2010.
Privacy Policy
The Trust and the Sponsor collect certain nonpublic personal information about investors from the information provided by them in certain documents, as well as in the course of processing transaction requests. None of this information is disclosed except as necessary in the course of processing creations and redemptions and otherwise administering the Trust (and then only subject to customary undertakings of confidentiality) or as required by law. The Trust and the Sponsor restrict access to the nonpublic personal information they collect from investors to those employees and service providers who need access to this information to provide services relating to the Trust to investors. The Trust and the Sponsor each maintain physical, electronic and procedural controls to safeguard
this information. These standards are reasonably designed to (1) ensure the security and confidentiality of investors’ records and information, (2) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of investors’ records and information, and (3) protect against unauthorized access to or use of investors’ records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any investor. A copy of the current Privacy Policy can be provided on request and is provided to investors annually.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares of the Fund and the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Fund. Except where noted otherwise, it deals only with the tax consequences relating to Shares held as capital assets by persons not subject to special tax treatment. For example, in general it does not address the tax consequences to dealers in securities or currencies or commodities, traders in securities or dealers or traders in commodities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting, financial institutions, tax-exempt entities, insurance companies, persons holding Shares as a part of a position in a “straddle” or as part of a “hedging,”
“conversion” or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or holders of Shares whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, and regulations (“Treasury Regulations”), rulings and judicial decisions thereunder as of the date hereof, and such authorities may be repealed, revoked or modified (possibly with retroactive effect) so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below.
The Sponsor has received the opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (“Sutherland”), counsel to the Trust, that the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to the Fund and to U.S. Shareholders and Non-U.S. Shareholders (as defined below) will be as described in the following paragraphs. In rendering its opinion, Sutherland has relied on the facts and assumptions described in this prospectus as well as certain factual representations made by the Trust and the Sponsor. This opinion is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). No ruling has been requested from the IRS with respect to any matter affecting the Fund or prospective investors, and the IRS may disagree with the tax positions taken by the Trust. If the IRS were to
challenge the Trust’s tax positions in litigation, they might not be sustained by the courts.
As used herein, the term “U.S. Shareholder” means a Shareholder that is, for United States federal income tax purposes, (i) a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation or partnership created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust that (X) is subject to the supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more United States persons as described in section 7701(a)(30) of the Code or (Y) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person. A “Non-U.S. Shareholder” is a holder that is not a U.S.
Shareholder. If a partnership holds our Shares, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our Shares, you should consult your own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences.
EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS ADVISED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN SHARES, AS WELL AS ANY APPLICABLE STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN TAX CONSEQUENCES, IN LIGHT OF ITS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Tax Status of the Trust and the Fund
The Trust is organized and will be operated as a statutory trust in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and applicable Delaware law. Notwithstanding the Trust’s status as a statutory trust and the Fund’s status as a series of that trust, due to the nature of its activities the Fund will be treated as a partnership rather than a trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, the trading of Shares on the NYSE Arca will cause the Fund to be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” for federal income tax purposes. Under the Code, a publicly traded partnership is generally taxable as a corporation. In the case of an entity (such as the Fund) not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, however, an exception
to this general rule applies if at least 90% of the entity’s gross income is “qualifying income” for each taxable year of its existence (the “qualifying income exception”). For this purpose, qualifying income is defined as including, in pertinent part, interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, and gains from the sale or disposition of capital assets held for the production of interest or dividends. In the case of a partnership a principal activity of which is the buying and selling of commodities other than as inventory or of futures, forwards and options with respect to commodities, “qualifying income” also includes income and gains from commodities and from futures, forwards, options, and swaps and other notional principal contracts with respect to commodities. The Trust and the Sponsor have represented the following to Sutherland:
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•
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At least 90% of the Fund’s gross income for each taxable year will constitute “qualifying income” within the meaning of Code section 7704 (as described above);
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•
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the Fund is organized and will be operated in accordance with its governing documents and applicable law; and
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•
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the Fund has not elected, and will not elect, to be classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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Based in part on these representations, Sutherland is of the opinion that the Fund will be treated as a partnership that it is not taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s taxation as a partnership rather than a corporation will require the Sponsor to conduct the Fund’s business activities in such a manner that it satisfies the requirements of the qualifying income exception on a continuing basis. No assurances can be given that the Fund’s operations for any given year will produce income that satisfies these requirements. Sutherland will not review the Fund’s ongoing compliance with these requirements and will have no obligation to advise the Trust, the Fund or the Fund’s Shareholders in the event of any subsequent
change in the facts, representations or applicable law relied upon in reaching its opinion.
If the Fund failed to satisfy the qualifying income exception in any year, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case, as a condition of relief, the Fund could be required to pay the government amounts determined by the IRS), the Fund would be taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes and would pay federal income tax on its income at regular corporate rates. In that event, Shareholders would not report their share of the Fund’s income or loss on their tax returns. Distributions by the Fund (if any) would be treated as ordinary dividend income to the Shareholders to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Accordingly, if
the Fund were to be taxable as a corporation, it would likely have a material adverse effect on the economic return from an investment in the Fund and on the value of the Shares.
The remainder of this summary assumes that the Fund is classified for federal income tax purposes as a partnership that it is not taxable as a corporation.
U.S. Shareholders
Tax Consequences of Ownership of Shares
Taxation of the Fund’s Income
. No U.S. federal income tax is paid by the Fund on its income. Instead, the Fund files annual partnership returns, and each U.S. Shareholder is required to report on its U.S. federal income tax return its allocable share of the income, gain, loss, deductions and credits reflected on such returns. If the Fund recognizes income in the form of interest on Treasury Securities and net capital gains from cash settlement of Wheat Interests for a taxable year, Shareholders must report their share of these items even though the Fund makes no distributions of cash or property during the taxable year. Consequently, a Shareholder may be taxable on income or gain recognized by the Fund but
receive no cash distribution with which to pay the resulting tax liability, or may receive a distribution that is insufficient to pay such liability. Because the Sponsor currently does not intend to make distributions, it is likely that that a U.S. Shareholder that realizes net income or gain with respect to Shares for a taxable year will be required to pay any resulting tax from sources other than Fund distributions. Additionally,
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, individuals with income in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of married individuals filing jointly) and certain estates and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on their “net investment income,” which generally includes net income from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, and rents, and net capital gains (other than certain amounts earned from trades or businesses).
Monthly Conventions for Allocations of the Fund’s Profit and Loss and Capital Account Restatements
. Under Code section 704, the determination of a partner’s distributive share of any item of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit is governed by the applicable organizational document unless the allocation provided by such document lacks “substantial economic effect.” An allocation that lacks substantial economic effect nonetheless will be respected if it is in accordance with the partners’ interests in the partnership, determined by taking into account all facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangements among the partners. Subject to the discussion below concerning
certain conventions to be used by the Fund, allocations pursuant to the Trust Agreement should be considered as having substantial economic effect or being in accordance with Shareholders’ interests in the Fund.
In situations where a partner’s interest in a partnership is redeemed or sold during a taxable year, the Code generally requires that partnership tax items for the year be allocated to the partner using either an interim closing of the books or a daily proration method. The Fund intends to allocate tax items using an interim closing of the books method under which income, gains, losses and deductions will be determined on a monthly basis, taking into account the Fund’s accrued income and deductions and gains and losses (both realized and unrealized) for the month. The tax items for each month during a taxable year will then be allocated among the holders of Shares in proportion to the number of Shares owned by them as of the close of trading on the last trading day of the preceding
month (the “monthly allocation convention”).
Under the monthly allocation convention, an investor who disposes of a Share during the current month will be treated as disposing of the Share as of the beginning of the first day of the immediately succeeding month. For example, an investor who buys a Share on April 10 of a year and sells it on May 20 of the same year will be allocated all of the tax items attributable to May (because it is deemed to hold the Share through the last day of May) but none of those attributable to April. The tax items attributable to that Share for April will be allocated to the person who is the actual or deemed holder of the Share as of the close of trading on the last trading day of March. Under the monthly allocation convention, an investor who purchases and sells a Share during
the same month, and therefore does not hold (and is not deemed to hold) the Share at the close of the last trading day of either that month or the previous month, will receive no allocations with respect to that Share for any period. Accordingly, investors may receive no allocations with respect to Shares that they actually held, or may receive allocations with respect to Shares attributable to periods that they did not actually hold the Shares. Investors who hold a Share on the last trading day of the first month of the Fund’s operation will be allocated the tax items for that month, as well as the tax items for the following month, attributable to the Share.
By investing in Shares, a U.S. Shareholder agrees that, in the absence of new legislation, regulatory or administrative guidance, or judicial rulings to the contrary, it will file its U.S. income tax returns in a manner that is consistent with the monthly allocation convention as described above and with the IRS Schedule K-1 or any successor form provided to Shareholders by the Fund or the Trust.
For any month in which a Creation Basket is issued or a Redemption Basket is redeemed, the Fund will credit or debit the “book” capital accounts of existing Shareholders with the amount of any unrealized gain or loss, respectively, on Fund assets. For this purpose, unrealized gain or loss will be computed based on the lowest NAV of the Fund’s assets during the month in which Shares are issued or redeemed, which may be different than the value of the assets on the date of an issuance or redemption. The capital accounts as adjusted in this manner will be used in making tax allocations intended to account for differences between the tax basis and fair market value of property owned by the Fund at the time new Shares are issued or outstanding Shares are redeemed (so-called
“reverse Code section 704(c) allocations”). The intended effect of these adjustments is to equitably allocate among Shareholders any unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the Fund’s assets existing at the time of a contribution or redemption for book and tax purposes.
The Sponsor believes that application of the conventions and methods described above is consistent with the intent of the partnership provisions of the Code and that the resulting allocations should have substantial economic effect or otherwise should be respected as being in accordance with Shareholders’ interests in the Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Code and existing Treasury Regulations do not expressly permit adoption of these conventions, although the monthly allocation convention described above is consistent with a method permitted under proposed Treasury Regulations. It is possible that the IRS could successfully challenge the Fund’s allocation methods on the ground that they do not satisfy the technical requirements of the Code or Treasury Regulations,
requiring a Shareholder to report a greater or lesser share of items of income, gain, loss, or deduction than if the conventions were respected. The Sponsor is authorized to revise the Fund’s methods to conform to the requirements of any future Treasury Regulations.
As noted above, the conventions used by the Fund in making tax allocations may cause a Shareholder to be allocated more or less income or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes than its proportionate share of the economic income or loss realized by the Fund during the period it held its Shares. This mismatch between taxable and economic income or loss in some cases may be temporary, reversing itself in a later year when the Shares are sold, but could be permanent. For example, a Shareholder could be allocated income accruing after it sold its Shares, resulting in an increase in the basis of the Shares (see “
Tax Basis of Shares
”, below). In connection with the disposition of the Shares, the
additional basis might produce a capital loss the deduction of which may be limited (see “
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses and Certain Expenses
”, below).
Section 754 election.
The Fund intends to make the election permitted by section 754 of the Code, which election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The effect of this election is that when a secondary market sale of Shares occurs, the Fund adjusts the purchaser’s proportionate share of the tax basis of the Fund’s assets to fair market value, as reflected in the price paid for the Shares, as if the purchaser had directly acquired an interest in the Fund’s assets. The section 754 election is intended to eliminate disparities between a partner’s basis in its partnership interest and its share of the tax bases of the partnership’s assets, so that the partner’s allocable share of
taxable gain or loss on a disposition of an asset will correspond to its share of the appreciation or depreciation in the value of the asset since it acquired its interest. Depending on the price paid for Shares and the tax bases of the Fund’s assets at the time of the purchase, the effect of the section 754 election on a purchaser of Shares may be favorable or unfavorable. In order to make the appropriate basis adjustments in a cost effective manner, the Fund will use certain simplifying conventions and assumptions. In particular, the Fund will obtain information regarding secondary market transactions in its Shares and use this information to make adjustments to the Shareholders’ indirect basis in Fund assets. It is possible the IRS could successfully assert that the conventions and assumptions applied are improper and require different basis adjustments to be made, which could adversely affect some Shareholders.
Section 1256 Contracts
. Under the Code, special rules apply to instruments constituting “section 1256 contracts.” A section 1256 contract is defined as including, in relevant part: (1) a futures contract that is traded on or subject to the rules of a national securities exchange which is registered with the SEC, a domestic board of trade designated as a contract market by the CFTC, or any other board of trade or exchange designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and with respect to which the amount required to be deposited and the amount that may be withdrawn depends on a system of “marking to market”; and (2) a non-equity option traded on or subject to the rules of a qualified board or
exchange. Section 1256 contracts held at the end of each taxable year are treated as if they were sold for their fair market value on the last business day of the taxable year (
i.e.
, are “marked to market”). In addition, any gain or loss realized from a disposition, termination or marking-to-market of a section 1256 contract is treated as long-term capital gain or loss to the extent of 60% thereof, and as short-term capital gain or loss to the extent of 40% thereof, without regard to the actual holding period (“60-40 treatment”).
Many of the Fund’s Wheat Futures Contracts will qualify as “section 1256 contracts” under the Code. Some Other Wheat Interests that are cleared through a qualified board or exchange will also constitute section 1256 contracts. Gain or loss recognized as a result of the disposition, termination or marking-to-market of the Fund’s section 1256 contracts during a calendar month will be subject to 60-40 treatment and allocated to Shareholders in accordance with the monthly allocation convention. Under recently enacted legislation, Cleared Wheat Swaps and other commodity swaps will most likely not qualify as section 1256 contracts. If a commodity swap is not taxable as a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss on the swap will be recognized at the
time of disposition or termination as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss depending on the holding period of the swap in the Fund’s hands.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses and Certain Expenses
. A number of different provisions of the Code may defer or disallow the deduction of losses or expenses allocated to Shareholders by the Fund, including but not limited to those described below.
A Shareholder’s deduction of its allocable share of any loss of the Fund is limited to the lesser of (1) the tax basis in its Shares or (2) in the case of a Shareholder that is an individual or a closely held corporation, the amount which the Shareholder is considered to have “at risk” with respect to the Fund’s activities. In general, the amount at risk will be a Shareholder’s invested capital. Losses in excess of the amount at risk must be deferred until years in which the Fund generates additional taxable income against which to offset such carryover losses or until additional capital is placed at risk.
Individuals and other non-corporate taxpayers are permitted to deduct capital losses only to the extent of their capital gains for the taxable year plus $3,000 of other income. Unused capital losses can be carried forward and used to offset capital gains in future years. In addition, a non-corporate taxpayer may elect to carry back net losses on section 1256 contracts to each of the three preceding years and use them to offset section 1256 contract gains in those years, subject to certain limitations. Corporate taxpayers generally may deduct capital losses only to the extent of capital gains, subject to special carryback and carryforward rules.
Otherwise deductible expenses incurred by non-corporate taxpayers constituting “miscellaneous itemized deductions,” generally including investment-related expenses (other than interest and certain other specified expenses), are deductible only to the extent they exceed 2% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income for the year. Although the matter is not free from doubt, we believe management fees the Fund pays to the Sponsor and other expenses of the Fund constitute investment-related expenses subject to this miscellaneous itemized deduction limitation, rather than expenses incurred in connection with a trade or business, and will report these expenses consistent with that interpretation.
Non-corporate Shareholders generally may deduct “investment interest expense” only to the extent of their “net investment income.” Investment interest expense of a Shareholder will generally include any interest accrued by the Fund and any interest paid or accrued on direct borrowings by a Shareholder to purchase or carry its Shares, such as interest with respect to a margin account. Net investment income generally includes gross income from property held for investment (including “portfolio income” under the passive loss rules but not, absent an election, long-term capital gains or certain qualifying dividend income) less deductible expenses other than interest directly connected with the production of investment income.
To the extent that the Fund allocates losses or expenses to you that must be deferred or are disallowed as a result of these or other limitations in the Code, you may be taxed on income in excess of your economic income or distributions (if any) on your Shares. As one example, you could be allocated and required to pay tax on your share of interest income accrued by the Fund for a particular taxable year, and in the same year allocated a share of a capital loss that you cannot deduct currently because you have insufficient capital gains against which to offset the loss. As another example, you could be allocated and required to pay tax on your share of interest income and capital gain for a year, but be unable to deduct some or all of your share of management fees and/or margin account
interest incurred by you with respect to your Shares. Shareholders are urged to consult their own professional tax advisor regarding the effect of limitations under the Code on their ability to deduct your allocable share of the Fund’s losses and expenses.
Tax Basis of Shares
A Shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares is important in determining (1) the amount of taxable gain or loss it will realize on the sale or other disposition of its Shares, (2) the amount of non-taxable distributions that it may receive from the Fund, and (3) its ability to utilize its distributive share of any losses of the Fund on its tax return. A Shareholder’s initial tax basis of its Shares will equal its cost for the Shares plus its share of the Fund’s liabilities (if any) at the time of purchase. In general, a Shareholder’s “share” of those liabilities will equal the sum of (i) the entire amount of any otherwise nonrecourse liability of the Fund as to which the Shareholder or an affiliate of the Shareholder is the creditor (a “partner
nonrecourse liability”) and (ii) a pro rata share of any nonrecourse liabilities of the Fund that are not partner nonrecourse liabilities as to any Shareholder.
A Shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares generally will be (1) increased by (a) its allocable share of the Fund’s taxable income and gain and (b) any additional contributions by the Shareholder to the Fund and (2) decreased (but not below zero) by (a) its allocable share of the Fund’s tax deductions and losses and (b) any distributions by the Fund to the Shareholder. For this purpose, an increase in a Shareholder’s share of the Fund’s liabilities will be treated as a contribution of cash by the Shareholder to the Fund and a decrease in that share will be treated as a distribution of cash by the Fund to the Shareholder. Pursuant to certain IRS rulings, a Shareholder will be required to maintain a single, “unified” basis in all Shares that it
owns. As a result, when a Shareholder that acquired its Shares at different prices sells less than all of its Shares, such Shareholder will not be entitled to specify particular Shares (
e.g.
, those with a higher basis) as having been sold. Rather, it must determine its gain or loss on the sale by using an “equitable apportionment” method to allocate a portion of its unified basis in its Shares to the Shares sold.
Treatment of Fund Distributions
. If the Fund makes non-liquidating distributions to Shareholders, such distributions generally will not be taxable to the Shareholders for federal income tax purposes except to the extent that the sum of (i) the amount of cash and (ii) the fair market value of marketable securities distributed exceeds the Shareholder’s adjusted basis of its interest in the Fund immediately before the distribution. Any cash distributions in excess of a Shareholder’s tax basis generally will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of Shares.
Constructive Termination of the Partnership
. The Fund will be considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in its Shares within a 12-month period. A termination would result in the closing of the Fund’s taxable year for all Shareholders. In the case of a Shareholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of the Fund’s taxable year may result in more than 12 months of our taxable income or loss being includable in its taxable income for the year of termination. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination. A termination could result in tax penalties if
we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination.
Tax Consequences of Disposition of Share
s
If a Shareholder sells its Shares, it will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and its adjusted tax basis for the Shares sold. A Shareholder’s amount realized will be the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property received plus its share of any Fund debt outstanding.
Gain or loss recognized by a Shareholder on the sale or exchange of Shares held for more than one year will generally be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss; otherwise, such gain or loss will generally be taxable as short-term capital gain or loss. A special election is available under the Treasury Regulations that allows Shareholders to identify and use the actual holding periods for the Shares sold for purposes of determining whether the gain or loss recognized on a sale of Shares will give rise to long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. It is expected that most Shareholders will be eligible to elect, and generally will elect, to identify and use the actual holding period for Shares sold. If a Shareholder fails to make the election or is not able to identify the
holding periods of the Shares sold, the Shareholder will have a split holding period in the Shares sold. Under such circumstances, a Shareholder will be required to determine its holding period in the Shares sold by first determining the portion of its entire interest in the Fund that would give rise to long-term capital gain or loss if its entire interest were sold and the portion that would give rise to short-term capital gain or loss if the entire interest were sold. The Shareholder would then treat each Share sold as giving rise to long-term capital gain or loss and short-term capital gain or loss in the same proportions as if it had sold its entire interest in the Fund.
Under Section 751 of the Code, a portion of a Shareholder’s gain or loss from the sale of Shares (regardless of the holding period for such Shares), will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss to the extent attributable to “unrealized receivables” or “inventory” owned by the Fund. The term “unrealized receivables” includes, among other things, market discount bonds and short-term debt instruments to the extent such items would give rise to ordinary income if sold by the Fund.
If some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares are lent by its broker or other agent to a third party — for example, for use by the third party in covering a short sale — the Shareholder may be considered as having made a taxable disposition of the loaned Shares, in which case —
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•
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the Shareholder may recognize taxable gain or loss to the same extent as if it had sold the Shares for cash;
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•
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any of the income, gain, loss or deduction allocable to those Shares during the period of the loan is not reportable by the Shareholder for tax purposes; and
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•
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any distributions the Shareholder receives with respect to the Shares under the loan agreement will be fully taxable to the Shareholder, most likely as ordinary income.
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Shareholders desiring to avoid these and other possible consequences of a deemed disposition of their Shares should consider modifying any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit the lending of their Shares.
Other Tax Matters
Information Reporting
. The Fund provides tax information to the Shareholders and to the IRS. Shareholders of the Fund are treated as partners for federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund will furnish Shareholders each year with tax information on IRS Schedule K-1 (Form 1065), which will be used by the Shareholders in completing their tax returns. The IRS has ruled that assignees of partnership interests who have not been admitted to a partnership as partners but who have the capacity to exercise substantial dominion and control over the assigned partnership interests will be considered partners for federal income tax purposes. On the basis of this ruling, except as otherwise provided herein, we
will treat as a Shareholder any person whose shares are held on their behalf by a broker or other nominee if that person has the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of the Shares.
Persons who hold an interest in the Fund as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us the following information: (1) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee; (2) whether the beneficial owner is (a) a person that is not a U.S. person, (b) a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly-owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing, or (c) a tax-exempt entity; (3) the number and a description of Shares acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and (4) certain information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales. Brokers and financial institutions are required to
furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and certain information on Shares they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per failure, up to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report such information to the Fund. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the Shares with the information furnished to the Fund.
Partnership Audit Procedures
. The IRS may audit the federal income tax returns filed by the Fund. Adjustments resulting from any such audit may require a Shareholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability and could result in an audit of the Shareholder’s own return. Any audit of a Shareholder’s return could result in adjustments of non-partnership items as well as Fund items. Partnerships are generally treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS, and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined at the partnership level in a unified
partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Code provides for one partner to be designated as the “tax matters partner” and to represent the partnership purposes of these proceedings. The Trust Agreement appoints the Sponsor as the tax matters partner of the Fund.
Reportable Transaction
. In certain circumstances the Code and Treasury Regulations require that the IRS be notified of transactions through a disclosure statement attached to a taxpayer’s United States federal income tax return. These disclosure rules may apply to transactions irrespective of whether they are structured to achieve particular tax benefits. They could require disclosure by the Trust or Shareholders if a Shareholder incurs a loss in excess a specified threshold from a sale or redemption of its Shares and possibly in other circumstances. While these rules generally do not require disclosure of a loss recognized on the disposition of an asset in which the taxpayer has a “qualifying
basis” (generally a basis equal to the amount of cash paid by the taxpayer for such asset), they apply to a loss recognized with respect to interests in a pass-through entity, such as the Shares, even if the taxpayer’s basis in such interests is equal to the amount of cash it paid. In addition, significant monetary penalties may be imposed in connection with a failure to comply with these reporting requirements. Investors should consult their own tax advisor concerning the application of these reporting requirements to their specific situation.
Tax-Exempt Organizations.
Subject to numerous exceptions, qualified retirement plans and individual retirement accounts, charitable organizations and certain other organizations that otherwise are exempt from U.S. federal income tax (collectively “exempt organizations”) nonetheless are subject to the tax on unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Generally, UBTI means the gross income derived by an exempt organization from a trade or business that it regularly carries on, the conduct of which is not substantially related to the exercise or performance of its exempt purpose or function, less allowable deductions directly connected with that trade or business. If
the Fund were to regularly carry on (directly or indirectly) a trade or business that is unrelated with respect to an exempt organization Shareholder, then in computing its UBTI, the Shareholder must include its share of (1) the Fund’s gross income from the unrelated trade or business, whether or not distributed, and (2) the Fund’s allowable deductions directly connected with that gross income.
UBTI generally does not include dividends, interest, or payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale of property (other than property held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business). Nonetheless, income on, and gain from the disposition of, “debt-financed property” is UBTI. Debt-financed property generally is income-producing property (including securities), the use of which is not substantially related to the exempt organization’s tax-exempt purposes, and with respect to which there is “acquisition indebtedness” at any time during the taxable year (or, if the property was disposed of during the taxable year, the 12-month period ending with the disposition). Acquisition indebtedness includes debt incurred
to acquire property, debt incurred before the acquisition of property if the debt would not have been incurred but for the acquisition, and debt incurred subsequent to the acquisition of property if the debt would not have been incurred but for the acquisition and at the time of acquisition the incurrence of debt was foreseeable. The portion of the income from debt-financed property attributable to acquisition indebtedness is equal to the ratio of the average outstanding principal amount of acquisition indebtedness over the average adjusted basis of the property for the year. The Fund currently does not anticipate that it will borrow money to acquire investments; however, the Fund cannot be certain that it will not borrow for such purpose in the future. In addition, an exempt organization Shareholder that incurs acquisition indebtedness to purchase its Shares in the Fund may have UBTI.
The federal tax rate applicable to an exempt organization Shareholder on its UBTI generally will be either the corporate or trust tax rate, depending upon the Shareholder’s form of organization. The Fund may report to each such Shareholder information as to the portion, if any, of the Shareholder’s income and gains from the Fund for any year that will be treated as UBTI; the calculation of that amount is complex, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s calculation of UBTI will be accepted by the IRS. An exempt organization Shareholder will be required to make payments of estimated federal income tax with respect to its UBTI.
Regulated Investment Companies.
Interests in and income from “qualified publicly traded partnerships” satisfying certain gross income tests are treated as qualifying assets and income, respectively, for purposes of determining eligibility for regulated investment company (“RIC”) status. A RIC may invest up to 25% of its assets in interests in a qualified publicly traded partnership. The determination of whether a publicly traded partnership such as the Fund is a qualified publicly traded partnership is made on an annual basis. The Fund expects to be a qualified publicly traded partnership in each of its taxable years. However, such qualification is not assured.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
Generally, non-U.S. persons who derive U.S. source income or gain from investing or engaging in a U.S. business are taxable on two categories of income. The first category consists of amounts that are fixed or determinable, annual or periodic income, such as interest, dividends and rent that are not connected with the operation of a U.S. trade or business (“FDAP”). The second category is income that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (“ECI”). FDAP income (other than interest that is considered “portfolio interest;” as discussed below) is generally subject to a 30% withholding tax, which may be reduced for certain categories of income by a treaty between the U.S. and the recipient’s country of
residence. In contrast, ECI is generally subject to U.S. tax on a net basis at graduated rates upon the filing of a U.S. tax return. Where a non-U.S. person has ECI as a result of an investment in a partnership, the ECI is currently subject to a withholding tax at a rate of 35% for both individual and corporate Shareholders. The tax withholding on ECI, which is the highest tax rate under Code section 1 for non-corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders and Code section 11(b) for corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders, may increase in future tax years if tax rates increase from their current levels.
Withholding on Allocations and Distributions
. The Code provides that a non-U.S. person who is a partner in a partnership that is engaged in a U.S. trade or business during a taxable year will also be considered to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business during that year. Classifying an activity by a partnership as an investment or an operating business is a factual determination. Under certain safe harbors in the Code, an investment fund whose activities consist of trading in stocks, securities, or commodities for its own account generally will not be considered to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business unless it is a dealer is such stocks, securities, or commodities. This safe harbor applies to investments in
commodities only if the commodities are of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange and if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Although the matter is not free from doubt, the Fund believes that the activities directly conducted by the Fund do not result in the Fund being engaged in a trade or business within in the United States. However, there can be no assurance that the IRS would not successfully assert that the Fund’s activities constitute a U.S. trade or business.
In the event that the Fund’s activities were considered to constitute a U.S. trade or business, the Fund would be required to withhold at the highest rate specified in Code section 1 (currently 35%) on allocations of our income to non-corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders and the highest rate specified in Code section 11(b) on allocations of our income to corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders, when such income is distributed. A Non-U.S. Shareholder with ECI will generally be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return, and the return will provide the Non-U.S. Shareholder with the mechanism to seek a refund of any withholding in excess of such Shareholder’s actual U.S. federal income tax liability. Any amount withheld by the Fund will be treated as a distribution to the Non-U.S.
Shareholder
to the extent possible. In some cases, the Fund may not be able to match the economic cost of satisfying its withholding obligations to a particular Non-U.S. Shareholder, which may result in said cost being borne by the Fund, generally, and accordingly, by all Shareholders.
If the Fund is not treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, a Non-U.S. Shareholder may nevertheless be treated as having FDAP income, which would be subject to a 30% withholding tax (possibly subject to reduction by treaty), with respect to some or all of its distributions from the Fund or its allocable share of Fund income. Amounts withheld on behalf of a Non-U.S. Shareholder will be treated as being distributed to such Shareholder.
To the extent any interest income allocated to a Non-U.S. Shareholder that otherwise constitutes FDAP is considered “portfolio interest,” neither the allocation of such interest income to the non-U.S. Shareholder nor a subsequent distribution of such interest income to the non-U.S. Shareholder will be subject to withholding, provided that the Non-U.S. Shareholder is not otherwise engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. and provides the Fund with a timely and properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form. In general, portfolio interest is interest paid on debt obligations issued in registered form, unless the recipient owns 10% or more of the voting power of the issuer.
The Trust expects that most of the Fund’s interest income will qualify as portfolio interest. In order for the Fund to avoid withholding on any interest income allocable to Non-U.S. Shareholders that would qualify as portfolio interest, it will be necessary for all Non-U.S. Shareholders to provide the Fund with a timely and properly completed and executed Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form).
Gain from Sale of Shares
. Gain from the sale or exchange of Shares may be taxable to a Non-U.S. Shareholder if the Non-U.S. Shareholder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year. In such case, the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% withholding tax on the amount of such individual’s gain.
Prospective Non-U.S. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisor regarding these and other tax issues unique to Non-U.S. Shareholders.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) from payments to: (1) any Shareholder who fails to furnish the Fund with his, her or its correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that the Shareholder is exempt from backup withholding, and (2) any Shareholder with respect to whom the IRS notifies the Fund that the Shareholder is subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and may be returned or credited against a taxpayer’s regular federal income tax liability if appropriate information is provided to the IRS. The backup withholding rate is the fourth lowest rate applicable to individuals under Code section 1(c), and may increase in future tax years.
Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, Shareholders may be subject to other taxes, such as state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, business franchise taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which the Fund does business or owns property or where the Shareholders reside. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective Shareholder should consider their potential impact on its investment in the Fund. It is each Shareholder’s responsibility to file the appropriate U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign tax returns. Sutherland has not provided an opinion concerning any aspects of state, local or foreign tax or U.S. federal tax other than those U.S. federal income
tax issues discussed herein.
Recently enacted legislation that becomes effective after December 31, 2012, generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign financial institutions that fail to enter into an agreement with the United States Treasury to report certain required information with respect to accounts held by U.S. persons (or held by foreign entities that have U.S. persons as substantial owners). The types of income subject to the tax include U.S.-source interest and dividends and the gross proceeds from the sale of any property that could produce U.S.-source interest or dividends. The information required to be reported includes the identity and taxpayer identification number of each account holder that is a U.S. person and transaction activity within the
holder’s account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this legislation also imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments to foreign entities that are not financial institutions unless the foreign entity certifies that it does not have a greater than 10% U.S. owner or provides the withholding agent with identifying information on each greater than 10% U.S. owner. When these provisions become effective, depending on the status of a Non-U.S. Shareholder and the status of the intermediaries through which it holds Shares, a Non-U.S. Shareholder could be subject to this 30% withholding tax with respect to distributions on its Shares and proceeds from the sale of its Shares. Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. Shareholder might be eligible for refund or credit of such taxes
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Investment By ERISA Accounts
General
Most employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or the Code, or both. This section discusses certain considerations that arise under ERISA and the Code that a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan as defined in ERISA or a plan as defined in Section 4975 of the Code who has investment discretion should take into account before deciding to invest the plan’s assets in the Fund. Employee benefit plans under ERISA and plans under the Code are collectively referred to below as “plans,” and fiduciaries with investment discretion are referred to below as “plan fiduciaries.”
This summary is based on the provisions of ERISA and the Code as of the date hereof. This summary is not intended to be complete, but only to address certain questions under ERISA and the Code likely to be raised by your advisors. The summary does not include state or local law.
Potential plan investors are urged to consult with their own professional advisors concerning the appropriateness of an investment in the Fund and the manner in which Shares should be purchased.
Special Investment Considerations
Each plan fiduciary must consider the facts and circumstances that are relevant to an investment in the Fund, including the role that an investment in the Fund would play in the plan’s overall investment portfolio. Each plan fiduciary, before deciding to invest in the Fund, must be satisfied that the investment is prudent for the plan, that the investments of the plan are diversified so as to minimize the risk of large losses, and that an investment in the Fund complies with the terms of the plan.
The Fund and Plan Assets
A regulation issued under ERISA contains rules for determining when an investment by a plan in an equity interest of a statutory trust will result in the underlying assets of the statutory trust being deemed plan assets for purposes of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. Those rules provide that assets of a statutory trust will not be plan assets of a plan that purchases an equity interest in the statutory trust if the equity interest purchased is a publicly-offered security. If the underlying assets of a statutory trust are considered to be assets of any plan for purposes of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, the operations of that trust would be subject to and, in some cases, limited by the provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code.
The publicly-offered security exception described above applies if the equity interest is a security that is:
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(1)
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freely transferable (determined based on the relevant facts and circumstances);
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(2)
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part of a class of securities that is widely held (meaning that the class of securities is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of each other); and
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(3)
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either (a) part of a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act or (b) sold to the plan as part of a public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act and the class of which such security is a part is registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days (or such later time as may be allowed by the SEC) after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer in which the offering of such security occurred.
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The plan asset regulations under ERISA state that the determination of whether a security is freely transferable is to be made based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. In the case of a security that is part of an offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, the following requirements, alone or in combination, ordinarily will not affect a finding that the security is freely transferable: (1) a requirement that no transfer or assignment of the security or rights relating to the security be made that would violate any federal or state law; and (2) a requirement that no transfer or assignment be made without advance written notice given to the entity that issued the security.
The Sponsor believes that the conditions described above are satisfied with respect to the Shares. The Sponsor believes that the Shares therefore constitute publicly-offered securities, and the underlying assets of the Fund should not be considered to constitute plan assets of any plan that purchases Shares.
Prohibited Transactions
ERISA and the Code generally prohibit certain transactions involving a plan and persons who have certain specified relationships to the plan. In general, Shares may not be purchased with the assets of a plan if the Sponsor, the clearing brokers, the trading advisors (if any), or any of their affiliates, agents or employees either:
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exercise any discretionary authority or discretionary control with respect to management of the plan;
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exercise any authority or control with respect to management or disposition of the assets of the plan;
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render investment advice for a fee or other compensation, direct or indirect, with respect to any moneys or other property of the plan;
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have any authority or responsibility to render investment advice with respect to any monies or other property of the plan; or
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have any discretionary authority or discretionary responsibility in the administration of the plan.
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Also, a prohibited transaction may occur under ERISA or the Code when circumstances indicate that (1) the investment in Shares is made or retained for the purpose of avoiding application of the fiduciary standards of ERISA, (2) the investment in Shares constitutes an arrangement under which the Fund is expected to engage in transactions that would otherwise be prohibited if entered into directly by the plan purchasing the Shares, (3) the investing plan, by itself, has the authority or influence to cause the Fund to engage in such transactions, or (4) a person who is prohibited from transacting with the investing plan may, but only with the aid of certain of its affiliates and the investing plan, cause the Fund to engage in such transactions with such person.
Special IRA Rules
IRAs are not subject to ERISA’s fiduciary standards, but are subject to their own rules, including the prohibited transaction rules of Section 4975 of the Code, which generally mirror ERISA’s prohibited transaction rules. For example, IRAs are subject to special custody rules and must maintain a qualifying IRA custodial arrangement separate and distinct from the Fund and its custodial arrangement. If a separate qualifying custodial arrangement is not maintained, an investment in the Shares will be treated as a distribution from the IRA. Second, IRAs are prohibited from investing in certain commingled investments, and the Sponsor makes no representation regarding whether an investment in Shares is an inappropriate commingled investment for an IRA. Third, in
applying the prohibited transaction provisions of Section 4975 of the Code, in addition to the rules summarized above, the individual for whose benefit the IRA is maintained is also treated as the creator of the IRA. For example, if the owner or beneficiary of an IRA enters into any transaction, arrangement, or agreement involving the assets of his or her IRA to benefit the IRA owner or beneficiary (or his or her relatives or business affiliates) personally, or with the understanding that such benefit will occur, directly or indirectly, such transaction could give rise to a prohibited transaction that is not exempted by any available exemption. Moreover, in the case of an IRA, the consequences of a non-exempt prohibited transaction are that the IRA’s assets will be treated as if they were distributed, causing immediate taxation of the assets (including any early distribution penalty tax applicable under Section 72 of the Code), in addition to any other fines
or penalties that may apply.
Exempt Plans
Certain employee benefit plans may be governmental plans or church plans. Governmental plans and church plans are generally not subject to ERISA, nor do the prohibited transaction provisions described above apply to them. These plans are, however, subject to prohibitions against certain related-party transactions under Section 503 of the Code, which are similar to the prohibited transaction rules described above. In addition, the fiduciary of any governmental or church plan must consider any applicable state or local laws and any restrictions and duties of common law imposed upon the plan.
No view is expressed as to whether an investment in the Fund (and any continued investment in the Fund), or the operation and administration of the fund, is appropriate or permissible for any governmental plan or church plan under Code Section 503, or under any state, county, local or other law relating to that type of plan.
Allowing an investment in the Fund is not to be construed as a representation by the Trust, the Fund, the Sponsor, any trading advisor, any clearing broker, the Marketing Agent or legal counsel or other advisors to such parties or any other party that this investment meets some or all of the relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by any particular plan or that this investment is appropriate for any such particular plan. The person with investment discretion should consult with the plan’s attorney and financial advisors as to the propriety of an investment in the Fund in light of the circumstances of the particular plan, current tax law and ERISA.
INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW
This prospectus contains information you should consider when making an investment decision about the Shares. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. None of the Trust, the Fund or the Sponsor has authorized any person to provide you with different information and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
The information contained in this prospectus was obtained from us and other sources believed by us to be reliable.
You should disregard anything we said in an earlier document that is inconsistent with what is included in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. Where the context requires, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to this prospectus and (if applicable) the relevant prospectus supplement.
You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus or the date on the front page of any applicable prospectus supplement.
We include cross references in this prospectus to captions in these materials where you can find further related discussions. The table of contents tells you where to find these captions.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The Trust has filed on behalf of the Fund a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC under the 1933 Act. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement (including the exhibits to the registration statement), parts of which have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about the Trust, the Fund or the Shares, please refer to the registration statement, which you may inspect, without charge, at the public reference facilities of the SEC at the below address or online at www.sec.gov, or obtain at prescribed rates from the public reference facilities of the SEC at the below address. Information about the Trust, the Fund and the Shares can also be obtained from the Fund’s
website, which is
www.teucriumweatfund.com
. The Fund’s website address is only provided here as a convenience to you and the information contained on or connected to the website is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is part. The Trust is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and will file certain reports and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. The Sponsor will file an updated prospectus annually for the Fund pursuant to the 1933 Act. The reports and other information can be inspected at the public reference facilities of the SEC located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549 and online at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of such material from the public reference facilities of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. You
may obtain more information concerning the operation of the public reference facilities of the SEC by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visiting online at
www.sec.gov
.
TEUCRIUM TRADING, LLC — INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
Page
|
|
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
104
|
|
|
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
|
105
|
|
|
Consolidated Statements of Operations
|
106
|
|
|
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Members’ Equity
|
107
|
|
|
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
|
108
|
|
|
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
109
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Members of
Teucrium Trading, LLC
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition of Teucrium Trading, LLC (the “Company”)
as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in members’ equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2010, the period from September 1, 2009 (date of inception) to December 31, 2009, and the period from September 1, 2009 (date of inception) to December 31, 2010. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on
a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall consolidated financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Teucrium Trading, LLC as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the results of its operations, changes in members’ equity, and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2010, the period from September 1, 2009 (date of inception) to December 31, 2009, and the period from September 1, 2009 (date of inception) to December 31, 2010, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ Rothstein, Kass & Company, P.C.
Roseland, New Jersey
March 4, 2011
Teucrium Trading, LLC and Subsidiary
(A Development Stage Company)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
|
|
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
December 31, 2009
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
39,480,493
|
|
|
$
|
847,433
|
|
Commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Interest receivable
|
|
|
5,246
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other assets
|
|
|
12,526
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
Total assets
|
|
$
|
44,676,484
|
|
|
$
|
853,433
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS' EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
$
|
1,149,870
|
|
|
$
|
163,040
|
|
Short-term debt
|
|
|
800,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Collateral, due to broker
|
|
|
1,496,045
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other liabilities
|
|
|
82,217
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
3,528,132
|
|
|
|
163,040
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members' Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members' (deficit) equity
|
|
|
(1,815,487
|
)
|
|
|
740,393
|
|
Less subscription receivable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(50,000
|
)
|
Total Teucrium Trading, LLC members' equity
|
|
|
(1,815,487
|
)
|
|
|
690,393
|
|
Noncontrolling interest
|
|
|
42,963,839
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total members' equity
|
|
|
41,148,352
|
|
|
|
690,393
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities and members' equity
|
|
$
|
44,676,484
|
|
|
$
|
853,433
|
|
See accompanying notes.
Teucrium Trading, LLC and Subsidiary
(A Development Stage Company)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
|
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
From Inception
(September 1, 2009)
through
December 31, 2009
|
|
|
From Inception
(September 1, 2009)
through
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Realized and unrealized gain on trading of commodity futures contracts:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Realized gain on commodity futures contracts
|
|
$
|
3,693,752
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
3,693,752
|
|
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
Interest income
|
|
|
22,049
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
22,049
|
|
Total income
|
|
|
8,894,020
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
8,894,020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional fees
|
|
|
1,882,302
|
|
|
|
816,374
|
|
|
|
2,698,676
|
|
Salaries, wages and benefits
|
|
|
429,286
|
|
|
|
41,118
|
|
|
|
470,404
|
|
Business permits and licenses
|
|
|
276,196
|
|
|
|
117,580
|
|
|
|
393,776
|
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
162,435
|
|
|
|
11,035
|
|
|
|
173,470
|
|
Distribution and marketing
|
|
|
106,877
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
106,877
|
|
Unit-based compensation
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
Custodian's fees and expenses
|
|
|
72,916
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
72,916
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
37,443
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
37,443
|
|
Brokerage commissions
|
|
|
14,763
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
14,763
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
31,699
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
31,699
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total expenses
|
|
|
3,099,917
|
|
|
|
986,107
|
|
|
|
4,086,024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
5,794,103
|
|
|
|
(986,107
|
)
|
|
|
4,807,996
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
|
|
|
8,435,983
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
8,435,983
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss attributable to Teucrium Trading, LLC
|
|
$
|
(2,641,880
|
)
|
|
$
|
(986,107
|
)
|
|
$
|
(3,627,987
|
)
|
See accompanying notes.
TEUCRIUM TRADING, LLC and Subsidiary
(A Development Stage Company)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN MEMBERS' EQUITY
For the period from Inception (September 1, 2009) through December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
Par Unit
|
|
|
Class A
|
|
|
Class B-1
|
|
|
Class B-2
|
|
|
Subscription
|
|
|
|
|
|
Noncontrolling
|
|
|
Members'
|
|
|
|
Units
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
Equity Total
|
|
|
Equity Total
|
|
|
Equity Total
|
|
|
Receivable
|
|
|
Subtotal
|
|
|
Interest
|
|
|
Equity Total
|
|
Balances, at Inception
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
Equity Contributed through Note Conversion:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class B-1 Units - issued October 26, 2009
|
|
|
38.961
|
|
|
|
5,775.01
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
225,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(50,000
|
)
|
|
|
175,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
175,000
|
|
Equity Contributed for Member Interest and Option:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Units - issued August 12, 2009
|
|
|
1,000.000
|
|
|
|
1.50
|
|
|
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,500
|
|
Class B-1 Units - issued October 26, 2009
|
|
|
259.740
|
|
|
|
5,775.01
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,500,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,500,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,500,000
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(882
|
)
|
|
|
(985,225
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(986,107
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(986,107
|
)
|
Balances, December 31, 2009
|
|
|
1,298.701
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
618
|
|
|
|
739,775
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(50,000
|
)
|
|
|
690,393
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
690,393
|
|
Equity Contributed for Member Interest:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class B-2 Units - issued February 11, 2010
|
|
|
100.000
|
|
|
|
860.00
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
Purchase of CORN Units by Noncontrolling Interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
Redemption of CORN Units by Noncontrolling Interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
Receipt of Subscription Receivable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
Net (loss) income – January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,271,459
|
)
|
|
|
(1,157,337
|
)
|
|
|
(213,084
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(2,641,880)
|
|
|
|
8,435,983
|
|
|
|
5,794,103
|
|
Balances, December 31, 2010
|
|
|
1,398.701
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
(1,270,841
|
)
|
|
$
|
(417,562
|
)
|
|
$
|
(127,084
|
)
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
(1,815,487
|
)
|
|
$
|
42,963,839
|
|
|
$
|
41,148,352
|
|
See accompanying notes.
Teucrium Trading, LLC and Subsidiary
(A Development Stage Company)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
|
For the year ended
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
From Inception
(September 1, 2009)
Through December 31, 2009
|
|
|
From Inception
(September 1, 2009)
Through December 31, 2010
|
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
$
|
5,794,103
|
|
|
$
|
(986,107
|
)
|
|
$
|
4,807,996
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
(5,178,219
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,178,219
|
)
|
Unit-based compensation
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,000
|
|
Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest receivable
|
|
|
(5,246
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,246
|
)
|
Other assets
|
|
|
(12,526
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(12,526
|
)
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
(6,000)
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
986,830
|
|
|
|
163,040
|
|
|
|
1,149,870
|
|
Collateral, due to broker
|
|
|
1,496,045
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,496,045
|
|
Other liabilities
|
|
|
12,217
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
12,217
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
|
|
3,185,204
|
|
|
|
(829,067
|
)
|
|
|
2,356,137
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flow from Financing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from short-term debt
|
|
|
800,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
800,000
|
|
Proceeds from other liabilities
|
|
|
70,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
70,000
|
|
Proceeds from subscription receivable
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
Purchase of units by noncontrolling interest
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
Redemption of units by noncontrolling interest
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
Proceeds from convertible debt
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
175,000
|
|
|
|
175,000
|
|
Proceeds from sale of member equity and option
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,501,500
|
|
|
|
1,501,500
|
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
35,447,856
|
|
|
|
1,676,500
|
|
|
|
37,124,356
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
38,633,060
|
|
|
|
847,433
|
|
|
|
39,480,493
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
|
|
847,433
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
|
|
$
|
39,480,493
|
|
|
$
|
847,433
|
|
|
$
|
39,480,493
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-cash transactions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conversion of debt into members' equity (including $50,000 which was received by the Company in 2010)
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
225,000
|
|
|
$
|
225,000
|
|
See accompanying notes.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Operation
Teucrium Trading, LLC, (the “Company”), a Delaware limited liability company, formed on July 28, 2009 and began operations on September 1, 2009. The principal office is located at 232 Hidden Lake Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. The Company is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and became a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”) on November 10, 2009.
The Company is solely responsible for the management and conducts or directs the conduct of the business of the Teucrium Commodity Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, and any other series of the Trust that may from time to time be established and designated by the Company. The Teucrium Corn Fund (“CORN”) is the first commodity pool that is a series of the Trust. Registration statements have also been filed to register units of the Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund (“CRUD”), Teucrium Natural Gas Fund (“NAGS”), Teucrium Sugar Fund (“CANE”), Teucrium Soybean Fund (“SOYB”), and Teucrium Wheat Fund (“WEAT”), (collectively “the Funds”) which would represent additional future series of the Trust. The Trust
and the Funds operate pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”). On October 22, 2010, the Forms S-1 for NAGS and CRUD were declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and as of December 31, 2010, NAGS and CRUD were awaiting listing authority from the SEC.
The Company is required to oversee the purchase and sale of Shares by Authorized Purchasers
(
one that purchases or redeems creation baskets or redemption baskets, respectively, from or to CORN), and to manage CORN’s investments, including to evaluate the credit risk of futures commission merchants and swap counterparties and to review daily positions and margin/collateral requirements.
The Company has the power to enter into agreements as may be necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of CORN’s units and the conduct of the Trust’s activities.
On June 5, 2010, CORN’s initial registration of 30,000,000 shares on Form S-1 was declared effective by the SEC. On June 9, 2010, CORN listed its shares on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “CORN”. On the day prior to that, CORN issued 200,000 shares in exchange for $5,000,000 at the Fund’s initial net asset value (“NAV”) of $25 per share. CORN also commenced investment operations on June 9, 2010 by purchasing commodity futures contracts traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”). On December 31, 2010, CORN had a total of 1,100,004 shares outstanding.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the Company and the Trust. All material inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidation. The consolidated financial statements of the Company also include the noncontrolling interests of the unit holders in the Funds.
Noncontrolling Interests
The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the noncontrolling interests of the unitholders in the Funds. Net income and loss is allocated between the Company and the noncontrolling interests based on their respective relative ownership interest in the Funds.
Development Stage Company
The Company has been classified as a development stage enterprise. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 915, “Development Stage Entities.” A development-stage enterprise is one in which planned principal operations have not commenced or if its operations have commenced, there has been no significant revenues there from.
Revenue Recognition
Commodity futures contracts are recorded on the trade date. All such transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis and marked to market daily. Unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts are reflected in the statement of operations as the difference between the original contract amount and the market value (as determined by exchange settlement prices) as of the last business day of the year or as of the last date of the financial statements. Changes in the appreciation or depreciation between periods are reflected in the statement of operations. CORN earns interest on its assets denominated in U.S. dollars on deposit with the futures commission merchant at a rate equal to 85% of the overnight of Federal Funds Rate. In addition, CORN earns interest on funds held
at the custodian at prevailing market rates for such investments.
Brokerage Commissions
Brokerage commissions on all open commodity futures contracts are accrued on a full-turn basis.
Creations and Redemptions
Authorized purchasers purchase creation baskets of CORN only in blocks of 100,000 units equal to the net asset value of the units calculated shortly after the close of the core trading session on the NYSE Arca on the day the order is placed. Authorized purchasers redeem units from CORN only in blocks of 100,000 units called “Redemption Baskets”. The amount of the redemption proceeds for a Redemption Basket will be equal to the net asset value of the Fund’s units in the Redemption Basket as of the end of each business day.
CORN will receive or pay the proceeds from units sold or redeemed within three business days after the trade-date of the purchase or redemption. The amounts due from authorized purchasers will be reflected in CORN’s statement of financial condition as receivables for units sold, and amounts payable to authorized purchasers upon redemption are reflected as payable for units redeemed.
Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Income Taxes
The Company does not record a provision for income taxes because the partners report their share of the Company’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The financial statements reflect the Company’s transactions without adjustment, if any, required for income tax purposes.
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 740-10, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,” the Company is required to determine whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities for all tax years since inception. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent
likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. De-recognition of a tax benefit previously recognized results in the Company recording a tax liability that reduces net assets. Based on its analysis, the Company has determined that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2010. However, the Company’s conclusions regarding this policy may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analysis of and changes to tax laws, regulations, and interpretations thereof.
The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax fees payable, if assessed. No interest expense or penalties have been recognized as of and for the periods ending December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2010.
The Company may be subject to potential examination by U.S. federal, U.S. state, or foreign jurisdictional authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions, and compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
Offering Costs
The Company expenses all initial offering costs associated with the registration of the Funds. Costs include, but are not limited to, legal fees pertaining to the Funds’ units offered for sale, SEC and state registration fees, initial fees paid to be listed on an exchange and underwriting and other similar costs. The initial offering and organization costs incurred to start the Funds will be borne by the Company and not be charged to the Funds. Approximately $987,000 of accrued legal expenses related to the initial offerings costs as of December 31, 2010 have been included in the accrued expenses of the consolidated statements of financial condition.
Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are highly-liquid investments with original maturity dates of three months or less. The Company reported its cash equivalents in the consolidated statements of financial condition at market value, or at carrying amounts that approximate fair value, because of their highly-liquid nature and short-term maturities. The Company has a substantial portion of its assets on deposit with banks. Assets deposited with the bank may, at times, exceed federally insured limits of $250,000. The Company had a balance of $39,484,450 and $183,167 in money market funds at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively; these balances are included in cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated statements of financial condition.
Collateral, Due from/to Broker
Margin is the minimum amount of funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest trader with the trader’s broker to initiate and maintain an open position in futures contracts. A margin deposit acts to assure the trader’s performance of the futures contracts purchased or sold. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on initial margin that represents a very small percentage (ranging upward from less than 2%) of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract. Because of such low margin requirements, price fluctuations occurring in the futures markets may create profits and losses that, in relation to the amount invested, are greater than are customary in other forms of investment or speculation. As discussed below, adverse price changes in the futures contract may result in margin
requirements that greatly exceed the initial margin. In addition, the amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set from time to time by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract. Brokerage firms, such as the Company’s clearing brokers, carrying accounts for traders in commodity interest contracts generally require higher amounts of margin as a matter of policy to further protect themselves. Over-the-counter trading generally involves the extension of credit between counterparties, so the counterparties may agree to require the posting of collateral by one or both parties to address credit exposure.
When a trader purchases an option, there is no margin requirement; however, the option premium must be paid in full. When a trader sells an option, on the other hand, he or she is required to deposit margin in an amount determined by the margin requirements established for the underlying interest and, in addition, an amount substantially equal to the current premium for the option. The margin requirements imposed on the selling of options, although adjusted to reflect the probability that out-of-the-money options will not be exercised, can in fact be higher than those imposed in dealing in the futures markets directly. Complicated margin requirements apply to spreads and conversions, which are complex trading strategies in which a trader acquires a mixture of options positions and positions in the underlying
interest.
Ongoing or “maintenance” margin requirements are computed each day by a trader’s clearing broker. When the market value of a particular open futures contract changes to a point where the margin on deposit does not satisfy maintenance margin requirements, a margin call is made by the broker. If the margin call is not met within a reasonable time, the broker may close out the trader’s position. With respect to the Company’s trading, the Company’s funds (and not its shareholders personally) are subject to margin calls.
Finally, many major U.S. exchanges have passed certain cross margining arrangements involving procedures pursuant to which the futures and options positions held in an account would, in the case of some accounts, be aggregated and margin requirements would be assessed on a portfolio basis, measuring the total risk of the combined positions.
Valuation of Financial Instruments at Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy
In accordance with GAAP, fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
In determining fair value, the Company uses various valuation approaches. In accordance with GAAP, a fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
Level 1
- Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not applied to Level 1 securities. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2
- Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3 -
Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors including, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Those estimated values do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized due to the occurrence of future circumstances that cannot be reasonably determined. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used
had a ready market for the securities existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for securities categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Company’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The Company uses prices and inputs that are current as of the measurement date, including periods of market dislocation. In periods of market dislocation, the observability of prices and inputs may be reduced for many securities. This condition could cause a security to be reclassified to a lower level within the fair value hierarchy. The Company’s adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on its consolidated financial
position, results of operations or liquidity.
Note 3 – Fair Value Measurements
The Company’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Company’s significant accounting policies in Note 2.
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009:
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quoted Prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
in Active
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Markets for
|
|
|
other
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
Identical
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
as of
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
Levels 1
|
|
|
Level 2
|
|
|
Level 3
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
39,484,450
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
39,484,450
|
|
Futures contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
44,662,669
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
44,662,669
|
|
December 31, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quoted Prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
in Active
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Markets for
|
|
|
other
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
Identical
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
as of
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
Levels 1
|
|
|
Level 2
|
|
|
Level 3
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
183,167
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
183,167
|
|
Note 4 -Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
In the normal course of business, CORN utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. CORN’s derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: interest rate, credit, commodity price, and equity price risks. In addition to its primary underlying risks, CORN is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. For the period ended December 31, 2010, CORN had invested only in corn commodity futures contracts.
Futures Contracts
CORN is subject to commodity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
The purchase and sale of futures contracts requires margin deposits with a Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”). Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by CORN each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded as unrealized gains or losses by CORN. Futures contracts may reduce CORN’s exposure to counterparty risk since futures contracts are exchange-traded; and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.
The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM's proprietary activities. A customer's cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to CORN’s pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.
The following tables identify the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as commodity futures contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, at December 31, 2010. Balances are presented on a gross basis, prior to the application of the impact of counterparty and collateral netting. Total derivative assets and liabilities are adjusted on an aggregate basis to take into consideration the effects of master netting arrangements and have been reduced by the application of cash collateral receivables and payables with its counterparties. The following tables also identify the net gain and loss amounts included in the consolidated statement of operations as realized and unrealized gain on trading of commodity futures contracts,
categorized by primary underlying risk, for the period ended December 31, 2010.
At December 31, 2010, the fair values of derivative instruments were as follows:
Primary Underlying Risk
|
|
Asset Derivatives
|
|
Commodity Price
|
|
|
|
Futures Contracts
|
|
$
|
5,178,219
|
|
The following is a summary of realized and unrealized gains and losses of the derivative instruments utilized by CORN from commencement of operations (June 9, 2010) to December 31, 2010:
|
|
Realized Gain on
|
|
|
Net Change in Unrealized Gain
|
|
Primary Underlying Risk
|
|
Derivative Instruments
|
|
|
on Derivative Instruments
|
|
Commodity Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Futures Contracts
|
|
$
|
3,693,752
|
|
|
$
|
5,178,219
|
|
Volume of Derivative Activities
At December 31, 2010, the notional amounts and number of contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, are as follows:
|
|
Long exposure
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notional
|
|
|
Number
|
|
Primary underlying risk
|
|
amounts
|
|
|
of contracts
|
|
Commodity price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Futures contracts
|
|
$
|
42,979,000
|
|
|
|
1,411
|
|
Note 5 – Capitalization (including debt)
The Company is authorized to issue equity interests in the Company designated as "membership units" which shall constitute "membership interests" and shall initially include Class A units, Class B-1 units and Class B-2 units. Class A Units are granted the right to vote on all matters regarding management and members. The voting rights granted to Class B units are limited to matters requiring a majority vote of Class A units, including but not limited to, dissolution.
Ownership or “membership” interests in the Company are owned by persons referred to as “members.” The Company currently has three voting or “Class A” members – Mr. Sal Gilbertie, Mr. Dale Riker and Mr. Carl N. Miller III – and a small number of non-voting or “Class B” members who have provided working capital to the Company. Messrs. Gilbertie and Riker each currently own 45% of the Company’s Class A membership interests.
The members (acting by a majority vote of the Class A members) are authorized, by resolution or resolutions, to create and to issue, on behalf of the Company, different classes, groups or series of membership units and to fix for each such class, group or series such voting powers (full or limited or no voting powers), and such distinctive designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions as determined by the members (acting by a majority vote of the Class A members) in exchange for contributions of cash or property, the provision of services or such other consideration, as may be determined by the members (acting by a majority vote of the Class A members). Each membership unit of a class of membership units shall be identical
in all respects to each other membership unit of such class. All membership units may be issued as fractional units.
The Company entered into convertible notes on September 28, 2009 for $225,000, and the note holders have rights to convert for 3% interest in the Company. On October 28, 2009, the note holders converted $225,000, including $50,000 which had not been received by the Company. Due primarily to the short-term nature of the convertible notes, the Company has determined that the bifurcation of the convertible debt would not have had a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In August 2010, the Company received the $50,000 that was previously included in subscription receivable.
During the period from inception (September 1, 2009) through December 31, 2009, GFI Group LLC contributed $1,500,000 in cash in connection with its interest in the Company through Class B-1 units and an option agreement. The Company granted GFI Group LLC the right and option to purchase that number of Class B-1 units of the Company representing the Percentage Interest in the Company at the exercise price shown below (the “Option”):
-Percentage Interest subject to Option: Up to 5%
-Exercise Price: $2,500,000 per each two and one-half percent (2.5%) (the “Incremental Exercise Percentage”) Percentage Interest, for an aggregate exercise price of $5,000,000.
-The Option shall become vested and exercisable in full as of the date of grant.
-The Option shall expire and cease to be exercisable upon the five-year anniversary of the date the option was granted, October 28, 2009.
On June 7, 2010, the Company entered into a debt agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with GFI Group LLC. Under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company borrowed $800,000 for a one year term at an annual
interest rate of 8.25%. The payment of principal and interest is due at maturity and is subject to optional prepayment by the Company at any time without premium or penalty. The Loan Agreement is collateralized by substantially all of the current and future assets of the Company.
In connection with the execution of the Loan Agreement, the terms of the Option Agreement were modified to allow GFI Group LLC to purchase that number of Class B-1 units of the Company representing the Percentage Interest in the Company at the exercise price shown below (the “Modified Option”):
-Percentage Interest subject to the Modified Option: Up to 5%
-Exercise Price: $2,100,000 per each two and one-half percent (2.5%) Incremental Exercise Percentage Interest for an aggregate exercise price of $4,200,000.
The Company determined that modification of the Option Agreement did not change the de minimis value of the Option.
Note 6 — Unit-Based Compensation
In February 2010, the Company issued 100 units of Class B-2 shares to a small number of non-employee individuals representing 7% of the total collective Company membership interests. The Class B-2 shares were awarded based on services. The Class B-2 shares generally have the same rights as Class B-1 shares; however in the event of termination, the Class B-2 shares are subordinate to Class B-1 shares regarding any distributions. The Class B-2 shares are redeemable at the sole option of the Company at a predetermined price of $1,000,000 per 1% of collective membership interests represented by the Class B-2 shares.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, $86,000 of unit-based compensation expense representing the estimated fair value of the Class B-2 shares issued is included on the statement of operations. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 505, “Equity,” the Company determined the fair value of the Class B-2 shares issued based on recent similar transactions, the financial condition and book value of the Company at the time of issuance, and the respective rights of the Class B-2 shares versus the other classes of membership interests.
Note 7 — Related Party Transactions
The Riker Group has invoiced $240,000 and $100,000 for professional services rendered by Dale Riker for the periods ended December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively; of which $20,000 is included in the accrued expenses balance on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009.
Gilbertie Herb Farm was paid $9,000 for rent for the period September 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. Prepaid expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition included prepaid rent of $6,000 at December 31, 2009.
Note 8 — Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2009, the FASB issued the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) and a new Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles which establishes only two levels of GAAP: authoritative and nonauthoritative. The Codification is now the source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP, except for rules and interpretive releases of the SEC, which are additional sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. All other nongrandfathered, non-SEC accounting literature not included in the Codification will become nonauthoritative. The Codification is effective for financial statements for interim or annual reporting periods ending after
September 15, 2009. The Company adopted the new guidelines and numbering system prescribed by the Codification when referring to GAAP for the year ended December 31, 2009. The application of the Codification did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements; however, all references to authoritative accounting literature will now be references in accordance with the Codification.
In August 2009, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2009-05, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) – Measuring Liabilities at Fair Value,” to amend FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” to provide guidance on the measurement of liabilities at fair value. The guidance provides clarification that in circumstances in which a quoted market price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, an entity is required to measure fair value using a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of an identical liability when traded as an asset or, if unavailable, quoted prices for similar liabilities or similar assets when traded as assets. If none of this information is available, an entity should use a
valuation technique in accordance with existing fair valuation principles. The Company adopted the guidance for the year ended December 31, 2009, and there was no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or related footnotes.
In December 2009, the FASB issued ASU 2009-17, “Consolidations (FASB ASC Topic 810) - Improvements to Financial Reporting by Enterprises Involved with Variable Interest Entities,” which codifies FASB Statement No. 167, Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R). ASU 2009-17 represents a revision to former FASB Interpretation No. 46 (Revised December 2003), “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities,” and changes how a reporting entity determines when an entity that is insufficiently capitalized or is not controlled through voting (or similar rights) should be consolidated. The determination of whether a reporting entity is required to consolidate another entity is based on, among other things, the other entity’s purpose and design and the reporting entity’s
ability to direct the activities of the other entity that most significantly impact the other entity’s economic performance. ASU 2009-17 also requires a reporting entity to provide additional disclosures about its involvement with variable interest entities and any significant changes in risk exposure due to that involvement. A reporting entity will be required to disclose how its involvement with a variable interest entity affects the reporting entity’s financial statements. ASU 2009-17 is effective at the start of a reporting entity’s first fiscal year beginning after November 15, 2009, or the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2010. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2010 with no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-06, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) - Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements,” to require new disclosures related to transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy and additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements. The guidance also clarifies existing fair value measurement disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The additional disclosure requirements are effective for the first reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements, which are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. The
Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2010 with no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Note 9 - Financial Highlights - Fund
The following table presents per unit performance data and other supplemental financial data for CORN for the period June 9, 2010 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2010. This information has been derived from information presented in the financial statements.
Per Share Operation Performance
|
|
|
|
Net asset value at beginning of period
|
|
$
|
25.00
|
|
Income from investment operations:
|
|
|
|
|
Investment income
|
|
|
.04
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain on commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
14.84
|
|
Total expenses
|
|
|
(0.82
|
)
|
Net increase in net asset value
|
|
|
14.06
|
|
Net asset value end of period
|
|
$
|
39.06
|
|
Total Return
|
|
|
56.24
|
%
|
Ratios to Average Net Assets (Annualized)
|
|
|
|
|
Total expense
|
|
|
3.50
|
%
|
Net investment loss
|
|
|
(3.30
|
)%
|
Total returns are calculated based on the change in value during the period. An individual shareholder’s total return and ratio may vary from the above total returns and ratios based on the timing of contributions to and withdrawals from the Fund. The ratios, excluding non-recurring expenses, have been annualized.
Note 10 - Subsequent Events
On February 4, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with GFI Group LLC, in which GFI Group LLC purchased an additional interest in the Company through Class B-1 units. GFI Group LLC provided cash of $1,156,422 and converted the principal balance of the Company’s $800,000 borrowing and accrued interest through the date of signing of $43,578 as payment for 217.2195 Class B-1 units. GFI Group LLC received the right to convert $400,000 of their additional investment into a loan, should specific agreement objectives not be achieved by February 4, 2012. The issuance of the $400,000 loan upon conversion would not result in a decrease in GFI Group LLC’s ownership interest. The Company received an additional equity contribution of $70,000 at the same terms and on the same date as the GFI Group LLC
agreement.
From January 1, 2011 through March 4, 2011, seven creation baskets for CORN were issued totaling a net addition to the Fund of 700,000 shares and $29,035,708. On January 31, 2011, NAGS had four creation baskets issued representing 200,000 shares and $5,000,000. NAGS began trading on the NYSE Arca on February 1, 2011. On February 23, 2011, one redemption basket for NAGS was issued representing 50,000 shares and $1,131,332. On February 10, 2011, CRUD received listing authority on the NYSE Arca. On February 22, 2011, four creation baskets for CRUD were issued representing 100,000 shares and $5,000,000. CRUD began trading on the NYSE Arca on February 23, 2011.
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST — INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
|
Page
|
|
|
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
|
120
|
|
|
|
Statements of Assets and Liabilities
|
|
121
|
|
|
|
Schedule of Investments
|
|
122
|
|
|
|
Statement of Operations
|
|
123
|
|
|
|
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
|
|
124
|
|
|
|
Statement of Cash Flows
|
|
125
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements
|
|
126
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Sponsor of
Teucrium Commodity Trust
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of Teucrium Commodity Trust (the “Trust”) as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, including the schedule of investments as of December 31, 2010, and the related statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows for the period from June 9, 2010 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2010. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Teucrium Commodity Trust as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the results of its operations, changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the period from June 9, 2010 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2010, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ Rothstein, Kass & Company, P.C.
Roseland, New Jersey
March 4, 2011
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
|
|
December 31, 2010
|
|
|
December 31, 2009
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity in BNY Mellon trading accounts:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
39,311,038
|
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
Commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
-
|
|
Interest receivable
|
|
|
5,246
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other assets
|
|
|
12,526
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
44,507,029
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Collateral, due to broker
|
|
|
1,496,045
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Management fee payable to Sponsor
|
|
|
34,328
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other liabilities
|
|
|
12,217
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
1,542,590
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets
|
|
$
|
42,964,439
|
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
See accompanying notes.
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2010
|
|
Fair
|
|
|
Percentage of
|
|
|
Notional
|
|
Description
|
|
Value
|
|
|
Net Assets
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
United States Corn Futures Contracts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CBOT Corn Futures (472 contracts, settlement date May 31, 2011)
|
|
$
|
2,215,475
|
|
|
|
5.15
|
%
|
|
$
|
15,021,400
|
|
CBOT Corn Futures (403 contracts, settlement date July 14, 2011)
|
|
|
824,538
|
|
|
|
1.92
|
|
|
|
12,896,000
|
|
CBOT Corn Futures (536 contracts, settlement date Dec. 14, 2011)
|
|
|
2,138,206
|
|
|
|
4.98
|
|
|
|
15,061,600
|
|
|
|
$
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
|
12.05
|
%
|
|
$
|
42,979,000
|
|
See accompanying notes.
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
|
|
From commencement of
|
|
|
|
operations (June 9, 2010)
|
|
|
|
through December 31, 2010
|
|
Income
|
|
|
|
Realized and unrealized gain on trading of commodity futures contracts:
|
|
|
|
Realized gain on commodity futures contracts
|
|
$
|
3,693,752
|
|
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
Interest income
|
|
|
20,670
|
|
Total income
|
|
|
8,892,641
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses
|
|
|
|
|
Professional fees
|
|
|
127,050
|
|
Brokerage commissions
|
|
|
14,763
|
|
Custodian's fees and expenses
|
|
|
72,916
|
|
Distribution and marketing fee
|
|
|
106,877
|
|
Management fee
|
|
|
103,353
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
31,699
|
|
Total expenses
|
|
|
456,658
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
$
|
8,435,983
|
|
See accompanying notes.
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
|
|
From commencement of
|
|
|
|
operations (June 9, 2010)
|
|
|
|
through December 31, 2010
|
|
Operations
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
$
|
8,435,983
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital transactions
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of 1,100,000 Shares
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
Redemption of 200,000 Shares
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
Cash proceeds for future series
|
|
|
500
|
|
Total capital transactions
|
|
|
34,528,356
|
|
Net change in net assets
|
|
|
42,964,339
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, beginning of period
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period
|
|
$
|
42,964,439
|
|
See accompanying notes.
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
|
|
From commencement of
|
|
|
|
operations (June 9, 2010)
|
|
|
|
through December 31, 2010
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities:
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
$
|
8,435,983
|
|
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts
|
|
|
(5,178,219
|
)
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
Interest receivable
|
|
|
(5,246
|
)
|
Other assets
|
|
|
(12,526
|
)
|
Collateral, due to broker
|
|
|
1,496,045
|
|
Management fee payable to Sponsor
|
|
|
34,328
|
|
Other liabilities
|
|
|
12,217
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
|
4,782,582
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of Shares
|
|
|
39,891,098
|
|
Redemption of Shares
|
|
|
(5,363,242
|
)
|
Proceeds from sale of future Trust series
|
|
|
500
|
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
34,528,356
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
39,310,938
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
|
|
100
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
|
|
$
|
39,311,038
|
|
See accompanying notes.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 – Organization and Operation
Teucrium Commodity Trust (“Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust organized on September 11, 2009, and is a series trust. The Teucrium Corn Fund (“CORN”) is the first commodity pool that is a series of the Trust, and as of June 9, 2010 shares of CORN may be purchased and sold on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. Registration statements have also been filed to register units of the Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund (“CRUD”), Teucrium Natural Gas Fund (“NAGS”), Teucrium Sugar Fund (“CANE”), Teucrium Soybean Fund (“SOYB”), and Teucrium Wheat Fund (“WEAT”), (collectively “the Funds”) which would represent additional future series of the Trust. On October 22, 2010, the Forms S-1 for NAGS and CRUD
were declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and as of December 31, 2010 NAGS and CRUD were awaiting listing authority from the SEC. CORN issues common units, called the “Shares,” representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in the Fund. The Trust and the Fund operate pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”).
The investment objective of CORN is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the Shares’ Net Asset Value (“NAV”) reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three futures contracts for corn (“Corn Futures Contracts”) that are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”), specifically (1) the second-to-expire CBOT Corn Futures Contract, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Corn Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Corn Futures Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of the third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%, less the Fund’s expenses. (This weighted average of the three referenced Corn Futures Contracts is referred to herein as the
“Benchmark,” and the three Corn Futures Contracts that at any given time make up the Benchmark are referred to herein as the “Benchmark Component Futures Contracts.”)
CORN commenced investment operations on June 9, 2010 and has a fiscal year ending on December 31. CORN’s sponsor is Teucrium Trading, LLC (the “Sponsor”). The Sponsor is responsible for the management of the Fund. The Sponsor is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”) and became a commodity pool operator registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) effective November 10, 2009.
On June 5, 2010, CORN’s initial registration of 30,000,000 shares on Form S-1 was declared effective by the SEC. On June 9, 2010, CORN listed its shares on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “CORN”. On the day prior to that, the Fund issued 200,000 shares in exchange for $5,000,000 at the Fund’s initial NAV of $25 per share. CORN also commenced investment operations on June 9, 2010 by purchasing commodity futures contracts traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”). As of December 31, 2010, CORN had a total of 1,100,004 shares outstanding.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The financial statements include the accounts of the Trust, CORN and the other Funds. For the period ended December 31, 2010, the operations of the Trust consist entirely of the operations of CORN, which commenced operations on June 9, 2010.
Revenue Recognition
Commodity futures contracts are recorded on the trade date. All such transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis and marked to market daily. Unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures contracts are reflected in the statement of operations as the difference between the original contract amount and the market value (as determined by exchange settlement prices) as of the last business day of the year or as of the last date of the financial statements. Changes in the appreciation or depreciation between periods are reflected in the statement of operations. CORN earns interest on its assets denominated in U.S. dollars on deposit with the futures commission merchant at a rate equal to 85% of the overnight of Federal Funds Rate. In addition, CORN earns interest on funds held
at the custodian at prevailing market rates for such investments.
Brokerage Commissions
Brokerage commissions on all open commodity futures contracts are accrued on a full-turn basis.
Income Taxes
The Funds do not record a provision for income taxes because the partners report their share of a Fund’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The financial statements reflect the Funds’ transactions without adjustment, if any, required for income tax purposes.
In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 740-10, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,” the Funds are required to determine whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. The Funds file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. The Funds are subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities for all tax years since inception. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of
benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. De-recognition of a tax benefit previously recognized results in the Funds recording a tax liability that reduces net assets. Based on their analysis, the Funds have determined that they have not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2010. However, the Funds’ conclusions regarding this policy may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analysis of and changes to tax laws, regulations, and interpretations thereof.
The Funds recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax fees payable, if assessed. No interest expense or penalties have been recognized as of and for the periods ending December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2010.
The Funds may be subject to potential examination by U.S. federal, U.S. state, or foreign jurisdictional authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions, and compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws. The Funds’ management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
Creations and Redemptions
Authorized Purchasers may purchase creation baskets consisting of 100,000 shares from CORN as of the beginning of each business day based upon the prior day’s net asset value. Authorized Purchasers may redeem shares from CORN only in blocks of 100,000 shares called “redemption baskets”. The amount of the redemption proceeds for a redemption basket will be equal to the net asset value of the shares in the redemption basket determined as of 4:00 p.m. New York Time on the day the order to redeem the basket is properly received.
CORN receives or pays the proceeds from shares sold or redeemed within three business days after the trade date of the purchase or redemption. The amounts due from Authorized Purchasers are reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities as receivable for shares sold and amounts payable to Authorized Purchasers upon redemption is reflected as payable for shares redeemed.
Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are highly-liquid investments with original maturity dates of three months or less at inception. The Trust reported its cash equivalents in the statements of assets and liabilities at market value, or at carrying amounts that approximate fair value, because of their highly-liquid nature and short-term maturities. The Trust has a substantial portion of its assets on deposit with banks. Assets deposited with the bank may, at times, exceed federally insured limits. The Trust had a balance of $39,310,538 and $0 in money market funds at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively; these balances are included in cash and cash equivalents on the statements of assets and liabilities.
Collateral, Due from/to Broker
Margin is the minimum amount of funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest trader with the trader’s broker to initiate and maintain an open position in futures contracts. A margin deposit acts to assure the trader’s performance of the futures contracts purchased or sold. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on initial margin that represents a very small percentage (ranging upward from less than 2%) of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract. Because of such low margin requirements, price fluctuations occurring in the futures markets may create profits and losses that, in relation to the amount invested, are greater than are customary in other forms of investment or speculation. As discussed below, adverse price changes in the futures contract may result in margin
requirements that greatly exceed the initial margin. In addition, the amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set from time to time by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract. Brokerage firms, such as CORN’s clearing brokers, carrying accounts for traders in commodity interest contracts generally require higher amounts of margin as a matter of policy to further protect themselves. Over-the-counter trading generally involves the extension of credit between counterparties, so the counterparties may agree to require the posting of collateral by one or both parties to address credit exposure.
When a trader purchases an option, there is no margin requirement; however, the option premium must be paid in full. When a trader sells an option, on the other hand, he or she is required to deposit margin in an amount determined by the margin requirements established for the underlying interest and, in addition, an amount substantially equal to the current premium for the option. The margin requirements imposed on the selling of options, although adjusted to reflect the probability that out-of-the-money options will not be exercised, can in fact be higher than those imposed in dealing in the futures markets directly. Complicated margin requirements apply to spreads and conversions, which are complex trading strategies in which a trader acquires a mixture of options positions and positions in the underlying
interest.
Ongoing or “maintenance” margin requirements are computed each day by a trader’s clearing broker. When the market value of a particular open futures contract changes to a point where the margin on deposit does not satisfy maintenance margin requirements, a margin call is made by the broker. If the margin call is not met within a reasonable time, the broker may close out the trader’s position. With respect to CORN’s trading, CORN’s funds (and not its shareholders personally) are subject to margin calls.
Finally, many major U.S. exchanges have passed certain cross margining arrangements involving procedures pursuant to which the futures and options positions held in an account would, in the case of some accounts, be aggregated and margin requirements would be assessed on a portfolio basis, measuring the total risk of the combined positions.
Sponsor Fee
The Sponsor is responsible for investing the assets of CORN in accordance with the objectives and policies of the Teucrium Corn Fund. In addition, the Sponsor arranges for one or more third parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to the Trust and CORN. For these services, CORN is contractually obligated to pay a monthly management fee to the Sponsor, based on average daily net assets, at a rate equal to 1.00% per annum on average net assets. CORN pays for all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, including licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, registration or other fees paid to the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers, or any other regulatory
agency in connection with the offer and sale of subsequent Shares after its initial registration and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated therewith. CORN also pays the fees and expenses associated with the Trust’s tax accounting and reporting requirements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of the revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Valuation of Financial Instruments at Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy
In accordance with GAAP, fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
In determining fair value, the Trust uses various valuation approaches. In accordance with GAAP, a fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust. Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
Level 1
- Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not applied to Level 1 securities. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2
- Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3 -
Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors including, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Those estimated values do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized due to the occurrence of future circumstances that cannot be reasonably determined. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used
had a ready market for the securities existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Fund in determining fair value is greatest for securities categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Trust’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The Trust uses prices and inputs that are current as of the measurement date, including periods of market dislocation. In periods of market dislocation, the observability of prices and inputs may be reduced for many securities. This condition could cause a security to be reclassified to a lower level within the fair value hierarchy.
Note 3 – Fair Value Measurements
The Trust’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Trust’s significant accounting policies in Note 2.
The following table presents information about the Trust’s assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2010:
December 31, 2010
|
|
Quoted Prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
in Active
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Markets for
|
|
|
other
|
|
|
Significant
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
Identical
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
Observable
|
|
|
as of
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
Inputs
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
Levels 1
|
|
|
Level 2
|
|
|
Level 3
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
39,310,538
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
39,310,538
|
|
Futures Contracts
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5,178,219
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
44,488,757
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
44,488,757
|
|
Note 4 -Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
In the normal course of business, CORN utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. CORN’s derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: interest rate, credit, commodity price, and equity price risks. In addition to its primary underlying risks, CORN is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. For the period ending December 31, 2010, CORN had invested only in corn commodity futures contracts.
Futures Contracts
CORN is subject to commodity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
The purchase and sale of futures contracts requires margin deposits with a Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”). Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by CORN each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded as unrealized gains or losses by CORN. Futures contracts may reduce CORN’s exposure to counterparty risk since futures contracts are exchange-traded; and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.
The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM's proprietary activities. A customer's cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to CORN’s pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.
The following tables identify the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the statement of assets and liabilities as derivative contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, at December 31, 2010. Balances are presented on a gross basis, prior to the application of the impact of counterparty and collateral netting. Total derivative assets and liabilities are adjusted on an aggregate basis to take into consideration the effects of master netting arrangements and have been reduced by the application of cash collateral receivables and payables with its counterparties. The following tables also identify the net gain and loss amounts included in the statement of operations as realized and unrealized gain on trading of commodity futures contracts, categorized by primary
underlying risk, for the period ended December 31, 2010.
At December 31, 2010, the fair value of derivative instruments were as follows:
Primary Underlying Risk
|
|
Asset Derivatives
|
|
Commodity Price
|
|
|
|
Futures Contracts
|
|
$
|
5,178,219
|
|
The following is a summary of realized and unrealized gains and losses of the derivative instruments utilized by CORN from commencement of operations (June 9, 2010) to December 31, 2010:
|
|
Realized Gain on
|
|
|
Net Change in Unrealized Gain
|
|
Primary Underlying Risk
|
|
Derivative Instruments
|
|
|
on Derivative Instruments
|
|
Commodity Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Futures Contracts
|
|
$
|
3,693,752
|
|
|
$
|
5,178,219
|
|
Volume of Derivative Activities
At December 31, 2010, the notional amounts and number of contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, are as follows:
|
|
Long exposure
|
|
|
|
Notional
|
|
|
Number
|
|
Primary underlying risk
|
|
amounts
|
|
|
of contracts
|
|
Commodity price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Futures contracts
|
|
$
|
42,979,000
|
|
|
|
1,411
|
|
Note 5 – Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2009, the FASB issued the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) and a new Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles which establishes only two levels of GAAP: authoritative and nonauthoritative. The Codification is now the source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP, except for rules and interpretive releases of the SEC, which are additional sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. All other nongrandfathered, non-SEC accounting literature not included in the Codification will become nonauthoritative. The Codification is effective for financial statements for interim or annual reporting periods ending after September 15,
2009. The Company adopted the new guidelines and numbering system prescribed by the Codification when referring to GAAP for the year ended December 31, 2009. The application of the Codification did not have an impact on the Trust’s financial statements; however, all references to authoritative accounting literature will now be references in accordance with the Codification.
In August 2009, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2009-05, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) – Measuring Liabilities at Fair Value,” to amend FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” to provide guidance on the measurement of liabilities at fair value. The guidance provides clarification that in circumstances in which a quoted market price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, an entity is required to measure fair value using a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of an identical liability when traded as an asset or, if unavailable, quoted prices for similar liabilities or similar assets when traded as assets. If none of this information is available, an entity should use a
valuation technique in accordance with existing fair valuation principles. The Trust adopted the guidance for the year ended December 31, 2009, and there was no material impact on the Trust’s financial statements or related footnotes.
In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-06, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) - Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements,” to require new disclosures related to transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy and additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements. The guidance also clarifies existing fair value measurement disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The additional disclosure requirements are effective for the first reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements, which are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. The
Trust adopted this guidance on January 1, 2010 with no impact on the Trust’s financial statements
Note 6 - Organizational and Offering Costs
Expenses incurred in organizing of the Trust and the initial offering of the shares, including applicable SEC registration fees will be borne directly by the Sponsor. The Trust will not be obligated to reimburse the Sponsor.
Note 7 – Subsequent Events
From January 1, 2011 through March 4, 2011, seven creation baskets for CORN were issued totaling a net addition to the Fund of 700,000 shares and $29,035,708. On January 31, 2011, NAGS had four creation baskets issued representing 200,000 shares and $5,000,000. NAGS began trading on the NYSE Arca on February 1, 2011. On February 23, 2011, one redemption basket for NAGS was issued representing 50,000 shares and $1,131,332. On February 10, 2011, CRUD received listing authority on the NYSE Arca. On February 22, 2011, four creation baskets for CRUD were issued representing 100,000 shares and $5,000,000. CRUD began trading on the NYSE Arca on February 23, 2011.
TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND — INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
|
Page
|
|
|
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
|
134
|
|
|
|
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
|
|
135
|
|
|
|
Notes to Statement of Assets and Liabilities
|
|
136
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Sponsor of
Teucrium Wheat Fund
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Teucrium Wheat Fund (the “Fund”) as of December 31, 2010. This financial statement is the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statement referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Teucrium Wheat Fund as of December 31, 2010, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ Rothstein, Kass & Company, P.C.
Roseland, New Jersey
March 4, 2011
TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
|
|
December 31, 2010
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity in BNY Mellon trading accounts:
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares outstanding
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value per share
|
|
$
|
25.00
|
|
See accompanying notes.
Teucrium Wheat Fund
NOTES TO STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
Note 1 — Organization and Business
Teucrium Wheat Fund (the “Fund”) is a series of Teucrium Commodity Trust (“Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on September 11, 2009. The Fund operates pursuant to the Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”). The Fund was formed on July 31,2010 and is managed and controlled by Teucrium Trading, LLC (the “Sponsor”). The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in Delaware on July 28, 2009 that is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and is a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”).
The investment objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three futures contracts for wheat (“Wheat Futures Contracts”) that are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”), specifically: (1) the second-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of the third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%, less the Fund’s expenses.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing under normal market conditions in Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or, in certain circumstances, in other Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT, the Kansas City Board of Trade, or the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or Wheat Futures Contracts traded on foreign exchanges. In addition, and to a limited extent, the Fund also may invest in wheat-based swap agreements that are cleared through the CBOT or its affiliated provider of clearing services (“Cleared Wheat Swaps”) in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective. Once position limits in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are applicable, the Fund's intention is to invest first in Cleared Wheat Swaps to the extent practicable under the position limits applicable to Cleared Wheat Swaps
and appropriate in light of the liquidity in the Cleared Wheat Swap market, and then in contracts and instruments such as cash-settled options on Wheat Futures Contracts and forward contracts, swaps other than Cleared Wheat Swaps, and other over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of wheat and Wheat Futures Contracts (collectively, “Other Wheat Interests,” and together with Wheat Futures Contracts and Cleared Wheat Swaps, “Wheat Interests”). By utilizing certain or all of these investments, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the Fund's performance to closely track that of the Benchmark. The Sponsor expects to manage the Fund’s investments directly, although it has been authorized by the Trust to retain, establish the terms of retention for, and terminate third-party commodity trading advisors to provide such management. The Sponsor is also authorized to select futures commission merchants to execute the Fund’s transactions in Wheat
Futures Contracts.
The Fund will invest in Wheat Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its expected current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests. After fulfilling such margin and collateral requirements, the Fund will invest the remainder of its proceeds from the sale of baskets in short-term obligations of the United States government (“Treasury Securities”) or cash equivalents, and/or merely hold such assets in cash (generally in interest-bearing accounts). Therefore, the focus of the Sponsor in managing the Fund will be investing in Wheat Interests and in Treasury Securities, cash and/or cash equivalents. The Fund will earn interest income from the Treasury Securities and/or cash equivalents that it purchases
and on the cash it holds through the Fund’s custodian, the Bank of New York Mellon (the “Custodian”).
The Fund will create and redeem units only in blocks called creation baskets and redemption baskets, respectively. Only authorized purchasers may purchase or redeem creation baskets or redemption baskets. An authorized purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets, and an authorized purchaser is under no obligation to offer to the public units of any baskets it does create. Baskets will generally be created when there is a demand for units, including, but not limited to, when the market price per unit is at (or perceived to be at) a premium to the NAV per share. Authorized purchasers will then sell such units, which will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca, to the public at per-unit offering prices that are expected to
reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the units on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Fund at the time the authorized purchaser purchased the creation baskets and the NAV at the time of the offer of the units to the public, the supply of and demand for units at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the Wheat Futures Contracts market and the market for Other Wheat Interests. The prices of units offered by authorized purchasers are expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price of the units on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. Similarly, baskets will generally be redeemed when the market price per unit is at (or perceived to be at) a discount to the NAV per share. Retail investors seeking to purchase or sell units on any day are expected to affect such transactions in the secondary market, on the NYSE Arca, at the market price per unit, rather than in connection with the creation or redemption of baskets.
Sponsor Fee
Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor will be responsible for investing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the objectives and policies of the Fund. In addition, the Sponsor will arrange for one or more third parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to the Fund. For these services, the Fund is contractually obligated to pay a monthly management fee to the Sponsor, based on average daily net assets, at a rate equal to 1.00% per annum on average net assets. The Fund will pay for all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, including licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, registration or other fees paid to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”),
formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers, or any other regulatory agency in connection with the offer and sale of subsequent units after its initial registration and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated therewith. The Fund also pays the fees and expenses associated with the Trust’s tax accounting and reporting requirements with the exception of certain initial implementation services fees and base services fees which will be paid by the Sponsor.
Income Taxes
The Fund does not record a provision for income taxes because the partners report their share of the Fund’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The financial statements reflect the Fund’s transactions without adjustment, if any, required for income tax purposes.
In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 740-10, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,” the Fund is required to determine whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. The Fund files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. The Fund is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities for all tax years since inception. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater
than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. De-recognition of a tax benefit previously recognized results in the Fund recording a tax liability that reduces net assets. This policy has been applied to all existing tax positions upon the Fund’s initial adoption at July 31, 2010. Based on its analysis, the Fund has determined that the adoption of this policy did not have a material impact on the Fund’s financial statements upon adoption. However, the Fund’s conclusions regarding this policy may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analysis of and changes to tax laws, regulations, and interpretations thereof.
The Fund recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax fees payable, if assessed. No interest expense or penalties have been recognized as of December 31, 2010.
The Fund may be subject to potential examination by U.S. federal, U.S. state, or foreign jurisdictional authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions, and compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws. The Fund’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
Additions and Redemptions
Authorized purchasers may purchase creation baskets consisting of 50,000 units from the Fund as of the beginning of each business day based upon the prior day’s net asset value. Authorized purchasers may redeem units from the Fund only in blocks of 50,000 units called “redemption baskets”. The amount of the redemption proceeds for a redemption basket will be equal to the net asset value of the units in the redemption basket determined as of 4:00 p.m. New York time on the day the order to redeem the basket is properly received.
The Fund will receive the proceeds from units sold or will pay for redeemed units within three business days after the trade date of the purchase or redemption, respectively. The amounts due from authorized purchasers will be reflected in the Fund’s statement of assets and liabilities as receivable for Units sold and amounts payable to authorized purchasers upon redemption will be reflected as payable for Units redeemed.
Calculation of Net Asset Value
The Fund’s NAV is calculated by:
|
·
|
Taking the current market value of its total assets, and
|
|
·
|
Subtracting any liabilities.
|
The administrator will calculate the NAV of the Fund once each trading day. It will calculate NAV as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time. The NAV for a particular trading day will be released after 4:15 p.m. New York time.
In determining the value of Wheat Futures Contracts, the administrator will use the NYMEX closing price (usually determined as of 2:30 p.m. New York time). The administrator will determine the value of all other Fund investments as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time, in accordance with the current Services Agreement between the administrator and the Trust. The value of Cleared Wheat Swaps and over-the-counter Wheat Interests will be determined based on the value of the commodity or futures contract underlying such Wheat Interest, except that a fair value may be determined if the Sponsor believes that the Fund is subject to significant credit risk relating to the counterparty to such Wheat Interest. Treasury Securities held by the
Fund will be valued by the administrator using values received from recognized third-party vendors (such as Reuters) and dealer quotes. NAV will include any unrealized profit or loss on open Wheat Interests and any other income or expense accruing to the Fund but unpaid or not received by the Fund.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of the revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Note 2 — Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2009, the FASB issued the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) and a new Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) which establishes only two levels of GAAP: authoritative and nonauthoritative. The Codification is now the source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP, except for rules and interpretive releases of the SEC, which are additional sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. All other nongrandfathered, non-SEC accounting literature not included in the Codification will become nonauthoritative. The Codification is effective for financial statements for interim or annual reporting periods ending
after September 15, 2009. The Fund adopted the new guidelines and numbering system prescribed by the Codification when referring to GAAP upon formation. The application of the Codification did not have an impact on the Fund’s financial statements; however, all references to authoritative accounting literature will now be references in accordance with the Codification.
In August 2009, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2009-05 (ASU 2009-05), “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) – Measuring Liabilities at Fair Value,” to amend FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” to provide guidance on the measurement of liabilities at fair value. The guidance provides clarification that in circumstances in which a quoted market price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, an entity is required to measure fair value using a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of an identical liability when traded as an asset or, if unavailable, quoted prices for similar liabilities or similar assets when traded as assets. If none of this information is available, an entity
should use a valuation technique in accordance with existing fair valuation principles. The Fund adopted this guidance upon formation.
In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2010-06, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820) - Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements,” to require new disclosures related to transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy and additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements. The guidance also clarifies existing fair value measurement disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The additional disclosure requirements are effective for the first reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the additional disclosure requirements related to Level 3 measurements, which are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2010. The Fund adopted the guidance upon formation.
Note 3 - Organizational and Offering Costs
Expenses incurred in organizing of the Fund and the initial offering of the shares, including applicable SEC registration fees will be borne directly by the Sponsor. The Fund will not be obligated to reimburse the Sponsor.
Note 4 - Indemnification
Under the Trust Agreement, the trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) is indemnified against any liability, cost or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part and without reckless disregard on its part of its obligations and duties under the Trust’s organizational documents. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.
APPENDIX A
Glossary of Defined Terms
In this prospectus, each of the following terms have the meanings set forth after such term:
Administrator:
The Bank of New York Mellon
Authorized Purchaser:
One that purchases or redeems Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets, respectively, from or to the Fund.
Benchmark
: A weighted average of daily changes in the closing settlement prices of (1) the second-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of the third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%.
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts:
The three Wheat Futures Contracts that at any given time make up the Benchmark.
Business Day:
Any day other than a day when any of the NYSE Arca, the CBOT, or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular trading.
CFTC:
Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency with the mandate to regulate commodity futures and options in the United States.
Chicago Board of Trade:
The primary exchange on which Wheat Futures Contracts are traded in the U.S. The Fund expressly disclaims any association with or endorsement of the Fund by the CBOT and acknowledges that “CBOT” and “Chicago Board of Trade” are registered trademarks of such exchange.
Cleared Wheat Swap:
A wheat-based swap agreement that is cleared through CBOT or its affiliated provider of clearing services.
Code:
Internal Revenue Code.
Commodity Pool:
An enterprise in which several individuals contribute funds in order to trade futures contracts or options on futures contracts collectively.
Commodity Pool Operator or CPO:
Any person engaged in a business which is of the nature of an investment trust, syndicate, or similar enterprise, and who, in connection therewith, solicits, accepts, or receives from others, funds, securities, or property, either directly or through capital contributions, the sale of stock or other forms of securities, or otherwise, for the purpose of trading in any commodity for future delivery or commodity option on or subject to the rules of any contract market.
Creation Basket:
A block of 100,000 Shares used by the Fund to issue Shares.
Custodian:
The Bank of New York Mellon
DTC:
The Depository Trust Company. DTC will act as the securities depository for the Shares.
DTC Participant:
An entity that has an account with DTC.
DTEF:
A derivatives transaction execution facility.
Exchange Act:
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Exchange for Risk:
A privately negotiated and simultaneous exchange of a futures contract position for a swap or other over-the-counter instrument on the corresponding commodity.
FINRA:
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers.
Indirect Participants:
Banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly.
Limited Liability Company (LLC):
A type of business ownership combining several features of corporation and partnership structures.
Margin:
The amount of equity required for an investment in futures contracts.
NAV:
Net Asset Value of the Fund.
NFA:
National Futures Association.
NSCC:
National Securities Clearing Corporation.
1933 Act:
The Securities Act of 1933.
Option:
The right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract or forward contract at a specified price on or before a specified date.
Other Wheat Interests:
Other wheat-related investments such as options on Wheat Futures Contracts, swaps agreements other than Cleared Wheat Swaps and forward contracts relating to wheat, and over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of wheat, Wheat Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing.
Over-the-Counter Derivative:
A financial contract, whose value is designed to track the return on stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, or some other benchmark, that is traded over-the-counter or off organized exchanges.
Redemption Basket:
A block of 100,000 Shares used by the Fund to redeem Shares.
SEC:
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Secondary Market:
The stock exchanges and the over-the-counter market. Securities are first issued as a primary offering to the public. When the securities are traded from that first holder to another, the issues trade in these secondary markets.
Shareholders:
Holders of Shares.
Shares:
Common units representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in the Fund.
Sponsor:
Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which is registered as a Commodity Pool Operator, who controls the investments and other decisions of the Fund.
Spot Contract:
A cash market transaction in which the buyer and seller agree to the immediate purchase and sale of a commodity, usually with a two-day settlement.
Swap Agreement:
An over-the-counter derivative that generally involves an exchange of a stream of payments between the contracting parties based on a notional amount and a specified index.
Tracking Error:
Possibility that the daily NAV of the Fund will not track the Benchmark.
Treasury Securities:
Obligations of the U.S. government with remaining maturities of 2 years or less.
Trust Agreement:
The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Trust effective as of March 31, 2010.
Valuation Day:
Any day as of which the Fund calculates its NAV.
Wheat Futures Contracts:
Futures contracts for wheat that are traded on the CBOT, the Kansas City Board of Trade, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or foreign exchanges.
Wheat Interests:
Wheat Futures Contracts, Cleared Wheat Swaps and Other Wheat Interests.
You:
The owner of Shares.
[This page intentionally left blank.]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND
This statement of additional information is the second part of a two part document. The first part is the Fund’s disclosure document. The disclosure document and this statement of additional information are bound together, and both parts contain important information. This statement of additional information should be read in conjunction with the disclosure document. Before you decide whether to invest, you should read the entire prospectus carefully and consider the risk factors beginning on page [ ].
This statement of additional information and accompanying disclosure document are both dated [
date
], 2011.
TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
|
|
|
Commodity Market Participants
|
146
|
Regulation
|
146
|
Potential Advantages of Investment
|
148
|
Benchmark Performance
|
148
|
Commodity Market Participants
The two broad classes of persons who trade commodities are hedgers and speculators. Hedgers include financial institutions that manage or deal in interest rate-sensitive instruments, foreign currencies or stock portfolios, and commercial market participants, such as farmers and manufacturers, that market or process commodities. Hedging is a protective procedure designed to effectively lock in prices that would otherwise change due to an adverse movement in the price of the underlying commodity, for example, the adverse price movement between the time a merchandiser or processor enters into a contract to buy or sell a raw or processed commodity at a certain price and the time he must perform the contract. For example, if a hedger contracts to physically sell the commodity at a future
date, he may simultaneously buy a futures or forward contract for the necessary equivalent quantity of the commodity. At the time for performance of the physical contract, the hedger may accept delivery under his futures contract and sell the commodity quantity as required by the physical contract or he may buy the actual commodity, sell it under the physical contract and close out his futures contract position by making an offsetting sale.
The commodity interest markets enable the hedger to shift the risk of price fluctuations. The usual objective of the hedger is to protect the profit that he expects to earn from farming, merchandising, or processing operations rather than to profit from his trading. However, at times the impetus for a hedge transaction may result in part from speculative objectives and hedgers can end up paying higher prices than they would have if they did not enter into a commodity interest transaction if current market prices are lower than the locked-in price.
Unlike the hedger, the speculator generally expects neither to make nor take delivery of the underlying commodity. Instead, the speculator risks his capital with the hope of making profits from price fluctuations in the commodities. The speculator is, in effect, the risk bearer who assumes the risks that the hedger seeks to avoid. Speculators rarely make or take delivery of the underlying commodity; rather they attempt to close out their positions prior to the delivery date. A speculator who takes a long position generally will make a profit if the price of the underlying commodity goes up and incur a loss if the price of the underlying commodity goes down, while a speculator who takes a short position generally will make a profit if the price of the underlying commodity
goes down and incur a loss if the price of the underlying commodity goes up.
Regulation
The CFTC possesses exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the activities of commodity pool operators and has adopted regulations with respect to the activities of those persons and/or entities. Under the CEA, a registered commodity pool operator, such as the Sponsor, is required to make annual filings with the CFTC describing its organization, capital structure, management and controlling persons. In addition, the CEA authorizes the CFTC to require and review books and records of, and documents prepared by, registered commodity pool operators. Pursuant to this authority, the CFTC requires commodity pool operators to keep accurate, current and orderly records for each pool that they operate. The CFTC may suspend the registration of a commodity pool operator (1) if the CFTC
finds that the operator’s trading practices tend to disrupt orderly market conditions, (2) if any controlling person of the operator is subject to an order of the CFTC denying such person trading privileges on any exchange, and (3) in certain other circumstances. Suspension, restriction or termination of the Sponsor’s registration as a commodity pool operator would prevent it, until that registration were to be reinstated, from managing the Fund, and might result in the termination of the Fund if a successor sponsor is not elected pursuant to the Trust Agreement. Neither the Trust nor the Fund is required to be registered with the CFTC in any capacity.
The CEA requires all futures commission merchants, such as the Fund’s clearing broker, to meet and maintain specified fitness and financial requirements, to segregate customer funds from proprietary funds and account separately for all customers’ funds and positions, and to maintain specified books and records open to inspection by the staff of the CFTC. The CEA also authorizes the CFTC to regulate trading by futures commission merchants and by their officers and directors.
The Fund’s investors are afforded prescribed rights for reparations under the CEA. Investors may also be able to maintain a private right of action for violations of the CEA. The CFTC has adopted rules implementing the reparation provisions of the CEA, which provide that any person may file a complaint for a reparations award with the CFTC for violation of the CEA against a floor broker or a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, and their respective associated persons.
Pursuant to authority in the CEA, the NFA has been formed and registered with the CFTC as a registered futures association. At the present time, the NFA is the only self-regulatory organization for commodity interest professionals, other than futures exchanges. The CFTC has delegated to the NFA responsibility for the registration of commodity pool operators and futures commission merchants and their respective associated persons. The Sponsor and the Fund’s clearing broker are members of the NFA. As such, they will be subject to NFA standards relating to fair trade practices, financial condition and consumer protection. The NFA also arbitrates disputes between members and their customers and conducts registration and fitness screening
of applicants for membership and audits of its existing members. Neither the Trust nor the Fund is itself required to become a member of the NFA. The regulations of the CFTC and the NFA prohibit any representation by a person registered with the CFTC or by any member of the NFA, that registration with the CFTC, or membership in the NFA, in any respect indicates that the CFTC or the NFA, as the case may be, has approved or endorsed that person or that person’s trading program or objectives. The registrations and memberships of the parties described in this summary must not be considered as constituting any such approval or endorsement. Likewise, no futures exchange has given or will give any similar approval or endorsement.
The regulation of commodity interest trading in the United States and other countries is an evolving area of the law. The various statements made in this summary are subject to modification by legislative action and changes in the rules and regulations of the CFTC, the NFA, the futures exchanges, clearing organizations and other regulatory bodies.
Potential Advantages of Investment
The Advantages of Non-Correlation
Given that historically, the price of wheat and of Wheat Interests has had very little correlation to the stock and bond markets, the Sponsor believes that the performance of the Fund should also exhibit little correlation with the performance of traditional equity and debt portfolio components. However, non-correlation does not mean that the Fund’s performance will be better than that of other types of investment, and it is entirely possible that the Fund may not outperform other sectors of an investor’s portfolio, or may produce losses. Additionally, although adding the Fund’s Shares to an investor’s portfolio may provide diversification, the Fund is not a hedging mechanism vis-a-vis traditional debt and equity portfolio components and you should not assume that Fund
Shares will appreciate during periods of inflation or stock and bond market declines.
Non-correlated performance should not be confused with negatively correlated performance. Negative correlation occurs when the performance of two asset classes tend to move in opposite direction to each other. Non-correlation means only that the Fund’s performance will likely have little relation to the performance of equity and debt instruments, reflecting that certain factors that affect equity and debt prices may affect the Fund differently and that certain factors that affect equity and debt prices may not affect the Fund at all. The Fund’s net asset value per share may decline or increase more or less than equity and debt instruments during periods of both rising and falling equity and debt markets. The Sponsor does not expect that the Fund’s
performance will be negatively correlated to general debt and equity markets.
Interest Income
Unlike some alternative investment funds, the Fund does not borrow money in order to obtain leverage, so the Fund does not incur any interest expense. Rather, the Fund’s margin deposits and cash reserves are maintained in Treasury Securities and interest is earned on 100% of the Fund’s available assets, which include unrealized profits credited to the Fund’s accounts
Benchmark Performance
The following graph provides certain information about the historical performance and volatility of the Benchmark, and the historical correlation of the Benchmark with the spot price of wheat. The graph shows (1) historical price information for the Benchmark by taking the prices of each Benchmark Component Futures Contract according to CBOT data, weighting each such futures contract as weighted in the Benchmark, and deducting estimated commission charges and other fees and expenses that the Fund will pay, and (2) historical information on the spot price of wheat using the price of the spot month Wheat Futures Contract as a proxy. The graph assumes that each Benchmark Component Futures Contract was rolled into its replacement on the date that it no longer was a Benchmark Component Futures
Contract, and each spot month Wheat Futures Contract was rolled into the new spot month Wheat Futures Contract on its expiration date, and each of these “rolls” is volume adjusted to account for price differentials between the original Wheat Futures Contract and its replacement. For example, if the original Wheat Futures Contracts were closed out at a lower price than the price at which the replacement Wheat Futures Contracts were entered into, then a lesser number of replacement Wheat Futures Contracts were entered into than were closed out. In this way, the graph takes the hypothetical effect of contango and backwardation into account. The spot month data in the chart does not reflect any commission charges or the other fees and expenses that the Fund will pay.
The information regarding the Benchmark in the graph is hypothetical, in that neither the Sponsor nor the Fund was using the Benchmark to trade Wheat Interests during the period covered by the chart.
HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT THE FUND WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS ACHIEVED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES ARE MATERIAL POINTS WHICH CAN ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE MARKETS IN GENERAL OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING
RESULTS.
THE SPONSOR HAS HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN TRADING ACTUAL ACCOUNTS FOR ITSELF OF FOR CUSTOMERS. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS TO COMPARE TO THE HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS, INVESTORS SHOULD BE PARTICULARLY WARY OF PLACING UNDUE RELIANCE ON THESE HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS.
Furthermore, while the graph below provides information on the hypothetical correlation of the Benchmark with the spot price of wheat, it does not attempt to provide any information on the ability of the Sponsor to cause the Fund’s performance to correlate closely with that of the Benchmark.
Roll-adjusted Teucrium WEAT Benchmark (Net of Fees) vs. Roll-adjusted Spot CBOT
Wheat Futures January 2007-December 2010.
(Hypothetical Performance of $10,000 Initial investment)
PART II
Information Not Required in the Prospectus
Item 13.
|
Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
|
Set forth below is an estimate (except as indicated) of the amount of fees and expenses (other than underwriting commissions and discounts) payable by the registrant in connection with the issuance and distribution of the units pursuant to the prospectus contained in this registration statement.
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
|
|
SEC registration fee (actual)
|
|
$
|
29,025
|
|
NYSE Arca Listing Fee
|
|
$
|
5,000
|
|
FINRA filing fees
|
|
$
|
25,500
|
|
Blue Sky expenses
|
|
|
n/a
|
|
Auditor’s fees and expenses
|
|
$
|
20,000
|
|
Legal fees and expenses
|
|
$
|
75,000
|
|
Printing expenses
|
|
$
|
5,000
|
|
Miscellaneous expenses
|
|
|
n/a
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
159,525
|
|
Item 14.
|
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
|
The Trust’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) provides that the Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust (or, by a series of the Trust separately to the extent the matter in question relates to a single series or disproportionately affects a series in relation to other series) against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of gross negligence, willful misconduct, or a breach of the Trust
Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and (ii) any such indemnification will only be recoverable from the applicable trust estate or trust estates. All rights to indemnification permitted by the Trust Agreement and payment of associated expenses shall not be affected by the dissolution or other cessation to exist of the Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the Bankruptcy Code by or against the Sponsor.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sponsor shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of U.S. federal or state securities laws unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs), (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs) or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and
finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made.
The Trust and its series shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance which insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is prohibited by the Trust Agreement.
Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or criminal action suit or proceeding against the Sponsor shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a party other than the Trust; and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in which it is not entitled to indemnification under the Trust Agreement.
For purposes of the indemnification provisions of the Trust Agreement, the term “Sponsor” includes, in addition to the Sponsor, any other covered person performing services on behalf of the Trust and acting within the scope of the Sponsor’s authority as set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In the event the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise incurs any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense as a result of or in connection with any Shareholder’s (or assignee’s) obligations or liabilities unrelated to Trust business, such Shareholder (or assignees cumulatively) shall indemnify, defend, hold harmless, and reimburse the Trust for all such loss, liability, damage, cost and expense incurred, including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.
The payment of any amount pursuant to the Trust Agreement shall take into account the allocation of liabilities and other amounts, as appropriate, among the series of the Trust.
Item 15.
|
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
|
Item 16.
|
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
|
|
3.1
(1)
|
Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the registrant.
|
|
3.2
(2)
|
Certificate of Trust of the registrant.
|
|
3.3
(3)
|
Instrument establishing the Fund.
|
|
5.1
(3)
|
Opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP relating to the legality of the Shares.
|
|
8.1
(3)
|
Opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP with respect to federal income tax consequences.
|
|
10.1
(3)
|
Form of Authorized Purchaser Agreement.
|
|
10.2
(1)
|
Distribution Services Agreement.
|
|
10.3
(4)
|
Global Custody Agreement.
|
|
10.4
(4)
|
Services Agreement.
|
|
10.5
(4)
|
Transfer Agency and Service Agreement.
|
|
10.6
(1)
|
Distribution Consulting and Marketing Services Agreement.
|
|
23.1
(3)
|
Consent of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
|
|
23.2
(3)
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
|
(1)
|
Previously filed as like-numbered exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 333-162033,
filed on October 22, 2010 and incorporated by reference herein.
|
(2)
|
Previously filed as like-numbered exhibit to Registration Statement No. 333-162033, filed on September 21, 2009 and
incorporated by reference herein.
|
(4)
|
Previously filed as like-numbered exhibit to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-162033,
filed on March 29, 2010 and incorporated by reference herein.
|
(b)
|
Financial Statement Schedules
|
The financial statement schedules are either not applicable or the required information is included in the financial statements and footnotes related thereto.
(a) Each undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
|
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
|
|
(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
|
|
|
|
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than
20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
|
|
|
|
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
|
|
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide
offering thereof.
|
|
|
|
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
|
|
|
|
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
|
|
(i) If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C (§230.430C of this chapter), each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A (§230.430A of this chapter), shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to
a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
|
|
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
|
|
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (§230.424 of this chapter);
|
|
|
|
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
|
|
|
|
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
|
|
|
|
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
|
(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 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 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunder duly authorized, in the town of Brattleboro, state of Vermont, on March 8, 2011.
|
|
Teucrium Commodity Trust
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Teucrium Trading, LLC, Sponsor
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Dale Riker
|
March 8, 2011
|
|
Name:
|
Dale Riker
|
|
Title:
|
Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer
, Principal Accounting
Officer, Secretary and Member
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
President/Principal Executive Officer/Member of the Sponsor
|
|
March 8, 2011
|
Sal Gilbertie
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Dale Riker
|
|
Treasurer/Principal Financial Officer/Principal Accounting Officer/Secretary/Member of the Sponsor
|
|
March 8, 2011
|
Dale Riker
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Member of the Sponsor
|
|
March 8, 2011
|
Carl N. Miller III
|
|
|
|
|
* Signed by Dale Riker pursuant to a power of attorney signed by each of the persons noted above and filed as part of this Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on June 17, 2010.
EXHIBIT INDEX
3.3
|
Instrument establishing the Fund.
|
5.1
|
Opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP relating to the legality of the Shares.
|
8.1
|
Opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP with respect to federal income tax consequences.
|
10.1
|
Form of Authorized Purchaser Agreement.
|
23.2
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
|
Exhibit 10.1
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
FORM OF AUTHORIZED PURCHASER AGREEMENT
This Teucrium Commodity Trust Authorized Purchaser Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated as of __________________, is entered into by and among Teucrium Commodity Trust (the “Trust”) with respect to each of its series set forth on Exhibit A hereto (each, a “Fund”), Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”), on behalf of itself and as sponsor of the Trust, and [AUTHORIZED PURCHASER], a [STATE/ TYPE OF ENTITY] (the “Authorized Purchaser”), and is subject to acceptance by The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administrator,” “Transfer Agent” or “Custodian”).
SUMMARY
The Sponsor serves in its capacity as Sponsor of the Trust pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated as of October 21, 2010 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Administrator and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Marketing Agent”) each serve as agents of the Sponsor and/or the Trust for all purposes of this Agreement, and all references to agreements, obligations or duties of the Administrator, Transfer Agent, Custodian or Marketing Agent herein shall be deemed references to agreements, obligations or duties of the Sponsor or the Trust acting through the relevant agent. As provided in the Trust Agreement and described in each Fund’s prospectus, as supplemented and amended from time to time (each a “Prospectus”),
common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of a Fund (the “Shares”) may be created or redeemed through the Transfer Agent by the Authorized Purchaser in aggregations of a specified number of Shares stated in a Fund’s Prospectus and restated in Exhibit E hereto (each aggregation, a “Creation Basket” or “Redemption Basket,” respectively; collectively, “Baskets”). Creation Baskets are offered only pursuant to the most recent registration statement of the Trust with respect to a Fund, as declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and as the same may be amended from time to time thereafter (collectively, the “Registration Statement”). Authorized Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the relevant Prospectus. To the extent there is a conflict between any provision of this Agreement other than the indemnities provided in Section 10 and the provisions of a Prospectus, the provisions of the Prospectus shall control.
To give effect to the foregoing premises and in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, the parties hereto agree as follows:
Section 1. Order Placement.
To place an order for the creation or redemption of one or more Baskets (except in the case of an Authorized Purchaser’s initial order to purchase one or more Creation Baskets on the first day the Baskets are to be offered and sold), an Authorized Purchaser must follow the procedures for creation and redemption referred to in Section 4 of this Agreement and attached to this Agreement as Exhibit B (the “Procedures”).
Section 2. Status and Obligations of Authorized Purchaser.
The Authorized Purchaser represents and warrants and covenants the following:
(a) The Authorized Purchaser is a participant of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) (as such a participant, a “DTC Participant”). If the Authorized Purchaser ceases to be a DTC Participant, the Authorized Purchaser shall give prompt notice to the Sponsor of such event, and this Agreement shall terminate immediately as of the date the Authorized Purchaser ceased to be a DTC Participant.
(b) Unless Section 2(c) applies, the Authorized Purchaser either (i) is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), or (ii) is exempt from being, or otherwise is not required to be, licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and in either case is qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. The Authorized Purchaser will maintain any such registrations, qualifications and membership in good standing and in full force and effect throughout the term of this Agreement. The
Authorized Purchaser will comply with all applicable federal law, the laws of the states or other jurisdictions concerned, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including, but not limited to those applicable to securities and commodities transactions, and with the Constitution, By-Laws and Conduct Rules of FINRA (if it is a FINRA member) to the extent the foregoing relate to the Authorized Purchaser’s transactions in, and activities with respect to the Baskets. The Authorized Purchaser will not directly or indirectly offer or sell Shares in or from any state or jurisdiction where they may not lawfully be offered or sold.
(c) If the Authorized Purchaser is offering or selling Shares in jurisdictions outside the several states, territories and possessions of the United States, the Authorized Purchaser will (i) observe the applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which such offer and/or sale is made, (ii) comply with the full disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and the Commodities Exchange Act (the “CEA”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (iii) if the Authorized Purchaser is not otherwise required to be registered, qualified or a member of FINRA as set forth in Section 2(b) above, conduct its business in accordance with the spirit of the FINRA Conduct Rules, in each case to
the extent the foregoing relate to the Authorized Purchaser’s transactions in, and activities with respect to the Baskets.
(d) The Authorized Purchaser has written policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with the money laundering and related provisions of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “PATRIOT Act”), and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(e) The Authorized Purchaser has the capability to send and receive communications via an authenticated telecommunication facility to and from the Sponsor and its agents, Foreside Fund Services, LLC and The Bank of New York Mellon. The Authorized Purchaser shall confirm such capability to the satisfaction of the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent by the end of the Business Day before placing its first order with the Marketing Agent (whether such order is to create or to redeem Baskets). If required by the Marketing Agent, the Administrator or the Custodian with respect to authorized telecommunications by telephonic facsimile, the Authorized Purchaser shall enter into a separate agreement with the Marketing Agent, the Administrator
or the Custodian, as the case may be, indemnifying such party with respect to its communications by telephonic facsimile.
(f) Because new Baskets can be created and Shares therein issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the partnership, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may be occurring with respect to resales of these Shares. The Authorized Purchaser is cautioned that some of its activities may result in its being deemed a participant in a distribution in a manner that would render it a statutory underwriter and subject it to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. The Authorized Purchaser should review the “Plan of Distribution” portion of the Prospectus and consult with its own counsel in connection with entering into this Agreement and placing an Order
(as defined in Section 4). In addition to satisfying the prospectus delivery and disclosure requirements of the 1933 Act, the Authorized Purchaser and any other participant in the distribution of the Shares purchased by the Authorized Purchaser also has the obligation to comply with the disclosure delivery requirements under the CEA. To the extent the Authorized Purchaser has distributed a preliminary Prospectus to prospective investors, if the Authorized Purchaser has been notified by the Sponsor of material changes made to that document as compared to the final Prospectus, the Authorized Purchaser shall give notice to any prospective investor who received the preliminary Prospectus of such material change prior to consummating a sale.
Section 3. NSCC.
This Agreement is intended to set forth certain premises and the procedures by which the Authorized Purchaser may purchase and/or redeem (i) through the Continuous Net Settlement (“
CNS
”) clearing processes of NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Units, such processes being referred to herein as the “
CNS Clearing Process
,” or (ii) outside the CNS Clearing Process (i.e., through the manual process of The Depository Trust Company (“
DTC
”)) (the “
DTC Process
”).
Solely with respect to Purchase Orders or Redemption Orders effected through the CNS Clearing Process, the Authorized Purchaser, as a Participating Party, hereby authorizes the Transfer Agent to transmit to the NSCC on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser such instructions consistent with the instructions issued by the Authorized Purchaser to the Transfer Agent. The Authorized Purchaser agrees to be bound by the terms of such instructions issued by the Transfer Agent and reported to NSCC as though such instructions were issued by the Authorized Purchaser directly to NSCC.
Section 4. Orders.
(a) All orders to create or redeem Baskets (except in the case of an Authorized Purchaser’s initial order to purchase one or more Creation Baskets on the first day the Baskets are to be offered and sold) shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus, this Agreement and the Procedures. Each party will comply with such foregoing terms to the extent applicable to it. The Sponsor may issue additional or other procedures from time to time relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Baskets and the Authorized Purchaser will comply with such procedures. The Authorized Purchaser hereby consents to the use of recorded telephone lines; provided that the Sponsor shall promptly provide or request from
the recording party copies of recordings of any such calls to the Authorized Purchaser upon reasonable request by the Authorized Purchaser unless such recordings have been erased or destroyed prior to receipt of such request in the normal course of business in accordance with the recording party’s general record keeping policies and procedures. The Sponsor shall take such actions as reasonably necessary to satisfy Authorized Purchaser’s reasonable request for copies of recordings.
(b) The Authorized Purchaser acknowledges and agrees it is acting solely as principal and not on behalf of any party for which it is acting (whether such party is a customer or otherwise), and that each order to create a Basket or Baskets (a “Purchase Order”) and each order to redeem a Basket or Baskets (a “Redemption Order,” and each Purchase Order and Redemption Order, an “Order”) may not be withdrawn by the Authorized Purchaser.
(c) The Sponsor acting by itself or through the Administrator or the Marketing Agent shall have the absolute right, but shall have no obligation, to reject any Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit (as defined in Section 6) (i) if the Sponsor determines that, due to position limits or otherwise, investment alternatives that will enable a Fund to meet its investment objective are not available to the Fund at that time; (ii) if it is determined by the Sponsor not to be in proper form; (iii) if the Sponsor believes that acceptance would have adverse tax consequences to the Fund or its shareholders; (iv) if the acceptance or receipt of a Creation Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or (v) if circumstances
outside the control of the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent or the Custodian make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process creations of Creation Baskets. None of the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent or the Custodian shall be liable to any person by reason of the rejection of any Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit.
(d) The Sponsor acting by itself or through the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, reject any Redemption Order (i) determined by the Sponsor not to be in proper form (ii) the fulfillment of which its counsel advises might be unlawful, or (iii) if, as a result of the redemption, the number of remaining outstanding Shares would be reduced to fewer than the number of Shares in one Basket or as otherwise stated in a Fund’s Prospectus.
Section 5. Fees.
In connection with each Order by an Authorized Purchaser to create or redeem one or more Baskets, the Sponsor shall charge, and the Authorized Purchaser shall pay to the Sponsor, the transaction fee (the “Transaction Fee”) prescribed in the Prospectus applicable to such creation or redemption and restated in Exhibit E hereto. The Transaction Fee may be adjusted from time to time as set forth in the Prospectus.
Section 6. Authorized Persons.
Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement and as requested in writing from time to time thereafter, the Authorized Purchaser shall deliver to the Sponsor and the Administrator, notarized and duly certified as appropriate by its secretary or other duly authorized official, a certificate in the form of Exhibit C setting forth the names and signatures of all persons authorized to give instructions relating to activity contemplated hereby or by any other notice, request or instruction given on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser (each, an “Authorized Person”). The Sponsor or the Administrator may accept and rely upon such certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall consider such certificate to be in full force and effect until the Sponsor receives a
superseding certificate bearing a subsequent date. Upon the termination or revocation of authority of any Authorized Person by the Authorized Purchaser, the Authorized Purchaser shall give immediate written notice of such fact to the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent, and such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Sponsor.
Section 7. Creation Procedures.
On any Business Day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Transfer Agent to create one or more Creation Baskets of a Fund in accordance with this Agreement and the Procedures. Purchase orders must be placed by the time specified in the applicable Prospectus and restated in Exhibit E hereto (the “Order Cutoff Time”) or the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier, except in the case of an Authorized Purchaser’s initial order to purchase one or more Creation Baskets of a Fund on the first day the Baskets of that Fund are to be offered and sold, when such orders shall be placed by 9:00 AM
New York time on the day agreed to by the Sponsor and the Authorized
Purchaser. The day on which the Marketing Agent receives a valid Purchase Order is the Purchase Order Date. By placing a Purchase Order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deposit cash as determined by the Sponsor with the Custodian of the Fund. Failure to consummate such a deposit shall result in the cancellation of the Order.
Prior to the delivery of Baskets for a Purchase Order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have submitted via CNS the non-refundable transaction fee due for the Purchase Order.
The total deposit required to create each basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) will be an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Fund (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the Purchase Order is properly received as the number of Shares to be created under the Purchase Order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the date the Purchase Order is received. The Sponsor, through the Transfer Agent, shall notify the Authorized Purchaser of the amount of cash to be included in deposits to create Baskets by e-mail or telephone correspondence and such amount is available via the applicable Fund’s website.
An Authorized Purchaser who places a Purchase Order is responsible for transferring to the Fund’s account with the Custodian the required amount of cash by the end of the next Business Day following the Purchase Order Date (T+1) or by the end of such later Business Day, not to exceed three Business Days after the Purchase Order Date, as agreed to between the Authorized Purchaser and the Transfer Agent when the Purchase Order is placed, except in the case of an Authorized Purchaser’s initial order to purchase one or more Creation Baskets of a Fund on the first day the Baskets of that Fund are to be offered and sold, when the Creation Basket Deposit will be due on the date the Purchase Order was accepted by the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of the deposit amount, the Administrator will cause
DTC to credit the number of Baskets ordered to the Authorized Purchaser’s DTC account.
Section 8. Redemption Procedures.
On any Business Day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more Redemption Baskets of a Fund in accordance with this Section 8 and the Procedures. Redemption Orders must be placed by the applicable Order Cutoff Time or the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. A Redemption Order so received is effective on the date it is received in satisfactory form by the Transfer Agent. The day on which the Transfer Agent receives a valid Redemption Order is the “Redemption Order Date”. By placing a Redemption Order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deliver the Redemption Basket to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to the Fund’s account with the Custodian not
later than the end of next Business Day following the effective date of the Redemption Order (“Redemption Distribution Date”) or the end of such later Business Day, not to exceed three Business Days after the Redemption Order is placed, as agreed to between the Authorized Purchaser and the Transfer Agent when the Redemption Order is placed. Failure to consummate such delivery shall result in the cancellation of the order. Prior to the delivery of the redemption distribution for a Redemption Order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have submitted via CNS the non-refundable Transaction Fee due for the Redemption Order.
The redemption distribution from a Fund consists of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Purchaser of an amount of cash with a value that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Fund (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the Redemption Order is properly received as the number of Shares to be redeemed under the Redemption Order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the date the Order is received.
The redemption distribution due from the Fund is delivered to the Authorized Purchaser on the Redemption Distribution Date if the Fund’s DTC account has been credited with the Baskets to be redeemed. If the Fund’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by the end of such date, the redemption distribution is delivered to the extent of whole Baskets received. Any remainder of the redemption distribution is delivered on the next Business Day to the extent of remaining whole Baskets received if the Fund receives the fee applicable to the extension of the Redemption Distribution Date which the Sponsor may, from time to time, determine and the remaining Baskets to be redeemed are credited to the Fund’s DTC account on such next Business
Day. Any further outstanding amount of the Redemption Order shall be cancelled. Pursuant to instruction from the Sponsor, the Custodian may also deliver the redemption distribution notwithstanding that the Baskets to be redeemed are not credited to the Fund’s DTC account on the Redemption Distribution Date if the Authorized Purchaser has collateralized its obligation to deliver the Baskets through DTC’s book entry system on such terms as the Sponsor may from time to time determine.
The Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the Redemption Distribution Date, (1) for any period during which the NYSE Arca, Inc. or the Chicago Board of Trade is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. or the Chicago Board or Trade is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Treasuries is not reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of shareholders. None of the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent, or the Custodian will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
Section 9. Role of Authorized Purchaser.
(a) The Authorized Purchaser acknowledges that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Authorized Purchaser is and shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and has and shall have no authority to act as agent for the Trust, the Marketing Agent, the Administrator, the Custodian or the Sponsor in any matter or in any respect.
(b) The Authorized Purchaser will, to the extent reasonably practicable, make itself and its employees available, upon request, during normal business hours to consult with the Sponsor and the Administrator concerning the performance of the Authorized Purchaser’s responsibilities under this Agreement; provided that the Authorized Purchaser shall be under no obligation to divulge or otherwise discuss any information that the Authorized Purchaser believes (i) is confidential or proprietary in nature or (ii) the disclosure of which to third parties would be prohibited.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9(b), the Authorized Purchaser will maintain records of all sales of Creation Baskets made by or through it and, upon reasonable request of the Sponsor, except if prohibited by applicable law and subject to any privacy obligations or other obligations arising under federal or state securities laws it may have to its customers, will furnish the Sponsor with the names and addresses of the purchasers of such Creation Baskets and the number of Creation Baskets purchased if and to the extent that the Sponsor has been requested to provide such information to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, Securities Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or Internal Revenue Service
(“Fund Regulators”). For the avoidance of doubt, all such information provided by the Authorized Purchaser shall be Confidential Information (as defined in Section 19) and shall not be used for any purpose other than to satisfy requests of Fund Regulators.
(d) The Trust may from time to time be obligated to deliver prospectuses, proxy materials, annual or other reports of a Fund or other similar information (“Fund Documents”) to the Fund’s shareholders. The Authorized Purchaser agrees (i) subject to any privacy obligations or other obligations arising under federal or state securities laws it may have to its customers, to reasonably assist the Sponsor in ascertaining certain information regarding sales of Creation Baskets made by or through the Authorized Purchaser that is necessary for the Trust to comply with such obligations upon written request of the Sponsor or (ii) in lieu thereof, and at the option of the Authorized Purchaser, the Authorized Purchaser may undertake
to deliver Fund Documents to the Authorized Purchaser’s customers that custody Shares with the Authorized Purchaser, after receipt from the Trust of sufficient quantities of such Fund Documents to allow mailing thereof to such customers. The expenses associated with such transmissions shall be borne by the Sponsor in accordance with usual custom and practice in respect of such communications. The Sponsor agrees that the names, addresses and other information concerning the Authorized Purchaser’s customers are and shall remain the sole property of the Authorized Purchaser, and none of the Sponsor, the Trust or any of their respective affiliates shall use such names, addresses or other information for any purposes except in connection with the performance of their duties and responsibilities hereunder and except to the extent necessary for the Fund to meet its regulatory requirements as set forth in Section 8(c) and in this Section 8(d) of the
Agreement.
Section 10. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Authorized Purchaser. The Sponsor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Authorized Purchaser, its partners, stockholders, members, directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents and any person who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons (each a “Sponsor Indemnified Person”), from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including reasonable attorney fees and the reasonable cost of investigation) which the Authorized Purchaser or any such person may incur under the 1933 Act, the Exchange Act, the CEA, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such
loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon:
(1) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended or supplemented) or in a Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 10 being deemed to include the Prospectus and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented) or any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in either such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in and in conformity with information
concerning the Authorized Purchaser furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser to the Sponsor expressly for use in such Registration Statement;
(2) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or breach by the Sponsor of any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement;
(3) the failure by the Sponsor, the Trust or their respective agents to perform when and as required, any agreement, obligation, duty or covenant contained herein; or
(4) the failure by the Sponsor, the Trust or their respective agents to comply with applicable laws and the rules and regulations of any governmental entity or any self-regulatory organization to the extent the foregoing relates to transactions in and activities with respect to Baskets.
In no case is the indemnity of the Sponsor in favor of the Authorized Purchaser and such other persons as are specified in this Section 10(a) to be deemed to protect the Authorized Purchaser and such persons against any liability to the Sponsor or the Fund to which the Authorized Purchaser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against a Sponsor Indemnified Person or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Sponsor pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, such Sponsor Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Sponsor in writing of the institution of such Proceeding, provided, however, that the omission to so notify the Sponsor shall not relieve the Sponsor or the Trust from any liability which it may have to the Sponsor Indemnified Person except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced by such failure and has not otherwise learned of such Proceeding. The Sponsor Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case and the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be borne by the
Sponsor and the Trust and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Sponsor shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the Sponsor Indemnified Persons who are parties to such Proceeding), except for the expenses and fees incurred with respect to matters that are not indemnifiable in accordance with the preceding paragraph. A Sponsor Indemnified Person shall give the Sponsor reasonable prior notice of settlement of any Proceeding in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Sponsor pursuant to this Section 10(a), provided, however that the omission to so notify the Sponsor shall not relieve the Sponsor or the Trust from any liability which it may have to the Sponsor Indemnified Person.
(b) The Authorized Purchaser agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each of the Trust, each Fund, the Sponsor and its partners, stockholders, members, directors, officers, employees and any person who controls the Sponsor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons (each, an “AP Indemnified Person”), from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including reasonable attorney fees and the reasonable cost of investigation) which the AP Indemnified Person may incur as a result of or in connection with any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in and in conformity with information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser to the Sponsor expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended or supplemented by any post-effective amendment thereof) or in a Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading.
The Authorized Purchaser will also indemnify each AP Indemnified Person from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which such AP Indemnified Person may incur as a result of or in connection with any actions of an AP Indemnified Person in accordance with any instructions by the Authorized Purchaser except in the case of any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of an AP Indemnified Person. In no case is the indemnity of the Authorized Purchaser in favor of each AP Indemnified Person to be deemed to protect the AP Indemnified Person and such persons against any liability to the Authorized Purchaser to which the AP Indemnified
Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
If any Proceeding is brought against an AP Indemnified Person, such AP Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Authorized Purchaser in writing of the institution of such Proceeding; provided, however, that the omission to so notify the Authorized Purchaser shall not relieve the Authorized Purchaser from any liability which it may have to such AP Indemnified Person except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced by such failure and has not otherwise learned of such Proceeding. The AP Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ its own counsel and the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be borne by the Authorized Purchaser and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Authorized Purchaser shall not be liable for
the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the AP Indemnified Persons who are parties to such Proceeding), except for the expenses and fees incurred with respect to matters that are not indemnifiable in accordance with the preceding paragraph. An AP Indemnified Person shall give the Authorized Purchaser reasonable prior notice of settlement of any Proceeding in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Authorized Purchaser pursuant to this Section 10(b), provided, however that the omission to so notify the Authorized Purchaser shall not relieve the Authorized Purchaser from any liability which it may have to the AP Indemnified Person.
(c) The indemnity agreements contained in this Section 10 shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser, its partners, stockholders, members, directors, officers, employees and or any person (including each partner, stockholder, member, director, officer or employee of such person) who controls the Authorized Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of each of the Sponsor, the Trust, their partners, stockholders, members, directors, officers, employees or any person who controls the Sponsor or the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the initial issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Sponsor and the Authorized Purchaser agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Sponsor, against any of the Sponsor’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
Section 11.
(a) Limitation of Liability.
None of the Sponsor, the Authorized Purchaser, the Marketing Agent, the Administrator, or the Custodian, shall be liable to each other or to any other person, including any party claiming by, through or on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser, for any losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses arising out of any mistake or error in data or other information provided to any of them by each other or any other person or out of any interruption or delay in the electronic means of communications used by them.
(b) Tax Liability.
The Authorized Purchaser shall be responsible for the payment of any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax and any other similar tax or government charge applicable to the creation or redemption of any Basket made pursuant to this Agreement, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Purchaser. To the extent the Sponsor or the Trust is required by law to pay any such tax or charge, the Authorized Purchaser agrees to promptly indemnify such party for any such payment, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax or interest thereon.
(c) Fund Liability
In accordance with Section 3.8 of the Trust Agreement, the Authorized Purchaser agrees and consent to look solely to the assets of the particular Fund in controversy for payment in respect of any claim against or obligation of such Fund. A Fund’s assets include only those funds and other assets that are paid, held or distributed to the Trust on account of and for the benefit of that particular Fund, including, without limitation, fund delivered to the Trust for the purchase of Shares in such Fund.
Section 12. Acknowledgment.
The Authorized Purchaser acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Prospectus and represents that it has reviewed and understands such document.
Section 13. Effectiveness and Termination.
Upon the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto, this Agreement shall become effective in this form as of the date first set forth above, and may be terminated at any time by any party upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other parties unless earlier terminated: (i) in accordance with Section 2(a); (ii) upon notice to the Authorized Purchaser by the Sponsor in the event of a breach by the Authorized Purchaser of this Agreement or the procedures described or incorporated herein; or (iii) at such time as the Trust is terminated. Termination of this Agreement as to any Fund shall not constitute termination as to any other Fund unless notice is given specifically as to such other Fund.
Section 14. Marketing Materials; Representations Regarding Baskets; Identification in Registration Statement.
(a) The Authorized Purchaser represents, warrants and covenants that, (i) without the written consent of the Sponsor, the Authorized Purchaser will not make, or permit any of its representatives to make, in connection with any sale or solicitation of a sale of Baskets any representations concerning the Shares or the Sponsor, the Trust, a Fund or any AP Indemnified Person other than representations consistent with (A) the then-current Prospectus of the Fund, (B) printed information approved by the Sponsor as information supplemental to such Prospectus or (C) any promotional materials or sales literature furnished to the Authorized Purchaser by the Sponsor, and (ii) the Authorized Purchaser will not furnish or cause to be furnished to any person or
display or publish any information or material relating to the Baskets, any AP Indemnified Person, the Trust or a Fund that is not consistent with the Fund’s then current Prospectus. Copies of the then-current Prospectus of the Funds and any such printed supplemental information will be supplied by the Sponsor to the Authorized Purchaser in reasonable quantities upon request.
(b) The Authorized Purchaser agrees to comply with the prospectus and disclosure delivery requirements of the federal securities and commodities laws. In connection therewith, the Authorized Purchaser will provide each prospective purchaser of a Fund with a copy of the Fund’s Prospectus.
(c) The Authorized Purchaser hereby agrees that for the term of this Agreement the Sponsor or its agent, the Marketing Agent, may deliver the then-current Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto or recirculation thereof, to the Authorized Purchaser in Portable Document Format (“PDF”) via electronic mail to __________________ in lieu of delivering the Prospectus in paper form. The Authorized Purchaser may revoke the foregoing agreement at any time by delivering written notice to the Sponsor and, whether or not such agreement is in effect, the Authorized Purchaser may, at any time, request reasonable quantities of the Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto or recirculation thereof, in paper form from
the Sponsor or its agent, the Marketing Agent. The Authorized Purchaser acknowledges that it has the capability to access, view, save and print material provided to it in PDF and that it will incur no appreciable extra costs by receiving the Prospectus in PDF instead of in paper form. The Sponsor will, when requested by the Authorized Purchaser, make available at no cost the software and technical assistance necessary to allow the Authorized Purchaser to access, view and print the PDF version of the Prospectus.
(d) For as long as this Agreement is effective, the Authorized Purchaser agrees to be identified as an authorized purchaser of a Fund at the Sponsor’s discretion (i) in any section of the Fund’s Prospectus included within the Registration Statement as may be required by the SEC and (ii) on the Fund’s website. Upon the termination of this Agreement as to any Fund, (i) during the period prior to when the Sponsor qualifies and elects to file on Form S-3, the Sponsor will remove such identification from the Prospectus in the amendment of the Registration Statement next occurring after the date of the termination of this Agreement and, during the period after when the Sponsor qualifies and elects to file on Form S-3, the
Sponsor will promptly file a current report on Form 8-K indicating the withdrawal of the Authorized Purchaser as an authorized purchaser of the Fund and (ii) the Sponsor will promptly update a Fund’s website to remove any identification of the Authorized Purchaser as an authorized purchaser of the Fund.
Section 15. Certain Covenants of the Sponsor
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The Sponsor, on its own behalf and on behalf of the Trust, covenants and agrees:
(a) to notify the Authorized Purchaser promptly of the happening of any event during the term of this Agreement which could require the making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during such time, to prepare and deliver or otherwise make available, at the expense of each Fund, to the Authorized Purchaser copies of such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change at such time and in such numbers as necessary to enable the Authorized Purchaser to comply with any
obligation it may have to deliver such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus to customers.
(b) to notify the Authorized Purchaser when a revised, supplemented, or amended Prospectus is available and to deliver or otherwise make available to the Authorized Purchaser copies of such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus at such time and in such numbers as to enable the Authorized Purchaser to comply with any obligation it may have to deliver such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus to customers, provided that as a general matter the Sponsor will make such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus available to the Authorized Purchaser on or before its effective date;
(c) to cause the independent public accounting firm for the Fund to deliver to the Authorized Purchaser upon the request of the Authorized Purchaser (i) at the time of filing of any pre-effective or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a new Registration Statement filed to register additional Baskets in reliance on Rule 429 of the 1933 Act, if in any such case the Registration Statement or amendment includes or incorporates by reference financial information not previously included or incorporated by reference in a Registration Statement or amendment, and (iii) at the time of effectiveness of any such Registration Statement or amendment, letters dated such dates and addressed to the Authorized Purchaser, containing statements
and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and other financial information contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;
(d) to deliver to the Authorized Purchaser (i) at the time of purchase of the initial Basket of a Fund by the Fund’s initial Authorize Purchaser, and (ii) if requested by the Authorized Purchaser, at the time of purchase of the first Basket of a Fund subsequent to the registration of additional Shares of the Fund, a certification by a duly authorized officer of the Sponsor in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D. In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Sponsor and delivered to the Authorized Purchaser or counsel for the Authorized Purchaser pursuant hereto shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Sponsor as to matters covered thereby to the Authorized Purchaser;
(e) to furnish directly or through the Administrator or the Marketing Agent to the Authorized Purchaser, (i) at the time of purchase of the initial Basket of a Fund by the Fund’s initial Authorize Purchaser, and (ii) at the time of purchase of the first Basket of a Fund subsequent to the registration of additional Shares of the Fund, such documents and certificates in the form as reasonably requested; and
Section 16. Third Party Beneficiaries.
Each AP Indemnified Person, to the extent it is not a party to this Agreement, is a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and may proceed directly against the Authorized Purchaser (including by bringing proceedings against the Authorized Purchaser in its own name) to enforce any obligation of the Authorized Purchaser under this Agreement which directly or indirectly benefits such AP Indemnified Person. Each Sponsor Indemnified Person, to the extent it is not a party to this Agreement, is a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and may proceed directly against the Sponsor, the Trust or their respective agents (including by bringing proceedings against the Sponsor, the Trust or their respective agents in its own name) to enforce any obligation of the Sponsor, the Trust or their agents under
this Agreement which directly or indirectly benefits such Sponsor Indemnified Person.
Section 17. Force Majeure.
No party to this Agreement shall incur any liability for any delay in performance, or for the non-performance, of any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any cause beyond its reasonable control. This includes any act of God or war or terrorism, any breakdown, malfunction or failure of transmission in connection with or other unavailability of any wire, communication or computer facilities, any transport, port, or airport disruption, industrial action, acts and regulations and rules of any governmental or supra-national bodies or authorities or regulatory or self-regulatory organization or failure of any such body, authority or organization for any reason, to perform its obligations.
Section 18. Miscellaneous
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(a) Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto) contains all of the agreements among the parties hereto (and thereto) with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby (and thereby) and supersedes all prior agreements or understandings, whether written or oral, among the parties with respect thereto.
(b) Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by a written instrument executed by all the parties.
(c) Successors and Assigns; Assignment. All the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. This Agreement shall not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of the other parties and any assignment without such consent shall be null and void.
(d) Waiver of Compliance. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, any failure of any of the parties to comply with any obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein may be waived by the party entitled to the benefits thereof only by a written instrument signed by the party granting such waiver, but any such waiver, or the failure to insist upon strict compliance with any obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein, shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure or breach.
(e) Severability. The parties hereto desire that the provisions of this Agreement be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under the law and public policies applied in each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. Accordingly, in the event that any provision of this Agreement would be held in any jurisdiction to be invalid, prohibited or unenforceable for any reason, such provision, as to such jurisdiction, shall be ineffective, without invalidating the remaining provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such provision could be more narrowly drawn so as not to be invalid, prohibited or unenforceable in such
jurisdiction, it shall, as to such jurisdiction, be so narrowly drawn, without invalidating the remaining provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.
(f) Notices. All notices, waivers, or other communications pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be sufficient if delivered personally, by facsimile (and, if sent by facsimile, followed by delivery by nationally-recognized express courier), sent by nationally-recognized express courier or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested), postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
(1) if to Sponsor or the Trust, to:
Teucrium Trading, LLC
c/o Dale Riker
232 Hidden Lake Road, Building A
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(2) if to the Authorized Purchaser, to:
[please provide]
All such notices and other communications shall be deemed to have been delivered and received (i) in the case of personal delivery or delivery by facsimile or e-mail, on the date of such delivery if delivered during business hours on a Business Day or, if not delivered during business hours on a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter, (ii) in the case of delivery by nationally-recognized express courier, on the first Business Day following dispatch, and (iii) in the case of mailing, on the third Business Day following such mailing.
(g) Governing Law; Jurisdiction.
(1) All questions concerning the construction, interpretation and validity of this Agreement and all transactions hereunder shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the domestic laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether in the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. In furtherance of the foregoing, the internal law of the State of New York will control the interpretation and construction of this Agreement, even if under such jurisdiction’s choice of law or conflict of law analysis, the
substantive law of some other jurisdiction would ordinarily or necessarily apply.
(2) Each party irrevocably consents and agrees, for the benefit of the other parties, that any legal action, suit or proceeding against it with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or any related agreement may be brought in the courts of the State of New York and hereby irrevocably consents and submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of each such court in personam, generally and unconditionally with respect to any action, suit or proceeding for itself and in respect of its properties, assets and revenues. Each party irrevocably waives any immunity to jurisdiction to which it may otherwise be entitled or become entitled
(including sovereign immunity, immunity to pre-judgment attachment and execution) in any legal suit, action or proceeding against it arising out of or based on this Agreement or any related agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby which is instituted in any court of the State of New York.
The provisions of this Section 17(g) shall survive any termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part.
(h) No Partnership. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or will be construed to constitute the Sponsor, the Trust or any Fund, on the one hand, and the Authorized Purchaser or any of its Affiliates, on the other hand, as partners or joint venturers; it being intended that the relationship between them will at all times be that of independent contractors.
(i) Interpretation. The article and section headings contained in this Agreement are solely for the purpose of reference, are not part of the agreement of the parties and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
(j) No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction will be applied against any party.
(k) Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Facsimile counterpart signatures to this Agreement shall be acceptable and binding.
(l) Other Usages. The following usages shall apply in interpreting this Agreement: (i) references to a governmental or quasi-governmental agency, authority or instrumentality shall also refer to a regulatory body that succeeds to the functions of such agency, authority or instrumentality; and (ii) “including” means “including, but not limited to.”
Section 19. Confidentiality.
(a) The Sponsor and the Trust (the “Sponsor Parties”) and the Authorized Purchaser shall maintain in confidence, use only for the purposes provided for in this Agreement, and not disclose to any third party, without first obtaining the consent in writing of the Authorized Purchaser (in the case of disclosure by the Sponsor Parties) or the Sponsor (in the case of disclosure by the Authorized Purchaser), any and all Confidential Information (as defined below) receives from the other party; provided, however, that either such party may disclose Confidential Information received from the other such party to those of its internal and external representatives as may
be necessary for such party to carry out its obligations under this Agreement.
“Confidential Information” shall mean all information or data of a party or its customers that is disclosed to or received by the other party, whether orally, visually or in writing, in any form, including, without limitation, information or data which relates to such party’s business or operations, research and development, marketing plans or activities, or actual or potential products.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Sponsor Parties shall have no liability to the Authorized Purchaser and the Authorized Purchaser shall have no liability to the Sponsor Parties for the disclosure or use of any Confidential Information of the other party if the Confidential Information:
(1) is known to the party disclosing the Confidential Information (the “Disclosing Party”) at the time of disclosure other than as the result of a breach of this Section 19 by the Disclosing Party;
(2) has been or becomes publicly known, other than as the result of a breach of this Section 19 by the Disclosing Party, or has been or is publicly disclosed by the other party;
(3) is received by Disclosing Party after the date of this Agreement from a third party (unless such third party breaches an obligation of confidentiality to the other party); or
(4) is required to be disclosed by law or similar compulsion or in connection with any legal proceeding or request for information on behalf of a governmental authority or self-regulatory organization, provided that the Disclosing Party shall promptly inform the other party in writing of such requirement and that such disclosure shall be limited to the extent so required.
(c) The parties recognize and acknowledge that a breach or threatened breach by a party of the provisions of this Section 19 may cause irreparable and material loss and damage to a Sponsor Party or the Authorized Purchaser, as the case may be, which cannot be adequately remedied at law and that, accordingly, in addition to, and not in lieu of, any damages or other remedy to which a non-breaching party may be entitled, the issuance of an injunction or other equitable remedy (without the requirement that a bond or other security be posted) is an appropriate remedy for the non-breaching party for any breach or threatened breach of the obligations set forth in this Section 19.
(d) The Sponsor Parties and the Authorized Purchaser agree that they will use the same degree of care, but no less than a reasonable degree of care, in safeguarding the Confidential Information of the Authorized Purchaser and the Sponsor Parties, respectively, as they use for their own Confidential Information of a similar nature. The Sponsor Parties shall promptly notify the Authorized Purchaser in writing of any misuse, misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of the Confidential Information of the Authorized Purchaser that may come to the attention of a Sponsor Party. The Authorized Purchaser shall promptly notify the Sponsor Parties in writing of any
misuse, misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of the Confidential Information of a Sponsor Party that may come to the attention of the Authorized Purchaser.
(e) Upon the termination of this Agreement, if requested in writing by a Sponsor Party or the Authorized Purchaser, the Sponsor Parties and the Authorized Purchaser shall, at the option of each and to the extent permitted by law, promptly destroy or return to the Authorized Purchaser and the Sponsor, respectively, all Confidential Information received from the Authorized Purchaser and the Sponsor Parties, all copies and extracts of such Confidential Information and all documents or other media containing any such Confidential Information.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Authorized Purchaser and the Sponsor have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first set forth above.
TEUCRIUM TRADING, LLC,
on behalf of itself and as Sponsor of each Fund of Teucrium Commodity Trust
By:
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[AUTHORIZED PURCHASER]
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By:
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Accepted by:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
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EXHIBIT A
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
LIST OF SERIES
Teucrium Corn Fund
Teucrium Natural Gas Fund
Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund
EXHIBIT B
TO
AUTHORIZED PURCHASER AGREEMENT
FOR TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING
PURCHASE ORDERS AND REDEMPTION ORDERS
This
Exhibit B
to the Authorized Purchaser Agreement supplements the Prospectus with respect to the procedures to be used in processing (1) a Purchase Order for the purchase of Shares of Teucrium Commodity Trust in Creation Units of each Fund and a (2) Redemption Order for the redemption of Shares of Teucrium Commodity Trust in Creation Units of each Fund. Capitalized terms, unless otherwise defined in this
Exhibit B
, have the meanings attributed to them in the Authorized Purchaser Agreement or the Prospectus.
An Authorized Purchaser is required to have signed the Authorized Purchaser Agreement. Upon acceptance of the Agreement and execution thereof by the Trust and in connection with the initial Purchase Order submitted by the Authorized Purchaser, the Transfer Agent will assign a PIN Number to each Authorized Person authorized to act for an Authorized Purchaser. This will allow an Authorized Purchaser through its Authorized Person(s) to place a Purchase Order or Redemption Order with respect to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units of Shares of Teucrium Commodity Trust.
EXHIBIT B – PART A
TO
AUTHORIZED PURCHAER AGREEMENT
FOR TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
TO PLACE A PURCHASE ORDER FOR
CREATION UNIT(S) OF SHARES OF ONE OR MORE FUNDS OF
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
1.
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PLACING A PURCHASE ORDER.
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The Authorized Purchaser (“AP”) submitting an order to create shall submit such orders containing the information required by the Transfer Agent in the following manner: (a) in writing transmitted by facsimile (b) through Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, as such may be made available and constituted from time to time, the use of which shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Electronic Services Agreement, incorporated herein by reference; or (c) by telephone to the BNYM ETF Administrator at the Transfer Agent according to the procedures set forth below. The order so transmitted (either in writing or electronic form) is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission” or the “Purchase Order” as applicable, and the Business Day on
which a Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date”. NOTE THAT IF THE TELEPHONIC METHOD OF SUBMITTING ORDERS IS USED, THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE SUBMISSION NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. AN ORDER OR REQUEST IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF THE SUBMISSION.
To begin a telephonic Purchase Order, the Authorized Purchaser (“AP”) must telephone the BNYM ETF Administrator at (718) 315-7500 or such other number as the Marketing Agent designates in writing to the AP. This telephone call must be made by an Authorized Person of the AP and answered by BNYM before the applicable Order Cutoff Time. Upon verifying the authenticity of the AP (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number), the BNYM ETF Administrator will request that the AP place the Purchase Order. To do so, the AP must provide the appropriate ticker symbols when referring to each Fund. After the AP has placed the Purchase Order, the BNYM ETF Administrator will read the Purchase Order back to the AP. The AP then must affirm that the
Purchase Order has been taken correctly by the BNYM ETF Administrator. If the AP affirms that Purchase Order has been taken correctly, the BNYM ETF Administrator will issue a confirmation number to the AP. All orders may also be placed by the AP via the web by the times described above.
A Fund’s Order Cutoff Time will not be later than 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Purchase Orders for the Funds, if accepted, will receive the next Business Day’s NAV per Creation Unit if submitted before the applicable Order Cutoff Time.
PLEASE NOTE: A PURCHASE ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER IS ISSUED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. WITH RESPECT TO EACH FUND, AN ORDER FOR FUND SHARES CANNOT BE CANCELED BY THE AP AFTER
THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER HAS BEEN ISSUED
. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE SEQUENCE RECEIVED. ACCORDINGLY, THE AP SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL.
CALLS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AT THE ORDER CUTOFF TIME ARE VALID AND THE ORDER WILL BE TAKEN. PLEASE NOTE THAT "IN PROGRESS" IS DEFINED AS AN AP ACTUALLY SPEAKING WITH A BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. FOR CALLS THAT ARE PLACED BEFORE THE ORDER CUTOFF TIME THAT ARE IN THE HOLDING QUEUE
UNANSWERED AT OR AFTER THE ORDER CUTOFF TIME, WILL BE VERBALLY DENIED.
INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE ORDER
CUTOFF
TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE RECORDED.
2.
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RECEIPT OF TRADE CONFIRMATION.
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Subject to the conditions that a properly completed telephone Purchase Order has been placed by the AP (either on its own or its customer’s behalf) not later than the Order Cutoff Time, the Marketing Agent will accept the Purchase Order on behalf of the Trust and will confirm in writing to the AP that its Purchase Order has been accepted within 45 minutes after the designated Order Cutoff time on the Business Day that the Purchase Order is received. Once the purchase order has been approved by the Marketing Agent, the Marketing Agent will sign or time-stamp the order and send that purchase order to the BNYM ETF Administrator.
After a confirmation number is issued by the BNYM ETF Administrator to the AP, the AP will fax a written version of the Purchase Order to the BNYM ETF Administrator. Upon receipt, the BNYM ETF Administrator should immediately telephone the AP if the BNYM ETF Administrator believes that the Purchase Order has not been completed correctly by the AP. In addition, the BNYM ETF Administrator will telephone the AP if the BNYM ETF Administrator is in non-receipt of the Purchase Order Form within 15 minutes after the Purchase Order has been called into the BNYM ETF Administrator.
4.
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REJECTING OR SUSPENDING PURCHASE ORDERS.
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The Trust or the Marketing Agent reserve the absolute right to reject acceptance of a Purchase Order if (i) due to position limits or otherwise, investment alternatives that will enable the Fund to meet its investment objective are not available or practicable at that time; (ii) the order is not in proper form as determined by the Trust, the BNYM ETF Administrator or the Marketing Agent; (iii) acceptance of the Creation Basket Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund or its Shareholders; (iv) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) circumstances outside the control of Trust, the Marketing Agent or the Transfer Agent make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process a Purchase Order. The Marketing Agent shall
notify the AP of a rejection or revocation of any Purchase Order. The Marketing Agent is under no duty, however, to give notification of any specific defects or irregularities in the delivery of the Creation Basket Deposit nor shall the Marketing Agent or the Trust incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification
. The Trust and Marketing Agent may not revoke a previously accepted Purchase Order, as defined in Section 2 of this Part.
The Trust acknowledges its agreement to return to the AP or any party for which it is acting any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Trust in respect of any Deposit Security that is transferred to Trust that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the AP or any party for which it is acting.
5.
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CONTRACTUAL SETTLEMENT.
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(a)
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Through the CNS Clearing Process
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(1) Except as provided below, the securities in the Creation Basket Deposit (“Deposit Securities”) of any domestic Fund must be delivered through the NSCC to a DTC account maintained at the Custodian on or before the Domestic Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). The AP must also make available on or before the Domestic Contractual Settlement Date, by means satisfactory to the Trust, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the cash component of the Creation Basket Deposit (the “Cash Component”), together with the applicable purchase Transaction Fee. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares of the Trust. The “Domestic Contractual Settlement
Date” is the next Business Day following the Purchase Order Date (t + 1) or such later Business Day, not to exceed three Business Days after the Purchase Order Date, as agreed to between the AP and the Transfer Agent when the Purchase Order is placed. Except as provided in the next two paragraphs, a Creation Unit of Shares of any Fund will be issued in accordance with the terms, conditions and guarantees as set forth in CNS agreements to which the Custodian and AP have entered into.
(2) The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (
i.e.
, a “cash in lieu” amount ) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security with respect to any domestic Fund which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for transfer through the CNS Clearing Process, or which may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC and hence not eligible for transfer through the CNS Clearing Process, additional cost, if any, to acquire the omitted securities will be at the expense of the AP.
(3) Any settlement outside the CNS Clearing Process is subject to additional requirements and fees as discussed in the Prospectus.
(b)
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Outside the CNS Clearing Process
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(1) Except as provided below, Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local Subcustodian on or before the International Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). The AP must also make available on or before the International Contractual Settlement Date, by means satisfactory to the Trust, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component, together with the applicable purchase Transaction Fee (as described in the Prospectus). Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares. The “International Contractual Settlement Date” with respect to each international
Fund is the earlier of (i) the date upon which all of the Deposit Securities, the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due are delivered to the Trust and (ii) the latest day for settlement on the customary settlement cycle in the jurisdiction(s) where the any of the securities of such international Fund are customarily traded.
(2) Except as provided in the next two paragraphs, a Creation Unit of Shares will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component and the purchase Transaction Fee have been completed
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When the Subcustodian confirms to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or, when permitted in the sole discretion of the Trust, the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant Subcustodian
,
the Custodian shall will cause the delivery of the Creation Unit of Shares.
(3) The Trust may in its sole discretion permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (
i.e.
, a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or for other similar reasons. If the Trust notifies the Marketing Agent that a “cash in lieu” amount will be accepted, the Marketing Agent or Transfer Agent will notify the AP and the AP shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, the “cash in lieu” amount, with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust which may include any difference between the
actual cost to the Trust to acquire an omitted security and the value of the security had the security been delivered in kind. Additional amounts, if any, shall be included in the calculation of the Cash Component to be received, any excess amounts will be returned to the AP following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares.
(4) In the event that a Creation Basket Deposit is incomplete on the settlement date for a Creation Unit of Shares because certain or all of the Deposit Securities are missing, the Trust may issue a Creation Unit of Shares notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The parties hereto agree that the delivery of such collateral shall be made in accordance with the Cash Collateral Settlement Procedures, which such procedures shall be provided to the
AP by the Transfer Agent upon request. The parties hereto further agree that
Trust, acting in good faith, may purchase
the missing Deposit Securities at any time and the AP agrees to accept liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.
When, in the sole discretion of the Trust, cash purchases of Creation Units of Shares are available or specified for a Fund, such purchases shall be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a cash purchase or where the cash equivalent value of one or more Deposit Securities is being deposited in lieu of such Deposit Security, the AP must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. In addition, to offset the Trust’s brokerage, transaction, and other costs associated with using the cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the AP may be required to pay an additional Transaction Fee or
adjustment as advised by the Trust which may include any difference between the actual cost to the Trust to acquire the Deposit Securities and the value of the Deposit Securities had the Deposit Securities been delivered. Such Transaction Fees and additional amounts, if any, shall be included in the calculation of the Cash Component to be received. Any excess amounts will be returned to the AP following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares
The Trust has developed procedures for the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets using Deposit Securities that differ from that published by NSCC as the then-existing portfolio basket for the Fund (a “Custom Basket”). In order for an AP to deliver or receive a Custom Basket to the Transfer Agent and the Trust in connection with a Purchase Order or Redemption Order rather than the basket of Deposit Securities published by NSCC together with the Cash Component, any cash in lieu amounts and any other cash fees, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor, or Trust must notify the AP that the Fund would like to effect the purchase or redemption through a Custom Basket and identify the contents of the Custom Basket at or prior to the time the AP calls with its Purchase Order
or Redemption Order and the AP must agree to deliver or receive the Custom Basket in connection with the creation or redemption. Prior to trade date, the Transfer Agent must notify NSCC of the Deposit Securities in the custom creation basket.
EXHIBIT B — PART B
TO
AUTHORIZED PURCHASER AGREEMENT
FOR TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
PROCEDURES TO PLACE A REDEMPTION ORDER FOR
CREATION UNIT(S) OF SHARES OF ONE OR MORE FUNDS OF
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
1.
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PLACING A REDEMPTION ORDER.
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The AP submitting a request to redeem shall submit such requests containing the information required by the Transfer Agent in the following manner: (a) in writing transmitted by facsimile; (b) through Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, as such may be made available and constituted from time to time, the use of which shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Electronic Services Agreement, incorporated herein by reference; or (c) by telephone to the Transfer Agent Representative and the Marketing Agent, as applicable, according to the procedures set forth below. The request so transmitted (either in writing or electronic form) is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission” or the “Redemption Order” as applicable, and the Business Day on which a
Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date”. NOTE THAT IF THE TELEPHONIC METHOD OF REQUESTING A REDEMPTION IS USED, THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE REQUEST NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE REQUEST PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE REQUEST. A REQUEST IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF THE SUBMISSION.
Redemption Orders for Creation Units of Shares may be initiated only on days that the Listing Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Stock Exchange are open for trading. Redemption Orders may only be made in whole Creation Units of shares of each Fund. To begin a telephonic Redemption Order, the AP must telephone the BNYM ETF Administrator at (718) 315-7500. This telephone call must be made by an Authorized Person of the AP and answered by BNYM before the applicable Order Cutoff Time. Upon verifying the authenticity of the AP (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number), the BNYM ETF Administrator will request that the AP place the Redemption Order. To do so, the AP must provide the appropriate ticker symbols when referring to a
Fund. After the AP has placed the Redemption Order, the BNYM ETF Administrator will read the Redemption Order back to the AP. The AP then must affirm that the Redemption Order has been taken correctly by the BNYM ETF Administrator. If the AP affirms that Redemption Order has been taken correctly, the BNYM ETF Administrator will issue a confirmation number to the AP.
A Fund’s Order Cutoff Time will not be later than 5:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. Redemption Orders for the Funds, if accepted, will receive the next Business Day’s NAV per Creation Unit if submitted before the applicable Order Cutoff Time.
PLEASE NOTE: A REDEMPTION ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER IS ISSUED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. WITH RESPECT TO EACH FUND, AN ORDER FOR FUND SHARES CANNOT BE CANCELED BY THE AP AFTER
THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER HAS BEEN ISSUED.
INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE SEQUENCE RECEIVED. ACCORDINGLY, THE AP SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL.
CALLS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AT THE CUTOFF TIME ARE VALID AND THE ORDER WILL BE TAKEN. PLEASE NOTE THAT "IN PROGRESS" IS DEFINED AS AN AP ACTUALLY SPEAKING WITH A BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. FOR CALLS THAT ARE PLACED BEFORE THE CUTOFF TIME THAT ARE IN THE
HOLDING QUEUE UNANSWERED BY STAFF AT OR AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME, WILL BE VERBALLY DENIED. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE RECORDED.
2.
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RECEIPT OF CONFIRMATION.
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Subject to the conditions that a duly completed telephone Redemption Order is received by the Transfer Agent from the AP on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor by the Order Cutoff Time, the Transfer Agent will accept the Redemption Order on behalf of the Trust. Once the Redemption Order has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will sign or time-stamp the order and send the Redemption Order to the Marketing Agent, and the Marketing Agent and will confirm in writing to the AP that its Redemption Order has been accepted within 45 minutes after the designated Order Cutoff Time on the Business Day the Redemption Order is received.
(a) After a confirmation number is issued by the BNYM ETF Administrator to the AP, the AP will fax a copy of the Redemption Order to the BNYM ETF Administrator. Upon receipt, the BNYM ETF Administrator should immediately telephone the AP, if the BNYM ETF Administrator believes that the Redemption Order has not been completed correctly by the AP. In addition, the BNYM ETF Administrator will telephone the AP if the BNYM ETF Administrator is in non-receipt of the Redemption Order Form within 15 minutes after the Redemption Order has been called into the BNYM ETF Administrator.
4.
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TAKING DELIVERY OF REDEMPTION SECURITIES.
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The securities constituting the in-kind portion of a redemption distribution (the “Redemption Securities”) will be delivered to the appropriate account which must be indicated in the AP’s Standing Redemption Instructions (see Part C of this Exhibit B). An Authorized Person of the AP may amend the AP’s Standing Redemption Instructions from time to time in writing to the BNYM ETF Administrator and the Trust in a form approved by the Trust. A redeeming Beneficial Owner or the AP acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate securities broker-dealer, bank or other custody arrangements to which account such Redemption Securities will be delivered. Redemptions of Shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable
U.S. federal and state securities laws.
5.
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CONTRACTUAL SETTLEMENT.
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(a) Through the CNS Clearing Process:
(1) Except as provided below, the Shares of any domestic Fund must be delivered through the NSCC to a DTC account maintained at the applicable custodian of any Domestic Fund on or before the Domestic Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). The Trust will make available on the Domestic Contractual Settlement Date, the Cash Component less the applicable Transaction Fee. The “Domestic Contractual Settlement Date” is the date upon which all of the required Shares must be delivered to the Trust and the Redemption Securities, any cash in lieu amounts and Cash Component less any fees are delivered by the Trust to the AP (ordinarily trade date plus one (t + 1) Business Day). Except as provided in the next
two paragraphs, the Redemption Securities and any cash component will be delivered concurrently with the transfer of good title to the Trust of the required number of Shares through the NSCC’s Continuous Net Settlement (CNS) system
;
(2) The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (
i.e.
, a “cash in lieu” amount ) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Redemption Security with respect to a Fund which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for transfer through the CNS Clearing Process, or which may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC and hence not eligible for transfer through the CNS Clearing Process (discussed below). Any settlement outside the CNS Clearing Process may be subject to additional requirements and fees as discussed in the Prospectus.
(3) If the Fund’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by the end of the settlement date, the redemption distribution is delivered to the extent of whole Baskets received. Any remainder of the redemption distribution is delivered on the next Business Day to the extent of remaining whole Baskets received if the Fund receives the fee applicable to the extension of the Redemption Distribution Date which the Sponsor may, from time to time, determine and the remaining Redemption Baskets are credited to the Fund’s DTC account on such next Business Day. Any further outstanding amount of the Redemption Order shall be cancelled. Pursuant to instruction from the Sponsor, the
Trust may deliver the redemption distribution notwithstanding a deficiency in a Redemption Basket in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 115% of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto agree that the delivery of such collateral shall be made in accordance with the Cash Collateral Settlement Procedures, which such procedures shall be provided to the AP by the Transfer Agent upon request.
(b) Outside the CNS Clearing Process:
(1) Except as provided below, the Shares must be delivered to an account maintained at the Custodian on or before the International Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). The Trust will also make available on the International Contractual Settlement Date, immediately available or same day funds sufficient to pay the Cash Component, less the applicable Transaction Fee (as described in the Prospectus). The “International Contractual Settlement Date” of an International Fund is the earlier of (i) the date upon which all of the Redemption Securities are delivered to the AP and (ii) the latest day for settlement on the customary settlement cycle in the jurisdiction(s) where the any of the securities of such
international Fund are customarily traded.
(2) Deliveries of redemption distributions by the Funds generally will be made within three (3) Business Days. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of in-kind Redemption Securities of international Funds may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the Redemption Order is placed.
(3) Except as provided in the next two paragraphs, the Deposit Securities will not be delivered until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the required Redemption Baskets of Shares has been completed
.
When the Custodian confirms that the required Shares (or, when permitted in the sole discretion of the Trust, the cash collateral) have been received by the account
,
the Custodian will cause the delivery of the Redemption Securities.
(4) The Trust may in its sole discretion permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (
i.e.
, a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Redemption Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or for other similar reasons. If the Trust notifies the Marketing Agent that a “cash in lieu” amount will be delivered, the Marketing Agent will notify the AP and the AP shall receive, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, the “cash in lieu” amount, with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. The AP may also elect to replace any Redemption
Securities with a “cash in lieu” amount to the extent that the AP is not authorized to purchase the particular Redemption Securities from the Fund or is not able to sell the particular Redemption Securities in the secondary market, consistent with restrictions in applicable law or the AP’s internal policies and procedures.
(5) In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on the International Contractual Settlement Date, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery on the International Contractual Settlement Date and subsequent maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 115% of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto agree that the delivery of such collateral shall be made in accordance with the Cash Collateral Settlement Procedures, which such procedures shall be provided to the AP by the Transfer Agent upon
request.
In the event that, in the sole discretion of the Trust, cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Trust, proceeds will be paid to the AP redeeming Shares on behalf of the redeeming investor as soon as practicable after the date of redemption.
7.
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STANDING REDEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS.
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Part C
to this Exhibit B contains the AP’s Standing Redemption Instructions, which include information identifying the account(s) into which Deposit Securities of each Fund and any other redemption proceeds should be delivered by the Trust pursuant to a Redemption Order.
EXHIBIT B — PART C
TO
AUTHORIZED PURCHASER AGREEMENT
FOR TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
THE AP ACCOUNTS
FOR DELIVERY OF DEPOSIT SECURITIES
The accounts into which Teucrium Commodity Trust should deposit the securities constituting the Deposit Securities of each Fund upon redemption by the AP are set forth below:
Name of AP: __________________
Account Name: __________________
Account Number: __________________
Other Reference Number: __________________
EXHIBIT C
TO
AUTHORIZED PURCHASER AGREEMENT
FOR TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
FORM OF CERTIFIED AUTHORIZED PERSONS
OF THE AUTHORIZED PURCHASER
The following are the names, titles and signatures of all persons (each an “Authorized Person”) authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by this Agreement or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the AP pursuant to this Agreement.
Name: __________________
Title: __________________
Signature: __________________
Name: __________________
Title: __________________
Signature: __________________
Name: __________________
Title: __________________
Signature: __________________
The undersigned, [name], [title], [company], does hereby certify that the persons listed above have been duly elected to the offices set forth beneath their names, that they presently hold such offices, that they have been duly authorized to act as Authorized Persons of this institution in its capacity as an AP pursuant to the Agreement by and between
Teucrium Commodity Trust, Teucrium Trading, LLC and _______________________ as AP dated
[date] and that their signatures set forth above are their own true and genuine signatures.
In witness whereof, the undersigned has hereby set his/her hand and the seal of [company].
Date: _________________ ___________________
[name, title]
EXHIBIT D
TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST
OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, a duly authorized officer of Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Teucrium Commodity Trust Authorized Purchaser Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated as of _____________________, by and among the Sponsor, Teucrium Commodity Trust and [Authorized Purchaser], (“the Authorized Purchaser”), hereby certifies that:
1. Each of the following representations and warranties of the Sponsor is true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof:
(a) the Prospectus does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; the Registration Statement complies in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the Prospectus complies in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed; the conditions to the use of Form S-1 or S-3, if applicable, have been
satisfied; and the Registration Statement does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Sponsor makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning the Authorized Purchaser and furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Authorized Purchaser to the Sponsor expressly for use in the Registration Statement or such Prospectus;
(b) the Trust has been duly formed and is validly existing as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and each Fund has been duly established as a series of the Trust, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and as described in the Prospectus, and is authorized to issue and deliver, or to instruct the Marketing Agent to issue and deliver, the Baskets to the Authorized Purchaser as described in the Prospectus;
(c) the Sponsor has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full power and authority to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement;
(d) the Sponsor is duly qualified and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the conduct of its business requires such qualification; and the Trust is not required to so qualify in any jurisdiction;
(e) the outstanding Shares have been duly and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights;
(f) the Shares conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the holders of the Shares will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders;
(g) the Sponsor is not in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) its constitutive documents, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness to which the Sponsor is a party or by which the Sponsor or any of its properties may be bound or affected, and the execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement, the issuance and sale of Shares to the Authorized
Purchaser hereunder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby does not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under), respectively, the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the
Sponsor is a party or by which, respectively, the Sponsor or any of its properties may be bound or affected, or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Sponsor;
(h) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required to be obtained by the Sponsor, the Trust or a Fund in connection with the issuance and sale of Creation Baskets to the Authorized Purchaser hereunder or the consummation by the Sponsor or the Trust of the transactions contemplated hereunder other than registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act and the filing of the Prospectus with the National Futures Association, and any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered;
(i) except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Trust to issue or sell to it any Shares or other equity interests of any Fund, and (ii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter to the Trust in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i), and (ii), whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise; no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Trust to register under the 1933 Act any other equity interests of a Fund, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration
Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise;
(j) each of the Sponsor and the Trust has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct its respective business; the Sponsor is not in violation of, or in default under, or has not received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Sponsor;
(k) all legal or governmental proceedings, affiliate transactions, off-balance sheet transactions, contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed as required;
(l) except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or threatened or contemplated to which the Sponsor or the Trust, or (to the extent that is or could be material in the context of the offering and sale of the Baskets to the Authorized Purchaser) any of the Sponsor’s directors or officers, is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties are or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency;
(m) Rothstein Kass, whose report on the audited financial statements of each Fund is filed with the SEC as part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act;
(n) the audited financial statement(s) of any Fund included in the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, presents fairly the financial position of such Fund as of the date indicated and has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the 1933 Act and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that are not included as required; and each of the Funds do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;
(o) to the reasonable belief of the Sponsor, each Fund is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, will not be an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act;
(p) (i) except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Sponsor and the Fund own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other rights to use, the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses (collectively, “Intellectual Property”);
(ii) except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there are no third parties who have or will be able to establish rights to any Intellectual Property, except for the ownership rights of the owners of the Intellectual Property which is licensed to the Sponsor or a Fund;
(iii) to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property owned or licensed to the Sponsor or a Fund;
(iv) to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Sponsor’s or a Fund’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Sponsor and the Trust are unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such claim;
(v) to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any Intellectual Property;
(vi) to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Sponsor or a Fund infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Sponsor and the Trust are unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such claim;
(vii) to the knowledge of the Sponsor or the Trust, there is no patent or patent application that contains claims that interfere with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property owned or licensed to the Sponsor or a Fund; and
(q) all tax returns required to be filed by the Sponsor have been filed, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been paid; and no tax returns or tax payments are due with respect to a Fund as of the date of this Certificate;
(r) the Sponsor has not sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Sponsor or any other party to any such contract or agreement;
(s) on behalf of each Fund, the Sponsor has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act, giving effect to the rules and regulations, and SEC staff interpretations (whether or not public), thereunder); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to each Fund is made known to the Sponsor, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; on behalf of each Fund, the Sponsor has disclosed to the Funds’ auditors when and to the extent required: (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could
adversely affect a Fund’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in a Fund’s internal controls;
(t) any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Sponsor believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Sponsor has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required; and
(u) neither the Sponsor, nor any of the Sponsor’s directors, members, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security or asset of a Fund to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
For purposes hereof, the term “ Registration Statement” shall mean the Registration Statement as amended or supplemented from time to time up to the date hereof, and the term “Prospectus” shall mean the Prospectus as amended or supplemented from time to time up to the date hereof.
2. Each of the obligations of the Sponsor to be performed by it on or before the date hereof pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, and each of the provisions thereof to be complied with by the Sponsor on or before the date hereof, has been duly performed and complied with in all material respects. Capitalized terms used, but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto, on behalf of the Sponsor, subscribed my name this ___ day of ________, ____.
I, ___________, in my capacity as [title], hereby certify that _____________ is the duly elected [title] of the Sponsor, and that the signature set forth immediately above is [his/her] genuine signature.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as of the date first set forth above.
EXHIBIT E
CREATION AND REDEMPTION BASKETS
SHARE REQUIREMENTS, FEES
AND ORDER CUTOFF TIMES
AS OF _________, 2011
The size of the Basket for each Fund is set forth in the Prospectus for each Fund. As of the date of this agreement, for the Teucrium Corn Fund Baskets are 100,000 shares, for the Teucrium Natural Gas Fund Baskets are 50,000 shares, and for the Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund Baskets are 25,000 shares.
The amount of the “Transaction Fee” provided for in Section 5 of this Agreement for each Fund is set forth in the Prospectus for each Fund. As of the date of this Agreement, the Transaction Fee is one thousand dollars ($1,000) per Order for the Teucrium Corn Fund and five hundred dollars ($500) per Redemption Order for the Teucrium Natural Gas Fund. No Transaction Fee is currently charged in connection with Purchase Orders for the Teucrium Natural Gas Fund.
For the Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund, Transaction Fees are two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per Basket created or redeemed with, in the case of Purchase Orders, a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500) per Order.
As of the date of this agreement, the Order Cutoff Time for the Teucrium Corn Fund is 1:15 PM New York time, and the Order Cutoff Time for the Teucrium Natural Gas Fund and Teucrium WTI Crude Oil Fund is 12:00 PM New York time.
These Basket sizes and Transaction Fees may be adjusted from time to time as set forth in the Prospectus without amending this Exhibit E.