AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 18, 2013

 

File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (X)

 

PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2 (X)

 

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. __ (  )

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 (X)

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2 (X)

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

 

(646) 479-5031

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code )

 

Jonathan Krane

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

Christopher D. Menconi

Bingham McCutchen LLP

2020 K Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20006-1806

 

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

¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

x As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

 

   

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 THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 
 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

 

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

KraneShares Trust

 

Prospectus

 

__, 2013

 

KRANESHARES DOW JONES CHINA SELECT DIVIDEND ETF

 

Principal Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

Ticker Symbol: CHDV

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commissions has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 
 

 

KraneShares Trust

Table of Contents

 

   
Fund Summary  
KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF 1
Additional Information About the Fund 6
Additional Investment Objective, Principal Strategies and Principal Risks 6
Management 13
Investment Adviser 13
Investment Sub-Adviser 14
Portfolio Managers 14
Shareholder Information 14
Calculating NAV 14
Buying and Selling Fund Shares 15
Share Trading Prices 15
Active Investors and Market Timing 15
Investments by Registered Investment Companies 15
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 16
Distribution Plan 16
Dividends and Distributions 16
Additional Tax Information 16
Tax Status of the Fund 16
Tax Status on Distributions 16
Tax Status of Share Transactions 17
Back-Up Withholding 18
Non-U.S. Investors 18
State Tax Considerations 18
Chinese Tax Disclosure 18
Taxes on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units 18
Premium/Discount Information 19
More Information 19
Index Provider Information 19
Additional Information 21

 

 
 

 

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

 

 

Investment Objective

The KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities benchmark. The Fund’s current benchmark is the Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None  
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)        
Management Fees     0.68 %
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees     0.00 %
Other Expenses*     0.00 %
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses     0.68 %

 

*   Other expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. This Example does not include the brokerage commissions that you may pay when purchasing or selling shares of the Fund. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

 

1 Year     3 Years  
$ 64     $ 202  

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund uses a passive management strategy, known as “replication,” to track the performance of the Underlying Index. “Replication” refers to investing in substantially all of the securities in the Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Underlying Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. The Underlying Index measures the performance of dividend-yielding stocks among: 1) China-based companies traded in Hong Kong, the United States or other exchanges that are available to U.S. investors and 2) publicly traded Hong Kong-based companies that generate the majority of their revenue from China or expect to generate the majority of their sales growth from China (collectively, “China Dividend Companies”). The Fund, under normal circumstances, will also invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in China Dividend Companies.

 

1
 

 

The constituents of the Underlying Index are derived from the universe of equity securities of eligible companies included in the Dow Jones China Offshore Total Stock Market Index and the Dow Jones Hong Kong Total Stock Market Index, which are market capitalization-weighted indexes designed to measure the performance of equity securities with readily available prices. The Underlying Index is a dividend yield-weighted index that generally is designed to include securities with positive dividend-paying and yield characteristics. The Underlying Index is unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in investments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track its Underlying Index. Such investments include cash or cash equivalents, including money market funds. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will necessarily be concentrated in that industry. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its net assets in a particular issuer in comparison to a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks

As with all exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. In addition to this risk, the Fund is subject to a number of additional risks that may affect the value of its shares, including:

 

Capital Controls Risk. Economic conditions and political events may lead to foreign government intervention and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 

Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. The Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). The underlying securities of the ADRs in the Fund’s portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading. Investments in the underlying foreign securities also involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities and instruments that are traded in developing or emerging markets or that provide exposure to such securities or markets. These investments can involve additional risks relating to currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. The Fund’s investments in equity securities may underperform other asset classes or the market as a whole.

 

2
 

 

Fiscal Policy Risk. The failure to extend the current federal tax treatment of qualified dividend income could make dividend-paying securities less appealing to investors and could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets directly in securities issued by Chinese and Hong Kong companies, or in depositary receipts that represent such securities. Investments in securities of Chinese and Hong-Kong based issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a Chinese or Hong Kong issuer than a U.S. issuer. Chinese and Hong Kong issuers may also be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

 

Geographic Concentration in China and Hong Kong. Because the Fund concentrates its investments in securities issued China and Hong Kong, the Fund’s performance is expected to be closely tied to social, political, and economic conditions within China and to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and increase the volatility of an investment in the Fund.

 

Industry and Sector Risk. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in issuers in a single industry (or the same group of industries) or sector of the economy. To the extent the Fund’s investments are concentrated in or have significant exposure to a particular issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class, the Fund may be more vulnerable to adverse events affecting such issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class than if the Fund’s investments were more broadly diversified. While the Fund’s sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund anticipates that it may be subject to some or all of the risks described below. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors and industries the Fund may have exposure to over time and should not be relied on as such.

 

Energy Sector and Industry Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to the energy sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of energy sector companies will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. The prices of the securities of energy companies also may fluctuate widely in response to such events.

 

Financial Sector and Industry Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the banking industry, in particular, the Fund is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the banking industry. The prices of the securities of banking companies may fluctuate widely due to the broadening of regional and national interstate banking powers, the reduction in the number of publicly-traded banking companies, and general economic conditions that could create exposure to credit losses.

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector and Industry Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to companies conducting business in the consumer discretionary sector, the Fund is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the consumer discretionary sector. The performance of consumer discretionary companies has historically been closely tied to the performance of the overall economy, and also is affected by social trends, interest rates, competition, consumer confidence and relative levels of disposable household income and seasonal consumer spending.

 

3
 

 

Real Estate Sector and Industry Risk. Investing in the real estate sector or an industry within the real estate sector (which may include investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”)) may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, among other risks. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. In addition, REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code and maintaining exemption from the registration requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

Basic Materials Sector and Industry Risk. T o the extent the Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the basic materials sector, the Fund is vulnerable to volatility in the commodities market and subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the basic materials sector.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to such factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Mid- and Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies underperform securities of small-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. Securities of small-capitalization companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies, but also offer greater potential for capital appreciation.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers, and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser does not attempt to outperform the Underlying Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. Therefore, the Fund may be subject to greater losses in a declining market than a fund that is actively managed.

 

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV when purchased and sold in the secondary market, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

 

Tracking Error Risk. The Adviser may not be able to cause the Fund’s performance to match or correlate to that of the Underlying Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Factors such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of the Underlying Index, rounding of share prices, changes to the composition of the Underlying Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate all contribute to tracking error. Tracking error risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.

 

4
 

 

Trading Risk. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund’s shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained.

 

Performance Information

The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund’s return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund’s return to a broad measure of market performance.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

Jonathan Krane and Denise Krisko are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Jonathan Krane, CEO and Managing Member of the Adviser, founded the Adviser in 2011 and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

 

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser, has had primary responsibility for trading the Fund’s portfolio securities since the Fund’s inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in “Creation Units” of 50,000 shares, or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund’s shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer on the Exchange.

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination of both), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

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

 

5
 

 

Additional Information About the Fund

 

Additional Investment Objective, Principal Investment Strategies and Principal Risks

 

Investment Objective. The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental. As a result, the Fund may change its investment objective without shareholder approval.

 

Principal Investment Strategies. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Underlying Index. The Fund will also invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes in China Dividend Companies. The Fund may change either or both of its 80% investment policies without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. In managing the Fund, the Adviser uses a “passive” investment strategy meaning that the Adviser does not attempt to select securities based on their individual potential to outperform the Underlying Index or the market, generally. The Adviser’s primary objective is to correspond to the performance of the Fund’s Underlying Index as closely as possible on a daily basis. The Adviser does not engage in temporary defensive investing, keeping the Fund’s assets fully invested in all market environments. As a result, the Fund may be more vulnerable to adverse market movements than a fund that engages in temporary defensive investing strategies.

 

Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is “dividend weighted,” meaning that the proportion, or “weighting,” of the securities in the Underlying Index is based, generally, on the dividend yield of companies eligible to be included in the Underlying Index. This means that securities of companies that have higher dividend yields generally will be more heavily weighted in the Underlying Index and, thus, represented in the Fund to a greater extent than the securities of companies that have lesser dividend yields. In addition to dividend yield, eligible companies must satisfy additional criteria, including dividend quality requirements. Securities included in the Underlying Index generally must have paid dividends in each of the previous three years, with the previous dividend-per-share greater than or equal to the three-year average annual dividend-per-share ratio and a five-year average payout of less than 85% of per-share earnings. Only regular dividends ( i.e. , established or quarterly dividends as opposed to non-recurring or special dividends) are included in the determination of cash dividends or dividend yield.

 

The Underlying Index is expected to be composed of 25 to 30 constituents with an average market capitalization of $10.7 billion. The Underlying Index may concentrate in an industry or group of industries from time to time.

 

The Underlying Index includes China Dividend Companies as represented by H-Shares and Red Chips. H-Shares are the securities of companies that are incorporated in mainland China, denominated in Hong Kong dollars, and listed on the Hong Kong Exchange. Red Chips are the securities of companies the main business operations of which are carried out in mainland China, but which are incorporated in certain foreign jurisdictions controlled directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the People’s Republic of China, and that are listed on the Hong Kong Exchange.

 

More information about the Underlying Index, including a list of its constituents, may be reviewed on the [S&P/Dow Jones website].

 

Upon consultation with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser may sell securities that are represented in the Underlying Index or purchase securities not yet represented in the Underlying Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Underlying Index. There also may be instances in which the Sub-Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Underlying Index or purchase or sell securities not in the Underlying Index which the Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Underlying Index or utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Underlying Index.

 

6
 

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund. The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks” in the Fund Summary.

 

Capital Controls Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by non-U.S. governments and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares . Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of the securities the Fund holds will decline due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities the Fund holds participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of equity securities the Fund holds; the price of common stock may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market; or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks and other equity securities the Fund holds. In addition, common stock in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial condition. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, in terms of priority to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers.

 

7
 

 

Fiscal Policy Risk. Currently, the dividends earned by the Fund are expected to be deemed qualified dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income. The failure to extend the current federal tax treatment of qualified dividend income could make dividend-paying securities less appealing to investors and could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Returns on investments in foreign stocks and other instruments could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. stocks.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund invests in foreign securities, including non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities traded outside of the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the United States. Investment in foreign securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. Foreign investments may also involve risks associated with the level of currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political instability. Future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on dividend income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an investment in foreign securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing and recordkeeping requirements.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are depositary receipts which are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. Investment in ADRs and GDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile and less liquid than depositary receipts issued by companies in more developed markets.

 

Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas unsponsored depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipt. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

 

Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. The Fund’s investments may also include ADRs and GDRs that are not purchased in the public markets and are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Adviser will determine the liquidity of such investments pursuant to guidelines established by the Board. If a particular investment in such ADRs or GDRs is deemed illiquid, that investment will be included within the Fund’s limitation on investment in illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund’s decision to sell these types of ADRs or GDRs and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell.

 

8
 

 

Currency Risk. The Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad. In addition, the Fund may incur transaction costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund may, but is not obligated to, engage in currency hedging transactions. However, not all currency risk may be effectively hedged, and in some cases the costs of hedging techniques may outweigh expected benefits. In such instances, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

Political and Economic Risk. The Fund is subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events (labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a country where the Fund invests could cause the Fund’s investments in that country to experience gains or losses. The Fund also could be unable to enforce its ownership rights or pursue legal remedies in countries where it invests.

 

Foreign Market and Trading Risk. The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight. Foreign markets also may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities. These factors could result in a loss to the Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an attractive investment opportunity, or by causing Fund assets to be uninvested for some period of time.

 

Geographic Concentration in China and Hong Kong. The Fund’s investments are concentrated in China and Hong Kong, and therefore the Fund will be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting those regions.

 

China. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. Since 1978, the Chinese government has been, and is expected to continue, reforming its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. In the past, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies.

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In addition, China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries. However, in some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur. Expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests.

 

The Chinese economy is dependent on the economies of Asia, Europe and the United States as key trading partners. Reduction in spending by these economies on Chinese products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may adversely affect the Chinese economy.

 

Hong Kong. The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation of current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government.

 

Industry and Sector Risk. The Fund may concentrate its investments in or have significant exposure to a particular issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect an issuer, industry or a group of related industries, or an asset class and value of the securities of companies of such issuer, industry or group of industries or asset class could be adversely affected by these or other developments. The Fund’s sector exposure and industry concentrations are expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors and industries the Fund may have exposure to over time and should not be relied on as such.

 

Energy Sector and Industry Risk. The market values of the companies in the energy sector and industries within the energy sector are highly dependent on energy prices, which, in turn, are dependent on supply and demand of energy resources, economic conditions, and technological advances among other factors. As a result, the energy sector and industries can be volatile segments of the market. Companies in the energy sector are frequently subject to substantial regulation and may be subject to competitive or fixed pricing structures, which may increase the cost of business and limit potential earnings. Companies in the energy sector also may have significant exposure to emerging market or developing countries and, thus, be subject to a greater risk of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse governmental policies.

 

Financial Sector and Industry Risk. Companies in the financial sector generally are subject to extensive government regulation and changes in regulation that may adversely affect a company’s ability to engage in certain activities previously permitted. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the banking industry, in particular, the Fund is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the banking industry. For example, government regulations may limit both the amounts and types of loans and financial commitments banking companies can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain, which may affect the profitability of banking companies. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers also can negatively affect the performance of banking companies. The prices of the securities of banking companies may fluctuate widely due to the broadening of regional and national interstate banking powers, the reduction in the number of publicly-traded banking companies, and general economic conditions that could create exposure to credit losses.

 

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Consumer Discretionary Sector and Industry Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to companies conducting business in the consumer discretionary sector, the Fund is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the consumer discretionary sector. The performance of consumer discretionary companies has historically been closely tied to the performance of the overall economy, and also is affected by social trends, interest rates, competition, consumer confidence and relative levels of disposable household income and seasonal consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace. Government regulation, world events and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies.

 

Real Estate Sector and Industry Risk. Investing in the real estate sector or an industry within the real estate sector (which may include investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”)) may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in real estate securities. Certain real estate securities have a relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of these securities. Real estate securities are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. In addition, REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code and maintaining exemption from the registration requirements of the 1940 Act.

 

Basic Materials Sector and Industry Risk. T o the extent the Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the basic materials sector, the Fund is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the basic materials sector. The prices of the securities of basic materials companies may fluctuate widely due to the level and volatility of commodity prices, the exchange value of the U.S. dollar, import controls, worldwide competition, liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control devices.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can affect a security’s or instrument’s value. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers. Issuer-specific events can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments, as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

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Mid- and Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies. While securities in these capitalization ranges represent a significant percentage of the market, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies underperform securities of small-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. Mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than more established large-capitalization companies because mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel relative to large-capitalization companies. Securities of small-capitalization companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies, but also offer greater potential for capital appreciation.

 

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

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively “managed.” Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the Underlying Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. If a specific security is removed from the Underlying Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security’s current market value. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. You should anticipate that the value of Fund shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence with any decline in value of the Fund’s Underlying Index. The Underlying Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular economic cycle, and the timing of movements from one type of security to another in seeking to replicate the Underlying Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.

 

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. The NAV of the Fund shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Underlying Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility. However, given that shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAV), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Fund shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from such Fund’s NAV. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the shares, then the investor may sustain losses.

 

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Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error refers to the risk that the Adviser may not be able to cause the Fund’s performance to match or correlate to that of the Fund’s Underlying Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund’s tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of its Underlying Index, rounding of share prices, changes to the composition of the Underlying Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate. Tracking error may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected.

 

Trading Risk . Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

 

Portfolio Holdings Information

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). The top holdings of the Fund can be found on the Fund’s website at www.kraneshares.com.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser  

The Adviser is a newly-formed investment adviser located at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019 and serves as investment adviser of the Fund. The Adviser has served as the investment adviser of the Fund since its inception.

 

The Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, and continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Fund’s investment program. The Board of Trustees of the Trust supervises the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its day-to-day management activities. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Adviser, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.68% based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

The Adviser bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services. As part of its agreement with the Trust, the Adviser has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of the Fund, including the cost of index licensing fees, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except interest expense, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with execution of portfolio transactions, expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees’ counsel fees), extraordinary expenses, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, if any, and the advisory fee payable to the Adviser.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

 

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Investment Sub-Adviser

The Sub-Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC and is located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.05% on the Fund’s daily average net assets up to $50 million; 0.04% on the Fund’s daily average net assets on the next $50 million; and 0.03% on the Fund’s daily average net assets in excess of $50 million.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment sub-advisory agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

 

Portfolio Managers

Jonathan Krane of the Adviser and Denise Krisko of the Sub-Adviser are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Mr. Krane founded the Adviser in 2011. He is also Managing Partner of Krane Capital, an investment and advisory company based in New York, and advises companies in the United States and China on various financial investment opportunities. Prior to that, Mr. Krane was Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company. Mr. Krane received a B.A. from Connecticut College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

 

Ms. Krisko is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund. Ms. Krisko became the Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser in 2009 and has over eighteen years of investment experience. Previously, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management. She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors since August of 2005. Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation. She graduated with a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her M.B.A. from Villanova University.

 

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund is available in the SAI. 

 

Shareholder Information

 

Calculating NAV

The Fund calculates its NAV by:

 

· Taking the current market value of its total assets
· Subtracting any liabilities
· Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

 

The Fund calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the Exchange is open for business (a “Business Day”) (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

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Fair value pricing is used by the Fund when reliable market valuations are not readily available or are not deemed to reflect current market values. Securities that may be valued using “fair value” pricing may include, but are not limited to, securities for which there are no current market quotations or whose issuer is in default or bankruptcy, securities subject to corporate actions (such as mergers or reorganizations), securities subject to non-U.S. investment limits or currency controls, and securities affected by “significant events.” An example of a significant event is an event occurring after the close of the market in which a security trades but before the Fund’s next NAV calculation time that may materially affect the value of the Fund’s investment ( e.g. , government action, natural disaster, or significant market fluctuation). When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. If the Adviser uses fair value pricing to value its securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer (“Authorized Participant”) that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund.

 

Once created, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell the Fund’s shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares.

 

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of the Fund’s shares listed on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The Exchange intends to disseminate the approximate value of the portfolio underlying a share of the Fund every fifteen seconds. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such values and makes no warranty as to their accuracy.

 

Active Investors and Market Timing  

The Trust’s Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor principally in exchange for a basket of securities that mirrors the composition of the Fund’s portfolio and a specified amount of cash. The Fund also imposes a transaction fee on such Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the Fund’s transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Unit shares. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time. The Fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading and may reject purchase or redemption orders in such instances.

 

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.

 

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Payments to Broker-Dealers and other Financial Intermediaries

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

 

Distribution Plan

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides distribution services, the Fund will pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor will, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees.

 

The Board of Trustees has determined that no payments pursuant to the Plan will be made for at least the first twelve months of operation. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Any forgone 12b-1 fees during the next 12 months will not be recoverable during any subsequent period. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Dividends and Distributions

The Fund pays out dividends to shareholders at least quarterly. The Fund distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code, to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Additional Tax Information

 

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.

 

Tax Status of the Fund

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

 

Tax Status of Distributions

The Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains income.

 

The income dividends and short-term capital gains distributions you receive from the Fund will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income.

 

Dividends that are designated as qualified dividend income are eligible for the reduced maximum rate to individuals of 15% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets) to the extent that that Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations.

 

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Long-term capital gains distributions will result from gains on the sale or exchange of capital assets held by the Fund for more than one year. Any long-term capital gains distributions you receive from the Fund are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxed at a maximum rate of 15%.

 

Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% tax rate on qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.

 

Beginning in 2013, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains.

 

The Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund.

 

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares.

 

Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

 

Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year.

 

Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

 

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

 

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in the Fund. In addition, the Fund may be able to pass along a tax credit for foreign income taxes that they pay. The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return if it makes this election.

 

Tax Status of Share Transactions

Currently, any capital gain or loss upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of Fund shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

 

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As noted above, beginning in 2013, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares.

 

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distribution from the Fund, until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

 

Back-Up Withholding

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates and remit to the United States Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) who has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

 

Non-U.S. Investors

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund. You also may potentially be subject to U.S. estate taxes.

 

A 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid after December 31, 2013, and redemption proceeds paid after December 31, 2014, to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners.

 

State Tax Considerations

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by the Fund and ownership of Fund shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in Fund shares.

 

Chinese Tax Disclosure

Although China’s enactment of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, effective January 1, 2008, provided a 10% withholding tax upon non-residents with respect to capital gains, significant uncertainties remain. Such uncertainties may result in capital gains imposed upon the Fund relative to companies headquartered, managed or listed in China. While the application and enforcement of this law with respect to the Fund remain subject to clarification, to the extent that such taxes are imposed on any capital gains of the Fund relative to companies headquartered, managed or listed in China, the Fund’s NAV or returns may be adversely impacted.

 

Taxes on Creations And Redemptions of Creation Units

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time, and the purchaser’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net cash paid. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from the Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer’s basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

 

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The Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchase (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund’s Shares was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV ( i.e. , premium or discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund’s website at www.kraneshares.com.

 

More Information

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, call 1.855.857.2638 or visit www.kraneshares.com.

 

Index Provider Information

Dow Jones Indexes (the “Index Provider”) is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. The Adviser has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Underlying Index. The Adviser will sub-license rights to the Underlying Index to the Fund at no charge.

 

Dow Jones Index Licenses:  The Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index is a product of Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name and a licensed trademark of CME Group Index Services LLC (“CME Indexes”), and has been licensed for use. “Dow Jones”, “Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index” and “Dow Jones Indexes” are service marks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC (“Dow Jones”), have been licensed to CME Indexes and sublicensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser (the “Licensee”). The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, CME Indexes or their respective affiliates. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. Dow Jones’, CME Indexes’ and their respective affiliates’ only relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Indexes which are determined, composed and calculated by CME Indexes without regard to the Licensee or the Fund. Dow Jones and CME Index have no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Underlying Index. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be sold or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund currently being issued by the Licensee, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Fund. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Underlying Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Underlying Index and the Fund.

 

19
 

 

DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES, CME INDEXES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN CME INDEXES AND THE LICENSEE, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF CME INDEXES.

 

More information about the Index Provider is located in the SAI.

 

20
 

 

Additional Information

 

 

Additional and more detailed information about the Fund is included in the SAI dated ____, 2013. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website (“http://www.sec.gov”) that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. You may also review and copy documents at the SEC Public Reference room in Washington, D.C. (for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, call 202.551.8090). You may request documents from the SEC by mail, upon payment of a duplication fee, by writing to: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by emailing the SEC at the following address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

You may obtain a copy of the SAI or the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports or make inquiries, without charge by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing the Trust at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. Also, in the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Fund’s SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.

 

 The Trust’s Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

 

21
 

 

KraneShares Trust

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

_________, 2013

 

KRANESHARES DOW JONES CHINA SELECT DIVIDEND ETF

 

NYSE Arca, Inc.: CHDV

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relates to the KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (the “Fund”), a separate series of the KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Fund, dated _________, 2013, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing to the Trust at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

 

THE INFORMATION HEREIN IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS SAI IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

 
 

 

Table of Contents

 

   
  P age
   
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND 1
   
INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS 1
   
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S UNDERLYING INDEX 16
   
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 17
   
CONTINUOUS OFFERING 18
   
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST 19
   
INVESTMENT ADVISER 24
   
SUB-ADVISER 25
   
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 26
   
CODES OF ETHICS 27
   
PROXY VOTING POLICY 27
   
ADMINISTRATOR 27
   
CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT 27
   
DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS 28
   
control persons AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 29
   
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 29
   
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM 30
   
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 31
   
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS 31
   
TAXES 40
   
DETERMINATION OF NAV 48
   
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 49
   
OTHER INFORMATION 49
   
INDEX PROVIDER INFORMATION 51
   
COUNSEL 52
   
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 52
   
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 52
   
APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING POLICY A-1
   
APPENDIX b - financial statements b-1

 

- i -
 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

 

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 3, 2012 and is permitted to offer multiple, separate series ( i.e. , funds). The Trust currently offers one series – the Fund, but may offer additional funds in the future. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of the Trust’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). All payments received by the Trust for shares of any fund belong to that fund. Each fund will have its own assets and liabilities.

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund and is responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund’s assets and continuously reviewing, supervising and administering the Fund’s investment program. Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund and is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser may be referred to together as the “Advisers.” SEI Investments Distribution Co. serves as the distributor (the “Distributor”) of the shares of the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and trade throughout the day on the Exchange and other secondary markets at market prices that may be below, at or about the net asset value (“NAV”) per share. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the Fund’s shares will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at their NAV only in large blocks of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 25,000 shares. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units and, generally, in exchange for a basket of securities and a specified cash payment. Generally, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

The Trust reserves the right to offer an “all cash” option for creations and redemptions of Creation Units for the Fund. In addition, Creation Units may be issued in advance of the receipt of a basket of securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain a cash deposit with the Trust that equals a percentage of the market value of the missing securities specified by the Fund. In each instance, transaction fees may be imposed that will be higher than the transaction fees associated with traditional in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requirements applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Please see the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” section in this SAI for more detailed information.

 

The Trust also reserves the right to adjust the prices of shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS

 

General

The Fund is a passively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities benchmark. The Fund will not be actively managed, and the adverse performance of a security in the Fund’s portfolio ordinarily will not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s current benchmark is the Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”). The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by using a “replication” strategy to track its Underlying Index. “Replication” refers to investing in substantially all of the securities in an Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares. Additional information about the Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies is contained in the Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s Underlying Index is included below under the heading “Description of the Fund’s Underlying Index.”

 

1
 

 

The investment techniques discussed below and in the Fund’s Prospectus may, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment limitations, be used by the Fund if, in the opinion of the Adviser, they will be advantageous to the Fund. The Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques discussed below without changing the Fund’s fundamental investment policies and without prior notice to shareholders. However, to the extent any such change represents a material change to the Fund’s principal investment strategies, the Fund will attempt to notify shareholders of the change. There is no assurance that any of the Fund’s strategies or any other strategies and methods of investment available to the Fund will result in the achievement of the Fund’s objective.

 

Principal Investment Policies, Techniques and Risk Factors – The investment policies, techniques and risk factors described below are considered to be principal to the management of the Fund.

 

Bank Deposits and Obligations

The Fund may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers’ acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution’s obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker’s acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in the Fund.

 

Commercial Paper

The Fund may invest in commercial paper. Commercial paper is an unsecured short-term promissory note with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days issued by corporations, generally to finance short-term business needs. The commercial paper purchased by the Fund generally will be rated in the upper two short-term ratings by at least two NRSROs or, if unrated, deemed to be of equivalent quality by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. If a security satisfies the rating requirement upon initial purchase and is subsequently downgraded, the Fund is not required to dispose of the security. In the event of such an occurrence, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will determine what action, including potential sale, is in the best interest of the Fund. The Fund also may purchase unrated commercial paper provided that such paper is determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. Commercial paper issues in which the Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a)(3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called “private placement” exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“Section 4(2) paper”). Section 4(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(2) paper, thus providing liquidity.

 

2
 

 

Depositary Receipts

The Fund may invest in foreign corporations in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary Receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Advisers deem to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to an underlying Index.

 

Equity Securities

The Fund may invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of that Fund to fluctuate. Global stock markets, including the U.S. stock market, tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The Fund may purchase equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market. The Fund may invest in the types of equity securities described in more detail below.

 

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

 

3
 

 

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers. Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the OTC market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.

 

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”). MLPs are limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the SEC and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the OTC market. MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects. Generally, a MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership.

 

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

 

Warrants. As a matter of non-fundamental policy, the Fund does not invest in warrants. However, the Fund may from time to time receive warrants as a result of, for example, a corporate action or some other event affecting one or more of the companies in which the Fund invests. In such event, the Fund generally intends to hold such warrants until they expire. The Fund, however, reserves the right to exercise the warrants. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Rights. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. An investment in rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

4
 

 

Foreign Securities

The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in instruments that provide exposure to such securities and instruments. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks (including restrictions on the transfers of securities). With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.

 

Non-U.S. stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. stock markets generally has been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in non-U.S. equity securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Fund. Foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its shares, thus, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may change its creation or redemption procedures without notice in connection with restrictions on the transfer of securities. For more information on creation and redemption procedures, see “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” herein.

 

Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

 

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of “capital controls.” Countries use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic conditions. Such controls are mainly applied to short-term capital transactions to counter speculative flows that threaten to undermine the stability of the exchange rate and deplete foreign exchange reserves. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to create and redeem Creation Units, adversely affect the trading market for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to trade at prices materially different from its NAV. There can be no assurance a country in which the Fund invests will not impose a form of capital control to the possible detriment of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

5
 

 

Geographic Concentration

Funds that are less diversified across countries or geographic regions are generally riskier than more geographically diversified funds. A fund that focuses on a single country or a specific region is more exposed to that country’s or region’s economic cycles, currency exchange rates, stock market valuations and political risks, among others, compared with a more geographically diversified fund. The economies and financial markets of certain regions, such as Asia, can be interdependent and may be adversely affected by the same events. Set forth below for certain markets in which the Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

 

Investments in Emerging Markets Securities. The Fund may invest substantially all of its assets in markets that are considered to be “emerging.” Investing in securities listed and traded in emerging markets may be subject to additional risks associated with emerging market economies. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility; (ii) lower trading volume; (iii) greater social, political and economic uncertainty; (iv) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; (v) the risk that companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards than companies in more developed markets; and (vi) the risk that there may be less protection of property rights than in other countries. Emerging markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than developed securities markets.

 

Investments in China and Hong Kong. The Fund may invest in securities listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition to the aforementioned risks of investing in non-U.S. securities, investing in securities listed and traded in Hong Kong involves special considerations not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (i) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of war); (iii) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) increasing competition from Asia’s other low-cost emerging economies; (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (vi) higher rates of inflation; (vii) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on the Fund’s ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support the economic reform programs implemented since 1978 and could return to the prior, completely centrally planned, economy; (x) the fact that Chinese companies, particularly those located in China, may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; (xi) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, particularly in China; (xii) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (xiii) the less extensive, and still developing, regulation of the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (xiv) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (xv) the fact that the willingness and ability of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain; (xvi) the risk that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; (xvii) the rapidity and erratic nature of growth, particularly in China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations; (xviii) the risk that, because of the degree of interconnectivity between the economies and financial markets of China and Hong Kong, any sizable reduction in the demand for goods from China, or an economic downturn in China, could negatively affect the economy and financial market of Hong Kong as well; and (xix) the risk that certain companies in the Fund’s Underlying Index may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government or identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

 

6
 

 

Investments in Hong Kong are also subject to certain political risks. Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China by the Communist Party in 1949, the Chinese government renounced various debt obligations incurred by China’s predecessor governments, which obligations remain in default, and expropriated assets without compensation. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not take similar action in the future. An investment in the Fund involves risk of a total loss. China has committed by treaty to preserve Hong Kong’s autonomy and its economic, political and social freedoms for 50 years from the July 1, 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Great Britain to China. However, if China would exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Non-U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in short-term securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, agencies and instrumentalities. The Fund also may purchase intermediate and long-term obligations issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, agencies and instrumentalities. Non-U.S. government securities include direct obligations, as well as obligations guaranteed by a foreign government including state, territory or local governments.

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts

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

 

Repurchase Agreements

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

 

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

 

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Tracking Error

The Fund may experience tracking error. A number of factors may contribute to the Fund’s tracking error. For example, the following factors may affect the ability of the Fund to achieve correlation with the performance of its Underlying Index: (1) Fund expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover); (2) fluctuations in currency exchange rates; (3) the Fund holding less than all of the securities in the Underlying Index and/or securities not included in the Underlying Index; (4) an imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by the Fund, such as futures contracts and options, and the performance of the underlying securities in the market; (5) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (6) the Fund holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (7) Fund share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (8) changes to the Underlying Index that are not disseminated in advance; (9) the need to conform the Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; (10) the time difference between the close of the foreign market on which foreign securities are traded and the time the Fund prices its shares; or (11) early or unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of the Fund trade, resulting in the inability of the Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions. To the extent the Fund engages in fair value pricing, the day-to-day correlation of the Fund’s performance may tend to vary from the closing performance of its Underlying Index.

 

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

 

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth until 2012. For the period during which these Agreements were in effect, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

 

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Non-Principal Investment Policies, Techniques and Risk Factors – The investment policies, techniques and risk factors described below are not considered to be principal to the management of the Fund. However, the Fund is permitted to, and may from time to time, engage in the investment activities described below if and when the Adviser determines that such activities will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective. Shareholders will be notified if the Fund’s use of any of the non-principal investment policies, techniques or instruments described below represents a material change in the Fund’s principal investment strategies.

 

Borrowing

Although the Fund does not intend to borrow money, the Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, which would further increase the cost of borrowing. Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Generally, the Fund would use this form of leverage during periods when the Adviser believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

 

The Fund also may borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

 

In addition to the foregoing, the Fund is authorized to borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes in amounts not in excess of 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. Borrowings for extraordinary or emergency purposes are not subject to the foregoing 300% asset coverage requirement. While the Fund does not anticipate doing so, the Fund is authorized to pledge ( i.e. , transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets in connection with any borrowing.

 

Currency Transactions

The Fund may enter into foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with distributions to shareholders. The Fund does not expect to engage in currency transactions for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of the Fund’s assets that are denominated in one or more foreign currencies.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. A forward foreign currency exchange contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

 

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A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the “Counterparty”) based on the change in market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with the Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Trust’s custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

 

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

 

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

 

Derivatives

The Fund may use derivative instruments as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments will be underpinned by investments in short term, high-quality U.S. money market securities.

 

With respect to certain kinds of derivative transactions entered into by the Fund that involve obligations to make future payments to third parties, including, but not limited to, futures contracts, forward contracts, swap contracts, the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, or reverse repurchase agreements, under applicable federal securities laws, rules, and interpretations thereof, the Fund must “set aside” (referred to sometimes as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other measures to “cover” open positions with respect to such transactions. For example, with respect to forward foreign currency exchange contracts and futures contracts that are not contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts’ full, notional value, except that deliverable forward contracts for currencies that are liquid will be treated as the equivalent of “cash-settled” contracts. As such, the Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation ( i.e. , the Fund’s daily net liability if any) rather than the full notional amount under such deliverable forward foreign currency exchange contracts. With respect to forward foreign currency exchange contracts and futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation rather than the notional value. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future.

 

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Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including interest rate swaps and currency swaps. A typical interest rate swap involves the exchange of a floating interest rate payment for a fixed interest payment. A typical foreign currency swap involves the exchange of cash flows based on the notional differences among two or more currencies. Swap agreements may be used to hedge or achieve exposure to, for example, currencies, interest rates, and money market securities without actually purchasing such currencies or securities. The Fund may use swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Swap agreements will tend to shift the Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another or from one payment stream to another. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currencies, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors, and may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the Fund’s investments and its share price.

 

Futures, Options and Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into U.S. or foreign futures contracts and options and options on futures contracts. When the Fund purchases a futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. When the Fund sells a futures contract, it agrees to sell the underlying instrument at a specified future date. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the Fund enters into the contract. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out before then if a liquid secondary market is available. To the extent the Fund uses futures and options, it will do so only in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that the Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

 

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies ( e.g. , selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Fund does not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Fund, however, intends to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to levels comparable to direct investment in stocks.

 

Utilization of futures and options on futures by the Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the underlying Index if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the underlying Index. There is also the risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by the Fund as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

 

The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of the Fund. The potential for loss related to writing options is unlimited.

 

Although the Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time.

 

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Fixed Income Securities

The Fund may invest in fixed income securities. The market value of the fixed income securities in which the Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes by recognized agencies in the rating of any fixed income security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect the Fund's NAV. Additional information regarding fixed income securities is described below:

 

Duration. Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a fixed income security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

 

Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates. A demand instrument with a demand notice exceeding seven days may be considered illiquid if there is no secondary market for such security.

 

Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuing company or governmental body promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, and (in the case of foreign securities) country risk and currency risk.

 

Corporate Debt Securities. The Fund may seek investment in corporate debt securities representative of one or more high yield bond or credit derivative indices, which may change from time to time. Selection will generally not be dependent on independent credit analysis or fundamental analysis performed by the Adviser. The Fund may invest in all grades of corporate debt securities including below investment grade as discussed below. See Appendix A for a description of corporate bond ratings. The Fund may also invest in unrated securities.

 

Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, but may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

 

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Because of the wide range of types, and maturities, of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.

 

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

 

Debt Securities Issued by the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“World Bank”). The Fund may invest in debt securities issued by the World Bank. Debt securities issued by the World Bank may include high quality global bonds backed by 185 member governments, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as in bonds in “non-core” currencies, including emerging markets and European accession countries with ratings of AAA or Aaa, structured notes, and discount notes represented by certificates, in bearer form only, or in un-certified form (Book Entry Discount Notes) with maturities of 360 days or less at a discount, and in the case of Discount Notes, in certified form only and on an interest bearing basis in the U.S. and Eurodollar markets.

 

Illiquid Securities

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. If the percentage of the Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid securities exceeds 15% due to market activity, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid securities as soon as reasonably practicable. Appropriate measures may not include the liquidation of an illiquid investment where the Fund would be disadvantaged by such disposition. The term “illiquid securities” for this purpose means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to readily dispose of illiquid or not readily marketable investments or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. In addition, the sale of illiquid securities also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities that are not illiquid. Illiquid securities also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such securities, and investment in illiquid securities may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s NAV. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund which are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that such a security is deemed to be no longer liquid, the Fund’s holdings will be reviewed to determine what action, if any, is required to ensure that the retention of such security does not result in the Fund having more than 15% of its assets invested in illiquid or not readily marketable securities.

 

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Investments in Other Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act (the “1940 Act”), or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. In addition, Section 12(d)(1) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to the Fund if, after the sale (i) the Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company’s voting stock or (ii) the Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company.

 

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

 

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, the Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, and business development companies (“BDCs”), when the Adviser believes such an investment is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. The Fund also may invest in investment companies that are included as components of an index, such as BDCs, to seek to track the performance of that index. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC’s total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses. However, as a shareholder of a BDC, the Fund does not directly pay for a portion of all of the operating expenses of the BDC, just as a shareholder of computer manufacturer does not directly pay for the cost of labor associated with producing such computers. As a result, the fees and expenses of the Fund that invests in a BDC will be effectively overstated by an amount equal to the “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.” Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not included as an operating expense of the Fund in the Fund’s financial statements, which more accurately reflect the Fund’s actual operating expenses.

 

Investment companies may include index-based investments, such as ETFs that hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing a specific index. The main risk of investing in index-based investments is the same as investing in a portfolio of equity securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index.

 

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Portfolio Turnover

In general, the Adviser manages the Fund without regard to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The Fund’s investment strategies may, however, produce relatively high portfolio turnover rates from time to time. To the extent the Fund invests in derivative instruments, the instruments generally will have short-term maturities and, thus, be excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover. The value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s shares also is excluded from the calculation of the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. As a result, the Fund’s reported portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity which would, in turn, produce correspondingly greater expenses for the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Generally, the higher the rate of portfolio turnover of a fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by the fund and its long-term shareholders. Such sales may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains which are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) for certain taxable shareholders.

 

“Portfolio Turnover Rate” is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts and option contracts in which the Fund invests because such contracts generally have a remaining maturity of less than one-year.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked to market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.

 

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when the Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

 

Securities Lending

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. No securities loan shall be made on behalf of the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loans of the Fund exceeds one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral received). The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities.

 

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds; such reinvestments are subject to investment risk. The Adviser may receive compensation for these investments.

 

15
 

 

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk ( i.e. , the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, the Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. This event could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. Substitute payments for dividends received by the Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income. The Fund may take the tax effects of this difference into account in its securities lending program.

 

The Fund pays a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above and to a securities lending agent who administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board.

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S UNDERLYING INDEX

 

The Dow Jones China Select Divided Index, or the Underlying Index, measures the stock performance of dividend-yielding stocks among: 1) China-based companies traded in Hong Kong, the United States or other exchanges that are available to U.S. investors and 2) publicly traded Hong Kong-based companies that generate the majority of their revenue from China or expect to generate the majority of their sales growth from China.

 

The initial universe for the Underlying Index is the companies that are included in the Dow Jones China Offshore Total Stock Market Index (the “China Index”) and the Dow Jones Hong Kong Total Stock Market Index that generate or expect to generate a sizeable portion of their sales in China (the “Hong Kong Index”) (collectively, the “Dow Jones Total Stock Market Indices”). The Dow Jones Total Stock Market Indices are designed to measure the performance of equity securities with readily available prices. Dow Jones creates a selection list based on rankings by dividend yield, subject to minimum liquidity and dividend quality requirements. Underlying Index components are chosen from the selection list. To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, securities of Chinese Companies must be tradeable to foreign investors without restrictions, such as securities of companies that are incorporated in China and are listed on the Hong Kong Exchange (“H-Shares”) and securities of companies with main business operations in China that are listed on the Hong Kong Exchange (“Red Chips”). Securities also may be listed on U.S. and other foreign exchanges, subject to the Underlying Index’s other selection criteria. Securities included in the Underlying Index also must have a minimum average daily trading volume of USD $3 million over the past three months. In addition, securities included in the Underlying Index must have paid dividends in each of the previous three years, with the previous year dividend-per-share greater than or equal to the three-year average annual dividend-per-share ratio and a five-year average payout of less than 85% of per-share earnings.

 

The top 25-30 stocks by dividend yield are selected to be included in the Underlying Index, subject to the following buffers that favor current components:

 

· Non-component securities that rank among the top 15 securities on the selection list replace the lowest ranked component in the Underlying Index; and

 

· Component securities that are not among the top 60 securities on the selection list will be replaced by the highest-ranked non-component on the selection list.

 

The Underlying Index is unmanaged and weighted based on dividend yield, with dividend yield values used to calculate share factors capped at 20%. The weights of individual securities are capped at 15%.

 

16
 

 

Annual Index Reconstitution. The Underlying Index is reviewed semi-annually in June and December. On a quarterly basis, the constituents with significant negative dividend growth or negative earnings from continuing operations over the past twelve-month period are reviewed to determine if the affected company can sustain an appropriate dividend program to remain in the Underlying Index. If any Independent Indexes Oversight Committee determines the company’s dividend program is at significant risk, the company will be removed from the Underlying Index after the close of trading on the third Friday of March, June, September or December. The constituent will be replaced by the highest-ranking non-constituent on the most recently published selection list.

 

Index Maintenance. Underlying Index maintenance occurs throughout the year and includes monitoring and implementing the adjustments for additions and deletions, stock splits, corporate restructurings and other corporate actions. Corporate actions are generally implemented after the close of trading on the day prior to the ex-date of such corporate actions. To the extent reasonably practicable, such changes will be announced at least two days prior to their implementation.

 

Index Availability. The Underlying Index is calculated only on an end-of-day basis due to differences in time zone and the fact that these markets are not open during the NYSE’s market hours.

 

Changes to the Index Methodology. The Underlying Index is governed by a published, rules-based methodology. Changes to the methodology will be publicly disclosed at [www.______.com] prior to implementation. [Sixty (60) days’ notice will be given prior to the implementation of any such change].

 

Index Calculation Agent. Dow Jones created, calculates, compiles, sponsors and maintains the Underlying Index.

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental or non-fundamental investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to the Fund’s limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.

 

Fundamental Policies

The investment limitations below are fundamental policies of the Fund, and cannot be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares. The term “majority of the outstanding shares” means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding shares, whichever is less.

 

The Fund may not:

 

1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

 

4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund’s Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

 

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5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

 

6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

 

7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33  1 / 3 % of the Fund’s total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund’s investment policies.

 

Non-Fundamental Policies

The investment limitations below are non-fundamental policies of the Fund and may be changed by the Board.

 

The Fund may not:

 

1. The Fund may not purchase illiquid securities if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. If the percentage of the Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid securities exceeds 15% due to market activity, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid securities as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

2. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index.

 

3. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in China Dividend Companies, as determined by the Index Provider from time to time.

 

If, subsequent to an investment, the investment requirements in non-fundamental policies 2 and 3 are no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with these policies.

 

The Fund may change its non-fundamental investment policies without a shareholder vote, provided that it obtains Board approval. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice of any change to non-fundamental policies 2 and 3.

 

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

 

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

 

18
 

 

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

 

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

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

Board Responsibilities

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of the Fund and the Trust. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Advisers, Distributor and Administrator (as defined below). The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, i.e. , events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or the Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business ( e.g. , the Advisers are responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

 

The Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time the fund’s Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund. Additionally, the fund’s Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board oversees the risk management of the fund’s operations, in part by requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the fund and its service providers, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and the fund’s independent accountants. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the fund may be exposed.

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Advisers and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on at least an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, respectively, the Board meets with the Advisers to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisers’ adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and investments.

 

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The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Advisers. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

 

The Board receives reports from the Trust’s service providers regarding operational risks, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trust’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Trust and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Trust’s internal controls.

 

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board’s discussions with the service providers to the Fund, it may not be made aware of all of the relevant information of a particular risk. Most of the Trust’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund’s Advisers and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

 

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust

  Set forth below are the names, ages, position with the Trust, term of office, and the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

The Chairman of the Board, Jonathan Krane, is an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. No single independent Trustee serves as a lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund ( i.e. , “independent Trustees”) constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the fact that the Audit Committee is composed of the independent Trustees, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from Fund management.

 

20
 

 

 

 

 


Name, Address

and Date of Birth of
Trustee/Officer

 


Position(s)

Held with

the Trust,

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

 

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen

by Trustee/

Officer

 

 

 

 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

Interested Trustee

Jonathan Krane*

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1968)

  Trustee and Chairman of the Board, No set term; served since 2012   Principal of Krane Capital LLC from June 2009 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from May 2011 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Harvest Krane LLC from June 2012 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Emma Entertainment from March 2004 to May 2009.   1   None
                 
Independent Trustees

John Ferguson

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1966)

  Trustee, No set term; served since 2012  

President of Alden Global Capital, LLC (hedge fund adviser) from April 2012 to present (formerly, Chief Operating Officer from November 2011 to April 2012). Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of K2 Advisors, L.L.C. from April 2005 to October 2011.

 

  1   None
                 

Anita Rausch

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1974)

  Trustee, No set term; served since 2012   ETF Trader at JP Morgan from October 2009 to August 2012. ETF Trader at Morgan Stanley from January 2003 to January 2009.   1   None
                 

Chris Ruppenstein

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1970)

  Trustee, No set term; served since 2012   Stock Broker at TD Securities USA from January 1997 to January 2012.   1   None
                 

Matthew Stroyman

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1968)

  Trustee, No set term; served since 2012   Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of Arcturus (real estate asset and investment management services firm) from September 2007 to present.   1   None

 

21
 

 

 

 

 

 

Name, Address

and Date of Birth of
Trustee/Officer

 


Position(s)

Held with

the Trust,

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

 

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen

by Trustee/

Officer

 

 

 

 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

Officers

Jonathan Krane

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1968)

  Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, No set term; served since 2012   Principal of Krane Capital LLC from June 2009 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from May 2011 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Harvest Krane LLC from June 2012 to present.  Chief Executive Officer of Emma Entertainment from March 2004 to May 2009.   1   None
                 

Jennifer Krane

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1966)

  Vice President, No set term; served since 2012   Principal of Krane Capital LLC from June 2009 to present.  Vice President of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from July 2011 to present.  Sole Practitioner of Jennifer Krane, Esq. from March 2001 to June 2009.   1   None
                 

Linda Ridolfi

1350 Avenue of

Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

(1970)

  Chief Compliance Officer, No set term; served since 2012   Director of Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC from September 2012 to present.  Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon from June 2009 to August 2012.  Assistant Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon from March 2008 to June 2009.  Assistant Vice President of PNC Global Investment Servicing Inc. from October 2004 to February 2008.   1   None
                 

* Mr. Krane is an “interested” person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in the Adviser.

 

Board Standing Committees

The Board has established the following standing committees:

 

Audit Committee. Each independent trustee is a member of the Trust’s Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”). The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are the appointment, compensation and oversight of the Trust’s independent auditors, including the resolution of disagreements regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation, to (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting and, as the Committee deems appropriate, inquire into the internal control over financial reporting of certain third-party service providers; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Fund’s financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board. The Board of the Trust has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. The independent trustees’ independent legal counsel assists the Audit Committee in connection with these duties.

 

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Nominating Committee. Each independent trustee is also a member of the Trust’s Nominating Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to (i) oversee Fund governance matters and (ii) identify individuals qualified to serve as independent trustees of the Trust and to recommend its nominees for consideration by the full Board. While the Nominating Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust’s independent trustees, it may consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust stockholders as it deems appropriate. The Nominating Committee considers nominees recommended by shareholders if such nominees are submitted in accordance with Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), in conjunction with a shareholder meeting to consider the election of Trustees. Trust stockholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations to the Secretary of the Trust that include biographical information and set forth the qualifications of the proposed nominee.

 

Individual Trustee Qualifications

The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust and the Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of the Trustees’ duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Krane should serve as Trustee because of his knowledge of, and the executive positions he holds in, the financial services industry. Specifically, Mr. Krane currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of three separate firms within the financial services industry, including the Adviser, a financial consulting firm affiliated with the Adviser, and a distribution company also affiliated with the Adviser. As Chief Executive Officer of these companies, and in particular as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, Mr. Krane contributes expertise and institutional knowledge relating to the structure of the “Krane” organization and the way that the “Krane” business operates. Mr. Krane also served as Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company, where he gained valuable experience in managing a business and critical knowledge of business and investment opportunities in China. In addition, he has served on the boards of different corporations and, in doing so, has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. Mr. Krane’s experience as serving as Chief Executive Officer for multiple businesses in the financial services industry, his familiarity with the “Krane” complex, and his experience in serving on the boards of various companies qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and legal industries over the years. In particular, Mr. Ferguson has extensive experience in managing global investment adviser firms, including the management, creation and success of hedge funds. Prior to that, Mr. Ferguson served as a corporate securities and tax attorney assisting and counseling clients with the organization and creation of both domestic and offshore funds. In addition, Mr. Ferguson has served as an officer for two registered investment companies and, in doing so, has gained experience and knowledge regarding the mutual fund industry. Mr. Ferguson’s experience in the financial services, mutual fund and legal industries and his day-to-day work in managing successful investment advisory firms, qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

23
 

 

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Rausch should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained working in the financial services industry, and specifically working as an ETF trader from 2003 to 2012. Ms. Rausch’s experience and focus on ETFs has provided her with insight and knowledge regarding the creation, structure and operation of various types of ETFs. Her overall experience in the mutual fund industry, and focus on ETFs, qualify her to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Ruppenstein should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services industry, and specifically in the brokerage industry, over the past fifteen years. As a seasoned broker, Mr. Ruppenstein has provided expertise to some of the largest mutual fund companies, pension funds and hedge funds through the U.S. and Europe. He is an experienced trader and has traded, including but not limited to, a large number of equities, ETFs, and options on both domestic and foreign exchanges. The knowledge he has gained over the years working in the brokerage industry qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Stroyman should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and real estate industries. Working as an investment banker early in his career, Mr. Stroyman developed a strong base of knowledge regarding corporate finance, structuring, public and private securities, and company valuations. Through his work in the real estate industry and relationships with large investment management firms, Mr. Stroyman has gained an understanding of sophisticated financial products. He has advised institutional clients including pension funds, endowments and other qualified investors in asset management, risk assessment, and repositioning and disposition of underperforming assets. The knowledge Mr. Stroyman has gained over the years working in the financial services and real estate industries and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

 

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members

The Fund is new and, therefore, as of the date of this SAI none of the Trustees beneficially owned shares of the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, there are no other series of the Trust. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

 

Board Compensation

The Trust and the Fund are new and as of the date of this SAI, the Board has unanimously voted to forego the receipt of compensation for providing services to the Trust. Therefore, it is not anticipated that the Trustees will receive compensation for serving on the Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, or the Adviser, serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated November 8, 2012 between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). The Adviser’s offices are located at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019.

 

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Fund. The Adviser provides a continuous investment program for the Fund. The Adviser also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration and all other non-distribution-related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Fund pays the Adviser a fee equal to 0.68% of the Fund’s net assets. The Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of the Fund, except interest expense, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with execution of portfolio transactions, expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees’ counsel fees), extraordinary expenses, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, if any, and the advisory fee payable to the Adviser.

 

24
 

 

The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of the Fund fail to approve the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

 

The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser, in each case on not less than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange or in such other circumstances where the Fund waives such notice period. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

SUB-ADVISER

 

The Adviser has retained Index Management Solutions, LLC, located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2009 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC. Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 12, 2012 (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.05% on the Fund’s daily average net assets up to $50 million; 0.04% on the Fund’s daily average net assets on the next $50 million; and 0.03% on the Fund’s daily average net assets in excess of $100 million.

 

The Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance is also approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser or the Trust at any time, and without the payment of penalty, in each case on sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser may terminate the Sub-Advisory Agreement at any time, without the payment of penalty, on sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Adviser. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon termination of the Advisory Agreement.

 

25
 

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Jonathan Krane and Denise Krisko are primarily responsible for the management of the Fund. Jonathan Krane, CEO and Managing Member of the Adviser, is responsible for developing and maintaining the Fund’s investment program. Mr. Krisko is responsible for trading portfolio securities of behalf of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership. The Fund is required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own shares of the Fund.

 

Other Accounts. The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

 

    Registered
Investment
Companies*
   

 

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles*

   

 

 

Other Accounts*

 

 

 

 

Name

 

 

Number

of

Accounts

    Total
Assets
($ millions)
   

 

Number

of

Accounts

   

 

Total

Assets 
($ millions)

   

 

Number

of

Accounts

   

 

 

Total Assets

($ millions)

 
Jonathan Krane     0     $ 0       0     $ 0       0     $ 0  
Denise Krisko     9     $ 519.09       -     $ 0       2     $ 373.22  

 

* Information provided is as of November 30, 2012.

 

Portfolio Manager Compensation. Mr. Krane ordinarily will be compensated by the Adviser. However, Mr. Krane does not currently receive a salary directly from the Adviser. Mr. Krane is an equity owner of the Adviser and therefore will be eligible to receive distributions based on the Adviser’s profitability.

 

Ms. Krisko receives a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on profitability, growth in assets, and long-term investment performance. Key staff members of the Sub-Adviser are eligible to participate in a deferred compensation plan due to their high level of accountability and upon demonstrating a successful long-term performance track record. The value of the award increases during a vesting period based upon the profitability of the firm. Voluntary contributions may be made to a defined contribution plan.

 

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. The portfolio manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager’s knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

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CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Trust and the Advisers have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under the Codes of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in private placements and are prohibited from investing in initial public offerings. Each Code of Ethics is on file with the SEC and is available to the public.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

The Trust has adopted as its proxy voting policies for the Fund the proxy voting guidelines of the Sub-Adviser, which are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust has delegated to the Sub-Adviser the authority and responsibility for voting proxies on the portfolio securities held by the Fund.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. When available, the current Form N-PX for the Fund may be obtained at no charge upon request by calling 1.855.857.2638 or through the Trust’s website at www.kraneshares.com when available, the Fund’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

ADMINISTRATOR

 

SEI Investments Global Fund Services (the “Administrator”) serves as administrator for the Fund. SEI Investments Management Corporation (“SIMC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company (“SEI Investments”), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. The principal address of the Administrator is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Under an Administration Agreement with the Trust dated December 18, 2012 (the “Administration Agreement”), the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

 

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee. In addition, the Administrator will receive global safekeeping and transaction fees, which are calculated on a per-country basis, in-kind creation (purchase) and redemption transaction fees (as described below) and revenue on certain cash balances. The Administrator may be reimbursed by the Fund for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to the Administrator under each of the Administration Agreement.

 

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”) serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. Under a Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust dated December 12, 2012, BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BBH is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it, in its capacity as custodian, and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for the Fund. Also under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement, BBH acts as a transfer agent for the Trust’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust.

 

27
 

 

DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as Distributor for the Trust. The principal address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Distributor has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated December 18, 2012 (the “Distribution Agreement”) pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and below in the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” section. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Fund’s Prospectus and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Units, and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Advisers or any national securities exchange.

 

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund will provide that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to the other party (i) by vote of a majority of the independent trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of shares. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Authorized Participants (as defined below) or DTC Participants (as defined below).

 

Distribution Plan. The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Fund’s shares. Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated Service Providers, may receive up to 0.25% of the Fund’s assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. Distribution services may include: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance, or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, mutual fund “supermarkets” and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of the Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur.

 

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Fund; there are no plans to impose these fees, and no such fees will be charged prior to the conclusion of one year from the date of the Fund’s prospectus. However, in the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund.

 

Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets ( i.e. , without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of Fund shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing” arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of the Fund’s shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund shares.

 

28
 

 

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). Such compensation may also be paid to Intermediaries for inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs. The Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.

 

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

 

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

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, there were no Beneficial Owners, as that term is defined below, as of the date of this SAI.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

 

The shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange at prices that may differ from the Fund’s NAV. There can be no assurance that the Exchange requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than fifty (50) Beneficial Owners (as that term is defined below) of the shares of the Fund for thirty (30) or more consecutive trading days; (ii) the value of the Underlying Index is no longer calculated or available; or (iii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

 

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker’s commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

 

29
 

 

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

The information below supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information.”

 

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depository for the Fund’s shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC.

 

The DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the DTC. More specifically, the DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

 

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

 

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

 

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

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

30
 

 

The DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The Sub-Adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. In selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, the Sub-Adviser’s policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, including but not limited to, the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. The Sub-Adviser does not consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

Brokerage Commissions

The Fund is new and therefore has not paid any brokerage commissions.

 

Affiliated Brokers

The Fund is new and there has not paid any commissions to any affiliated brokers.

 

Regular Broker-Dealers

The Fund is new and did not acquire securities from its regular brokers or dealers (as defined in the 1940 Act) or their parents.

 

Portfolio Turnover

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

 

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

General

The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. Currently, the number of shares of the Fund that constitute a Creation Unit is 50,000. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of the Fund, and to make a corresponding change in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

 

31
 

 

A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the Exchange on which the Fund is listed for trading is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

Fund Deposit

The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the Fund generally consists of an in-kind deposit of designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted (“Deposit Cash”)) (“Deposit Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which when combined with the Fund’s portfolio securities is designed to generate performance that has a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund.

 

The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serves to compensate for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. Payment of any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities are the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing the Creation Unit.

 

The Custodian makes available through the NSCC on each Business Day prior to the opening of business on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information as of the end of the previous Business Day for the Fund). Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to changes in the composition of the Fund’s portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Advisers with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting the Underlying Index.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash ( i.e. , a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component in the following situations: (i) to the extent there is Deposit Cash, as described herein; (ii) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases, all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash ; (iii) if, upon receiving a purchase order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to require the purchase to be made entirely in cash ; (iv) on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants purchasing shares on that day to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Securities solely because: (a) such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the NSCC or DTC systems; or (b) such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (v) if the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Securities solely because: (a) such instruments are not available in sufficient quantity; or (b) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting (together with (v)(a), “custom orders”).

 

32
 

 

The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket for one or more of the following reasons: (i) in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (ii) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; (iii) TBA Transactions, short positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind, including instruments that can be transferred in king only with the consent of the original counterparty, will be excluded from the Deposit Securities and the Fund Securities; (iv) to the extent the Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative sampling of the Fund’s portfolio; or (v) for temporary periods, to effect changes in the Fund’s portfolio as a result of the rebalancing of its Underlying Index.

 

Cash Purchase Method

Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit cash purchases of Creation Units of the Fund, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant 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.

 

Role of the Authorized Participant  

Creation Units may be purchased only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an “Authorized Participant”). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available in advance of each purchase of shares an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component, once the net asset value of a Creation Unit is next determined after receipt of the purchase order in proper form, together with the transaction fee described below. The Authorized Participant may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Component. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that orders to purchase Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. The Trust does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of DTC Participants. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

 

Purchase Orders

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order to purchase shares of the Fund generally no later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on any Business Day to receive that day’s NAV. On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders for Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. The Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to any appropriate sub-custodian. Procedures and requirements governing the delivery of the Fund Deposit are set forth in the procedures handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time (as defined below) on such Business Day.

 

33
 

 

The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the Fund, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Fund to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fees. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit. Those placing orders should ascertain the deadline for cash transfers by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effectuating the transfer of the Cash Component. This deadline is likely to be significantly earlier than the Cutoff Time of the Fund.

 

The Authorized Participant is responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by the Fund, including any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

 

Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a creation request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request. Investors should be aware that an Authorized Participant may require orders for purchases of shares placed with it to be in the particular form required by the individual Authorized Participant.

 

Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase shares of the Fund before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on any Business Day in order to receive that day’s NAV. Creation Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement, as described below. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. The Fund’s deadline specified above for the submission of purchase orders is referred to as the Fund’s “Cutoff Time.” The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of such orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant at any time (including on days on which the Exchange is not open for business) via communication through the facilities of the Distributor’s proprietary website maintained for this purpose. Purchase orders and redemption requests, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance in accordance with the Trust’s standard Cutoff Times as provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement and disclosed in this SAI.

 

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units

Subject to the conditions that (i) an irrevocable purchase order has been submitted by the Authorized Participant (either on its own or another investor’s behalf) and (ii) arrangements satisfactory to the Fund are in place for payment of the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due, the Fund will accept the order, subject to the Fund’s right (and the right of the Distributor and the Adviser) to reject any order until acceptance.

 

Once the Fund has accepted an order, upon the next determination of the net asset value of the shares, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such net asset value. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

 

The Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor if (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the discretion of the Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Fund or the rights of Beneficial Owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor and the Adviser make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of its rejection of such order. The Fund, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

 

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Issuance of a Creation Unit

Except as provided herein, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the securities included in the Fund Deposit (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery and the Fund will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit. Creation Units typically are issued on a “T+3 basis” ( i.e. , three Business Days after trade date). However, as discussed in the Regular Holidays section, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates ( i.e. , the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security) and in certain other circumstances.

 

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, the Fund will issue Creation Units to such Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Deposit Securities have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral, which may have a value of up to 115%, which percentage the Trust may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Fund’s then-effective procedures. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Fund is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund’s current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Fund to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date and in these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participants that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners. All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund and the Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

 

If a purchase consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from the cash portion of such transaction, as further described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI. The Authorized Participants may also be required to pay an additional charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover costs related to the creation transaction. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Fund. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

 

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The Fund’s standard creation transaction fee is $1,500. The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based on actual experience.

 

Redemption of Creation Units

Shares of the Fund may be redeemed by Authorized Participants only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor and only on a Business Day. The Fund generally redeems Creation Units for Fund Securities. The Fund will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the secondary market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a Creation Unit that could be redeemed by an Authorized Participant. Beneficial Owners also may sell shares in the secondary market.

 

The Custodian makes available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange on each Business Day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash (the “Cash Amount,” as described below). Such Fund Securities and the corresponding Cash Amount (each subject to possible amendment or correction) are applicable, in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and Cash Amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.

 

Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities, plus the Cash Amount, which is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee (as described below).

 

The Trust may substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace a Fund Security, which shall be added to the Cash Amount, in the following situations: (i) to the extent there is a Cash Amount, as described herein; (ii) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases, all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash ; (iii) if, upon receiving a redemption order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to require the redemption be made entirely in cash ; (iv) on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants redeeming shares on that day to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Securities solely because: (a) such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the NSCC or DTC systems; or (b) such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (v) if the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Securities solely because such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii) a shareholder would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind.

 

The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. The Fund generally redeems shares for Fund Securities, but the Fund reserves the right to utilize a cash option for redemption of shares.

 

Cash Redemption Method

Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

 

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Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions

A redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. The redeeming investor may be assessed an additional variable charge on the cash in lieu portion of its redemption proceeds, up to a maximum additional variable charge as indicated in the chart below. The standard redemption transaction fee and the additional variable charge for cash in lieu redemptions are set forth below. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

 

The Fund’s standard redemption transaction fee is $1,500. The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based on actual experience.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders

Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted to the Distributor by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable request to redeem shares of the Fund generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on any Business Day in order to receive that day’s NAV. Orders to redeem shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant non-U.S. market are closed may not be accepted. Investors other than Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request.

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption in the form required by the Fund to the Distributor in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. In such cases, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. At any time, only a limited number of broker-dealers will have an Authorized Participant Agreement in effect. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to the Fund’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

 

A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if: (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Fund’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the Exchange closing time on any Business Day; (ii) a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is received by the Distributor from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified above; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement are properly followed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s shares through DTC’s facilities by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time on the Business Day next following the day that the redemption request is received, the redemption request shall be rejected. Investors should be aware that the deadline for such transfers of shares through the DTC system may be significantly earlier than the close of business on the Exchange. Those making redemption requests should ascertain the deadline applicable to transfers of shares through the DTC system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effecting the transfer of the shares.

 

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Upon receiving a redemption request, the Distributor shall notify the Fund and the Fund’s Transfer Agent of such redemption request. The tender of an investor’s shares for redemption and the distribution of the securities and/or cash included in the redemption payment made in respect of Creation Units redeemed will be made through DTC and the relevant Authorized Participant to the Beneficial Owner thereof as recorded on the book-entry system of DTC or the DTC Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

 

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the portfolio securities are customarily traded, to which account such portfolio securities will be delivered.

 

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund generally will be made within three Business Days ( i.e. , “T+3”). However, as discussed in the Regular Holidays section, the Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on another basis to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates ( i.e. , the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. The Regular Holidays section hereto identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Trust will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in the Regular Holidays section to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

 

If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its shares based on the NAV of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charges specified above to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or cannot do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

 

Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit cash redemptions of Creation Units, in the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Trust, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except for the instances listed in the Regular Holidays section in which more than seven calendar days would be needed).

 

Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted, (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

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Taxation on Creation and Redemptions of Creation Units

An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss is calculated by taking the market value of the Creation Units purchased over the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefore. However, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisers.

 

Current U.S. federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

 

Regular Holidays

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances, but in no event longer than fourteen calendar days. The holidays applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” ( e.g. , days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

 

In calendar years 2012 and 2013, the dates of regular holidays affecting the relevant securities markets in which the Fund invests are as follows (please note these holiday schedules are subject to potential changes in the relevant securities markets):

 

China

February 2 February 8 June 6 October 5
February 3 April 4 September 12 October 6
February 4 April 5 October 3 October 7

 

Hong Kong

February 3 April 25 July 1 December 27
February 4 May 2 September 13  
April 5 May 10 October 5  

 

The longest redemption cycle for the Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose stocks comprise the Fund. In calendar years 2012 and 2013, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst case redemption cycles for the Fund as set forth below. This information is based on the information regarding regular holidays, which may be out of date. Changes in the regular holidays may lead to longer redemption cycles than are set forth below.

 

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Country

 

Trade Date

 

Settlement Date

Number of

Days to Settle

2012
China 09/26/2012 10/09/2012 13
09/27/2012 10/10/2012 13
09/28/2012 10/11/2012 13
2013
China 02/04/2013 02/19/2013 15
02/05/2013 02/20/2013 15
02/06/2013 02/21/2013 15
04/26/2013 05/08/2013 12
04/29/2013 05/09/2013 10
04/30/2013 05/10/2013 10
09/25/2013 10/08/2013 13
09/26/2013 10/09/2013 13
09/27/2013 10/10/2013 13

 

TAXES

 

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

 

Congress passed the RIC Modernization Act on December 22, 2010 (the “RIC Modernization Act”) which makes certain beneficial changes for RICs and their shareholders, some of which are referenced below. In general, the RIC Modernization Act contains simplification provisions effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, which are aimed at preventing disqualification of a Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”) for “inadvertent” failures of the asset diversification and/or qualifying income tests. Additionally, the RIC Modernization Act allows capital losses to be carried forward indefinitely, and retain the character of the original loss, exempts RICs from the preferential dividend rule, and repealed the 60-day designation requirement for certain types of income and gains.

 

Qualification as a RIC

The Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, the Fund must, among other things:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

 

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

 

Taxation of the Fund

If the Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

 

If the Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions ( including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

 

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

 

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Deferral of Late Year Losses

The RIC Modernization Act provides that for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, the Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing the Fund’s distributions for any calendar. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

 

Capital Loss Carryovers

The RIC Modernization Act changed the treatment of capital loss carryovers for RICs. The new rules are similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals and provide that such losses are carried over by the Fund indefinitely. Thus, if the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Certain transition rules require post-enactment capital losses ( i.e. , capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010) to be utilized first, which, depending on the circumstances for the Fund, may result in the expiration of unused pre-enactment losses. In addition, the carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

 

If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by the Fund on December 31 of the preceding year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

 

Fund Distributions

Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions of the Fund’s shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when the Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

 

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Distributions by the Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced – in general, to 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets – for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations ( i.e. , foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, which includes China (but not Hong Kong which is treated as a separate jurisdiction), or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund’s shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares.

 

Given the Fund’s investment objective, it is not expected that corporate shareholders of the Fund will be eligible for the dividends received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received because such treatment is available only to distributions made by the Fund from domestic corporations.

 

Beginning in 2013, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains, but generally includes taxable distributions received from the Fund.

 

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

 

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

 

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If the Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends ( i.e. , the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, the Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

 

In determining its net capital gain for Capital Gain Dividends purposes, a RIC generally must treat any net capital loss or any net long-term capital loss incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year.

 

In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its capital losses and currency losses realized after October and certain ordinary losses realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.

 

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Sale or Exchange of Shares

A sale or exchange of shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

As noted above, beginning in 2013, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains, but generally includes taxable distributions received from the Fund and taxable gains on the disposition of Fund shares.

 

Backup Withholding

The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally are required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2012. This rate will expire and the backup withholding rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2012, unless Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise.

 

Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments

Transactions of the Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap agreements, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including market-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by the Fund.

 

The Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 Contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under “Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues,” gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

 

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

 

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Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by the Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund’s disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

 

Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues

The Fund’s gain or loss on foreign currency denominated debt securities and on certain other financial instruments, such as forward currency contracts and currency swaps, that is attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates occurring between the date of acquisition and the date of settlement or disposition of such securities or instruments generally will be treated under Section 988 of the Code as ordinary income or loss. The Fund may elect out of the application of Section 988 of the Code with respect to the tax treatment of each of its foreign currency forward contracts to the extent that (i) such contract is a capital asset in the hands of the Fund and is not part of a straddle transaction and (ii) the Fund makes an election by the close of the day the contract is entered into to treat the gain or loss attributable to such contract as capital gain or loss.

 

The Fund’s forward contracts may qualify as Section 1256 Contracts if the underlying currencies are currencies for which there are futures contracts that are traded on and subject to the rules of a qualified board or exchange. However, a forward currency contract that is a Section 1256 Contract would, absent an election out of Section 988 of the Code as described in the preceding paragraph, be subject to Section 988. Accordingly, although such a forward currency contract would be marked to market annually like other Section 1256 Contracts, the resulting gain or loss would be ordinary. If the Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to forward currency contracts that qualify as Section 1256 Contracts, the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 Contracts would apply to those forward currency contracts: that is, the contracts would be marked to market annually and gains and losses with respect to the contracts would be treated as long-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 60% thereof and short-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 40% thereof. If the Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to any of its forward currency contracts that do not qualify as Section 1256 Contracts, such contracts will not be marked to market annually and the Fund will recognize short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on the Fund’s holding period therein. The Fund may elect out of Section 988 with respect to some, all or none of its forward currency contracts.

 

Finally, regulated futures contracts and non-equity options that qualify as Section 1256 Contracts and are entered into by the Fund with respect to foreign currencies or foreign currency denominated debt instruments will be subject to the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 Contracts unless the Fund elects to have Section 988 apply to determine the character of gains and losses from all such regulated futures contracts and non-equity options held or later acquired by the Fund.

 

Foreign Investments

Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, interest on securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year more than 50% of the Fund’s assets consist of foreign securities, the Fund is expected to make an election to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.

 

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Passive Foreign Investment Companies

If the Fund purchases shares in “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Internal Revenue Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, the Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in the Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, the Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The Fund may have to distribute this “phantom” income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. The Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

 

Chinese Tax Disclosure

Although China’s enactment of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, effective January 1, 2008, provided a 10% withholding tax upon non-residents with respect to capital gains, significant uncertainties remain. Such uncertainties may result in capital gains imposed upon the Fund relative to companies headquartered, managed or listed in China. While the application and enforcement of this law to the Fund remains subject to clarification, to the extent that such taxes are imposed on any capital gains of the Fund relative to companies headquartered, managed or listed in China, the Fund’s NAV or returns may be adversely impacted.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders

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

 

Non-U.S. Shareholders

In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. Effective for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2012, and assuming certain certification requirements were complied with, a RIC generally was not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions attributable to U.S. source interest income that would be treated as “portfolio interest” and accordingly would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, and (ii) with respect to distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, in each case to the extent such distributions were properly designated by the RIC. It is unclear whether this treatment will be extended by Congress to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012 as they have done in past years. Depending on the circumstances, the Fund may make such designations with respect to all, some or none of their potentially eligible dividends or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. Moreover, in the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment.

 

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A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.

 

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund shares received by Fund shareholders who own their shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.

 

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

 

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

 

Section 351

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

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Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

General Considerations

The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of the Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

 

DETERMINATION OF NAV

 

This information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Calculating NAV.”

 

The NAV per share of the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund ( i.e. , the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares of the Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV per share for the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the Exchange is open.

 

In calculating the Fund’s NAV, the Fund’s investments generally are valued based on their last quoted current price. Price information on listed securities is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Securities not listed on an exchange or national securities market, or securities in which there was no last reported sales price, are valued at the most recent bid price. Short-term debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less generally are valued on the basis of amortized cost, which approximates fair value. The values of any assets or liabilities denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate deemed appropriate by the Fund.

 

In certain instances, such as when reliable market valuations are not readily available or are not deemed to reflect current market values, the Fund’s investments will be valued in accordance with the Fund’s pricing policy and procedures. Securities that may be valued using “fair value” pricing may include, but are not limited to, securities for which there are no current market quotations or whose issuer is in default or bankruptcy, securities subject to corporate actions (such as mergers or reorganizations), securities subject to non-U.S. investment limits or currency controls, and securities affected by “significant events.” An example of a significant event is an event occurring after the close of the market in which a security trades but before the Fund’s next NAV calculation time that may materially affect the value of the Fund’s investment ( e.g. , government action, natural disaster, or significant market fluctuation). Price movements in U.S. markets that are deemed to affect the value of foreign securities, or reflect changes to the value of such securities, also may cause securities to be “fair valued.” When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

 

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Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at a concession by the Distributor or by the Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve the Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least quarterly. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. The Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. The Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

 

The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Portfolio Holdings

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about the Fund’s holdings. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Fund’s Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor, or any affiliated person of the Fund, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or the Distributor. The policies and procedures apply to all officers, employees, and agents of the Fund, including the Advisers.

 

The Fund is an ETF, and therefore information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of any Order of the SEC applicable to the Fund, regulations of the Exchange, and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of the Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day. This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market.

 

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

 

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Daily access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants, and (ii) to other personnel of the Adviser and other service providers, such as the Fund’s Sub-Adviser, administrator, custodian and fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Fund and/or the terms of the Fund’s current registration statement.

 

From time to time, information concerning Fund portfolio holdings, other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process, as discussed above, also may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

 

The Fund’s chief compliance officer, or a compliance manager designated by the chief compliance officer, also may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where the Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event will the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.

 

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Trust’s the portfolio holdings policies and procedures by the Fund’s chief compliance officer and the Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings policies and procedures, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any of the portfolio holdings policies and procedures. The Board and the Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures in their sole discretion at any time and from time to time without prior notice to shareholders. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term “portfolio holdings” means the equity and debt securities ( e.g. , stocks and bonds) held by the Fund and does not mean the cash investments, derivatives, and other investment positions (collectively, other investment positions) held by the Fund, if any, which are not disclosed.

 

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, the Fund must disclose its complete holdings quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

 

No person is authorized to disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Trust’s policies and procedures.

 

Voting Rights

Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. At such time as the Trust offers multiple funds, each fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to that fund. All shares of the Fund are freely transferable.

 

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As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, a meeting may be called by shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. If a meeting is requested by shareholders, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders who requested the meeting. Shareholder inquiries can be made by contacting the Trust at the number and website address provided under “Shareholder Inquiries” below.

 

Shareholder Inquiries

Shareholders may visit the Trust’s web site at www.kraneshares.com or call 1.855.857.2638 or call to obtain information about account statements, procedures, and other related information.

 

INDEX PROVIDER INFORMATION

 

Dow Jones Indexes (the “Index Provider”) is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. The Adviser has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Underlying Index. The Adviser will sub-license rights to the Underlying Index to the Fund at no charge.

 

Dow Jones Index Licenses. The Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index is a product of Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name and a licensed trademark of CME Group Index Services LLC (“CME Indexes”), and has been licensed for use. “Dow Jones”, “Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index” and “Dow Jones Indexes” are service marks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC (“Dow Jones”), have been licensed to CME Indexes and sublicensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser (the “Licensee”). The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, CME Indexes or their respective affiliates. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. Dow Jones’, CME Indexes’ and their respective affiliates’ only relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Indexes which are determined, composed and calculated by CME Indexes without regard to the Licensee or the Fund. Dow Jones and CME Index have no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Underlying Index. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be sold or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund currently being issued by the Licensee, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Fund. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Underlying Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Underlying Index and the Fund.

 

DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. DOW JONES, CME INDEXES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES, CME INDEXES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN CME INDEXES AND THE LICENSEE, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF CME INDEXES.

 

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COUNSEL

 

Bingham McCutchen LLP, 2020 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Suite 1700, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services and other assurance services with respect to filings with the SEC.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Trust’s audited financial statements and the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are included as Appendix B.

 

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APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

VTL Associates, LLC

Index Management Solutions, LLC

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

I. General

 

VTL Associates, LLC and Index Management Solutions, LLC (collectively, the “Advisor”) recognizes its obligation to vote proxies for investments held by clients over which it exercises discretionary voting authority in the clients’ best interest. Unless a client specifically reserves the right, in writing, to vote its own proxies, the Advisor will vote all proxies and act on all other corporate actions in a timely manner in accordance with these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policies”). The Advisor will notify clients in writing if it declines the responsibility of voting proxies and will make provisions for its clients to receive proxy information.

 

II. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies

 

A. General Requirements of Rule 206(4)-6

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), the Advisor: (i) has adopted these Proxy Voting Policies that are reasonably designed to ensure that the Advisor votes client securities in the best interest of such clients; (ii) will disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the Advisor voted their proxies; and (iii) will describe to clients its Proxy Voting Policies and, upon their request, provide copies to clients upon request.

 

B. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Voting Information

 

The Advisor’s Proxy Voting Procedures will be described in Part 2A of its Form ADV. The disclosure will state that a client may obtain a copy of the complete Proxy Voting Policies upon request. The Advisor’s Form ADV, Part 2A will also indicate that clients may obtain information from the Advisor on how their securities were voted.

 

III. Proxy Voting Policies - Procedures and Guidelines

 

A. Procedures

 

The Advisor’s portfolio managers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all proxies received by Advisor are voted in a timely manner and in a manner consistent with the Advisor’s determination of the client’s best interests.

 

B. Guidelines

 

The following guidelines summarize the Advisor’s positions on various issues and give a general indication as to how the Advisor will vote shares on each issue. Although the Advisor will usually vote proxies in accordance with these guidelines, the Advisor reserves the right to vote certain issues counter to the guidelines if, after a thorough review of the matter, the Advisor determines that a client’s best interests would be served by such a vote. The Advisor, in good faith, shall consider such additional factors as it determines relevant, depending on current issues and issues particular to any company. Moreover, the list of guidelines below may not include all potential voting issues. To the extent that the guidelines do not cover potential voting issues, the Advisor will vote on such issues in a manner that is consistent with the spirit of these guidelines and that promotes the best interests of the client.

 

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1. Routine Matters . Routine proposals are those that do not change the structure, bylaws or operations of a corporation. Given the routine nature of these proposals, proxies will normally be voted with management. Traditionally, these issues include:

 

· Election of auditors recommended by management, unless seeking to replace auditors due to a dispute over policies.
· Date and place of annual meeting.
· Ratification of directors’ actions on routine matters since previous annual meeting.
· Reasonable Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
· Establishing reasonable 401 (k) Plans.

 

2. Board of Directors . If a company’s performance has been poor over a period of time or other negative factors exist, such as unusual litigation, the Advisor may consider withholding its proxy in favor of any incumbent members of board of directors or voting against an incumbent member. The Advisor also considers it important that publicly held companies maintain a board of directors independent from management and qualified in their own respect. Board of directors should also be independent from influence and otherwise from any investment consulting or banking firm for the company. Subject to the foregoing, the Advisor will generally vote in favor of the incumbent Board’s share.

 

3. Management Compensation . The Advisor generally votes in favor of proposals to align management compensation with the interests of stockholders. However, the Advisor considers excessive compensation to be against the best interest of stockholders. It may also consider such compensation as a factor to vote against any incumbent director.

 

4. Change of Control Provisions . The Advisor disfavors change of control provisions in whatever format, and will generally vote against these provisions absent good reasons to the contrary. The Advisor generally votes against any management proposal that is not deemed to be in the shareholders’ best interests as entrenching management. Proposals in this category include issues regarding the issuer’s board or management entrenchment and antitakeover measures such as the following:

 

· Proposals to stagger board members’ terms;
· Proposals to limit the ability of shareholders to call special meetings;
· Proposals to require super majority votes;
· Proposals requesting excessive increases in authorized common or preferred shares where management provides no explanation for the use or need of these additional shares;
· Proposals regarding “poison pill” provisions;
· Permitting “green mail”; and
· Providing cumulative voting rights.

 

5. Capital Structures . The Advisor votes on capital structure proposals according to the reasons for the proposals and in a manner to increase stockholder value. For example, proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of stock for acquisitions or to raise capital are favored over proposals to increase the number of authorized shares for management compensation. Proposals to buy back shares of common stock are generally favored. Proposals to issue shares in such a manner to prevent a change of control are generally disfavored.

 

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6. Auditor Approval . In determining whether to ratify the appointment of outside auditors, the Advisor considers the integrity, qualifications, and disciplinary history of the proposed accounting firm. Any firm with a significant amount of disciplinary history or legal claims against it is disfavored. The Advisor does not necessarily consider the size of the accounting firm to be one of the more important factors. A qualified, independent, and active audit committee’s recommendation is given deference in ratifying the appointed independent auditors.

 

7. Corporate Governance . Any provisions furthering good corporate governance, integrity and informed decisions by the board of directors, management or otherwise are endorsed by the Advisor.

 

8. Shareholder Action . If proxy materials relate to shareholder action, the Advisor shall review the matter with regard to the best interests of the client and to recover the most value possible or to maintain the highest value of the investment. Within the consideration of the recovery of an investment with respect to a lawsuit, the time value of money and the risks and nature of the lawsuit shall be considered.

 

9. Director Management Retirement and Compensation . The Advisor reviews director/management mandatory retirement policy; option and stock grants to management and directors, pay and retirement packages to management and directors each issue in this category on a case-by-case basis. Voting decisions will be made based on clients’ long-term financial interest.

 

10. Shareholder Proposals . The Advisor reviews shareholder proposals individually and determines each proposal on its own individual merits. The Advisor balances the needs of the company to maintain flexibility in its business operations against other considerations proposed by shareholders.

 

C. Limitations.

 

In certain circumstances, in accordance with a client’s investment advisory contract (or other written directive) or where the Advisor has determined that it is in the client’s best interest, the Advisor will not vote proxies received. The following are circumstances in which the Advisor may limit its role in voting proxies:

 

1. Client Maintains Proxy Voting Authority . Where client specifies in writing that it will maintain the authority to vote proxies itself or that it has delegated the right to vote proxies to a third party, the Advisor will not vote the securities and will direct the relevant custodian to send the proxy material directly to the client. If any proxy material is received by the Advisor, it will promptly be forwarded to the client or specified third party.

 

2. Terminated Account . Once a client account has been terminated with the Advisor in accordance with its investment advisory agreement, the Advisor will not vote any proxies received after the termination. However, the client may specify in writing that proxies should be directed to the client or a specified third party for action.

 

3. Limited Value . If the Advisor determines that the value of a client’s economic interest or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant, the Advisor may abstain from voting a client’s proxies. The Advisor also will not vote proxies received for securities which are no longer held by the client’s account. In addition, the Advisor may determine in its discretion not to vote securities where the economic value of the securities in the client account is less than $10,000 .

 

4. Securities Lending Programs . When securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower’s name and are voted by the borrower, in its discretion. However, where the Advisor determines that a proxy vote, or other shareholder action, is materially important to the client’s account, the Advisor will recall the security for purposes of voting.

 

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5. Unjustifiable Costs . In certain circumstances, after doing a cost-benefit analysis, the Advisor may abstain from voting where the cost of voting a client’s proxy would exceed any anticipated benefits to the client of the proxy proposal.

 

D. Conflict of Interest.

 

If a potential conflict of interest exists between a client and the interest of the Advisor in voting proxies, any of the following procedures may be followed to resolve the conflict:

 

1. Vote in Accordance with the Guidelines . The Advisor may address its potential conflict of interest by voting in accordance with the pre-determined guidelines set forth by these Proxy Voting Policies.

 

2. Obtain Consent of Clients . The Advisor may address its potential conflict by disclosing the conflict to the relevant clients and obtaining their consent to the proposed vote prior to voting the proxy. The disclosure to the client will include sufficient detail regarding the matter to be voted on and the nature of the Advisor’s conflict so that the client is able to make an informed decision regarding the vote. If a client does not respond to such a conflict disclosure request or denies the request, the Advisor will abstain from voting the securities held by that client’s account.

 

E. Client Directions

 

The Advisor follows and adheres to any policies, procedures and directions of clients regarding the voting of proxies. Such directions must be in writing, duly authorized by the client and delivered to the Advisor sufficiently in advance to vote the proxies as directed.

 

F. Third Party

 

If the Advisor determines to use a third party service provider to vote proxies, the Advisor must assure that the third party complies with Rule 206(4)-6, these Proxy Voting Policies and maintains required records.

 

IV. Record Keeping

 

A. Maintenance

 

The Advisor maintains:

 

· these Proxy Voting Policies, and all amendments thereto;
· all proxy statements received regarding client securities; provided, however, that the Advisor may rely on the proxy statement filed on EDGAR as its records;
· a record of all votes cast on behalf of clients;
· records of all client requests for proxy voting information;
· any documents prepared by the Advisor that were material to making a decision how to vote or that memorialized the basis for the decision; and
· all records relating to requests made to clients regarding conflicts of interest in voting the proxy.

 

B. Form N-PX

 

The Advisor will coordinate with any exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) it advises or sub-advises to assist it in the provision of all information required to be filed by the ETF on Form N-PX.

 

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APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 
 

 

 

Financial Statements

 

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

January 15, 2013 

With Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 
 

  

 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Trustees of KraneShares Trust and Shareholder of KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

 

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (the "Fund") at January 15, 2013, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. 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 of this financial statement 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. An audit 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, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

  

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 

January 16, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, Suite 1700, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7042

T: (267) 330 3000, F: (267) 330 3300, www.pwc.com/us

 

 
 

 

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Statement of Assets and Liabilities  

January 15, 2013

 

Assets      
Cash   $ 100,000  
Net Assets   $ 100,000  
         
Components of Net Assets        
Paid in Capital   $ 100,000  
Net Assets   $ 100,000  
         
Shares Issued and Outstanding     5,000  
         
Net Asset Value Per Share   $ 20.00  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

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KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Notes to Financial Statements 

January 15, 2013

 

1. Organization

 

KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”), was formed on February 3, 2012 as an open-end registered management investment company currently comprised of one exchange-traded fund: KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (the “Fund”). The investment objective of the Fund is to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of a specified market index called Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index (the “Index”). Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (the “Advisor”) manages the Fund. The Trust has had no operations to date other than matters relating to its organization and registration as a non-diversified, open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

The Fund has had no operations to date other than matters relating to its organization and the capital contribution to the Trust resulting in the issuance to the Advisor of 5,000 shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) of the Fund at an aggregate purchase price of $100,000 on January 15, 2013. At January 15, 2013, the Advisor owned 100% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. Shares of the Fund will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Market prices for the Shares may be different from their net asset value ("NAV"). The Fund will issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at NAV only in large blocks of Shares, typically 50,000 Shares, called "Creation Units." Creation Units will be issued and redeemed principally in-kind for a basket of securities and a balancing cash amount. Shares generally will trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit at market prices that change throughout the day.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Trust, are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

 

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KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)  

January 15, 2013

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

Use of Estimates  

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in these financial statements.

 

Income Taxes  

 

The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under Sub-chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If so qualified, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent it distributes substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains to its shareholders.

 

The Fund may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which they invest with respect to their investments in issuers existing or operating in such countries. Such taxes are generally based on income earned. The Fund accrues such taxes when the related income is earned.

 

Organizational Expenses

 

All organizational and offering expenses of the Trust will be borne by the Adviser and will not be subject to future recoupment. As a result, organizational and offering expenses are not reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

Cash at January 15, 2013, is on deposit at Brown Brothers Harriman in a non-interest bearing account.

 

3. Agreements

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

 

The Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, and continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Fund’s investment program. The Board of Trustees of the Trust supervises the Advisor and establishes policies that the Advisor must follow in its day-to-day management activities. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Advisor, the Fund pays the Advisor a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.68% based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Advisor bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services. As part of its agreement with the Trust, the Advisor has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of the Fund, including the cost of index licensing fees, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except interest expense, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with execution of portfolio transactions, litigation expenses, compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees’ counsel fees), extraordinary expenses, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, if any, and the advisory fee payable to the Advisor.

 

4
 

 

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)  

January 15, 2013

 

3. Agreements (continued)

 

Investment Advisory Agreement (continued)

 

Index Management Solutions, LLC serves as the investment sub-advisor to the Fund (the “Sub-Advisor”). The Sub-Advisor is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Advisor or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Advisor and the Board of Trustees. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Advisor pays the Sub-Advisor a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.05% on the Fund’s daily average net assets up to $50 million; 0.04% on the Fund’s daily average net assets on the next $50 million; and 0.03% on the Fund’s daily average net assets in excess of $100 million.

 

Administrator, Custodian, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent

 

SEI Investments Global Fund Services (the “Administrator”) serves as the Funds’ Administrator pursuant to an administration agreement. Brown Brothers Harriman (the “Custodian” and “Transfer Agent”) serves as the Funds’ Custodian and Transfer Agent pursuant to a Custody Agreement and a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement.

 

Distribution Agreement

 

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments and an affiliate of the Administrator (the “Distributor”), serves as the Fund’s distributor of Creation Units pursuant to a distribution agreement. The Distributor does not maintain any secondary market in Fund shares.

 

The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount of 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities. For the first twelve months of operations no fees will be charged by the Distributor under the Plan and the Plan will only be implemented with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

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KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)  

January 15, 2013

 

4. Creation and Redemption Transactions

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis at NAV in groups of 50,000 shares called “Creation Units.”

 

Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable securities of a Fund. Shares of the Fund may only be purchased or redeemed by certain financial institutions (“Authorized Participants”). An Authorized Participant is either (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or (ii) a DTC participant and, in each case, must have executed a Participant Agreement with the Distributor. Most retail investors will not qualify as Authorized Participants or have the resources to buy and sell whole Creation Units. Therefore, they will be unable to purchase or redeem the shares directly from the Fund. Rather, most retail investors will purchase shares in the secondary market with the assistance of a broker and will be subject to customary brokerage commissions or fees.

 

5. Related Parties

 

Certain officers of the Trust are also employees of the Advisor.

 

6. Principal Risks

 

As with all exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. A more complete description of principal risks is included in the prospectus under the heading “Principal Risks”.

 

Geographic Concentration in China and Hong Kong

 

Because the Fund concentrates its investments in securities issued China and Hong Kong, the Fund’s performance is expected to be closely tied to social, political, and economic conditions within China and to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and increase the volatility of an investment in the Fund.

 

Market Risk

 

The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to such factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

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KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

(a portfolio of KraneShares Trust)

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

January 15, 2013

 

6. Principal Risks (continued)

 

Non-Diversification Risk

 

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers, and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

7. Guarantees and Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business the Fund enters into contracts with third-party service providers that contain a variety of representations and warranties and that provide general indemnifications. Additionally, under the Fund’s organizational documents, the officers and trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as it involves possible future claims that may or may not be made against the Fund. Based on experience, the Advisor is of the view that the risk of loss to the Fund in connection with the Fund’s indemnification obligations is remote; however, there can be no assurance that such obligations will not result in material liabilities that adversely affect the Fund.

 

8. Subsequent Events

 

In preparing these financial statements, management has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Management has determined that there are no material events, except as set forth above that would require disclosure in the Fund’s financial statements through this date.

 

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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28.   Exhibits
     
(a)(1)   Certificate of Trust, as filed with the state of Delaware on February 3, 2012, for KraneShares Trust (the “Registrant” or the “Trust”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) to the Registrant’s initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-12-173444 on April 20, 2012.
     
(a)(2)   Registrant’s Declaration of Trust dated November 8, 2012 is filed herewith.  
     
(b)   Registrant’s By-Laws as adopted November 8, 2012 are filed herewith.
     
(c)   Not applicable.
     
(d)(1)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated November 8, 2012 between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors , LLC is filed herewith.
     
(d)(2)   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 12, 2012 between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC and Index management Solutions, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(e)(1)   Distribution Agreement dated December 18, 2012 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is filed herewith.
     
(e)(2)   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is filed herewith.
     
(f)   Not applicable.
     
(g)   Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement dated December 12, 2012 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is filed herewith.
     
(h)(1)   Administration Agreement dated December 18, 2012 between the Registrant and SEI Global Fund Services is filed herewith. 
     
(h)(2)   Compliance Services Agreement dated October 1, 2012 between the Registrant and Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(i)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP, is filed herewith.
     
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, is filed herewith.
      
(k)   Not applicable.
     
(l)   Subscription Agreement dated January 2, 2013 between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(m)   Distribution Plan, as adopted November 8, 2012, is filed herewith.
     
(n)   Not applicable.
     
(o)   Not applicable.
     
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics of the Registrant is filed herewith.
     
(p)(2)   Code of Ethics of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(p)(3)   Code of Ethics of Index Management Solutions, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(q)   Power of Attorney dated November 8, 2012 is filed herewith.

 

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Item 29 .             Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 30 .             Indemnification

 

A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in Article VII of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Investment Adviser, or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

 

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under Section 1.1 of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under Section 1.1.

 

All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or the Trustees shall look only to the assets of the appropriate Series, or, if the Trustees have yet to establish Series, of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.

 

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Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or Trustees or by any of them in connection with the Trust shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to his or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, and such Trustee or Trustees shall not be personally liable thereon. At the Trustees’ discretion, any note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers may give notice that the Certificate of Trust is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and that a limitation on the liability of each Series exists and such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or made on behalf of the Trust or by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust or a Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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.

 

Item 31 .              Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser for each series of the Trust. The principal address of the Adviser is 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019. The Adviser is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of the Adviser is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

 

Name and Position with       Connection with
Investment Adviser   Name of Other Company   Other Company
Jonathan Krane, Chief Executive   Harvest Krane LLC   Director and CEO
Officer and Managing Member   1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor    
    New York, NY 10019    
    Brill Securities, Inc.   Registered Representative
    152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor    
    New York, NY 10019    

 

Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser for each series of the Trust. The principal address of the Sub-Adviser is One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. The Sub-Adviser is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of the Sub-Adviser is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

3
 

 

Name and Position with
Investment Adviser
  Name of Other Company   Connection with Other
Company
Michael Gompers, Chief   VTL Associates, LLC   Chief Operating Officer
Executive Officer and Chief   2005 Market Street, Suite 2020    
Compliance Officer   Philadelphia, PA 19103    

 

Additional information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by each such officer and director is included in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information.

 

Item 32 .             Principal Underwriters

 

(a) Registrant's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”), acts as distributor for:

 

SEI Daily Income Trust July 15, 1982
SEI Liquid Asset Trust November 29, 1982
SEI Tax Exempt Trust December 3, 1982
SEI Institutional Managed Trust January 22, 1987
SEI Institutional International Trust August 30, 1988
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund November 14, 1991
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II January 28, 1993
Bishop Street Funds January 27, 1995
SEI Asset Allocation Trust April 1, 1996
SEI Institutional Investments Trust June 14, 1996
CNI Charter Funds April 1, 1999
Causeway Capital Management Trust September 20, 2001
ProShares Trust November 14, 2005
Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund January 8, 2007
SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP June 29, 2007
TD Asset Management USA Funds July 25, 2007
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP July 31, 2007
Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc. July 12, 2008
Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust July 12, 2008
Global X Funds October 24, 2008
ProShares Trust II November 17, 2008
Exchanged Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust) August 7, 2009
Schwab Strategic Trust October 12, 2009
RiverPark Funds September 8, 2010
Adviser Managed Trust Fund December 10, 2010
Huntington Strategy Shares July 26, 2011
New Covenant Funds March 30, 2012
Cambria ETF Trust August 30, 2012
Pyxis Funds I September 25, 2012
KKR Series Trust October 3, 2012
KKR Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund October 3, 2012
KKR Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund P October 3, 2012

 

4
 

 

The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments. These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions ("MarketLink").

 

(b)          Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 20 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is Oaks, PA 19456.

 

    Position and Office   Positions and Offices
Name   with Underwriter   with Registrant
William M. Doran   Director  
Edward D. Loughlin   Director  
Wayne M. Withrow   Director  
Kevin P. Barr   President & Chief Executive Officer  
Maxine J. Chou   Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer,    
    & Treasurer  
Karen E. LaTourette   Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money Laundering    
    Officer & Assistant Secretary  
John C. Munch   General Counsel & Secretary  
Mark J. Held   Senior Vice President  
Lori L. White   Vice President & Assistant Secretary  
John P. Coary   Vice President & Assistant Secretary  
John J. Cronin   Vice President  
Robert M. Silvestri   Vice President  

 

Item 33.   Location of Accounts and Records:

 

Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:

 

Registrant:

 

c/o Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

Adviser:

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

Sub-Adviser:

Index Management Solutions, LLC

2005 Market Street, Suite 2020

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

 

Administrator:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

 

5
 

 

Distributor:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

 

Item 34 .              Management Services

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 35 .             Undertakings

 

Not Applicable.

 

6
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Trust has duly caused this Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698) to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York on this 18th day of January, 2013.

 

 

  KraneShares Trust
   
  /s/ Jonathan Krane
  Jonathan Krane
  Trustee, Principal Executive Officer and
  Principal Financial Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Jonathan Krane   Trustee, Principal Executive Officer   January 18, 2013
Jonathan Krane   and Principal Financial Officer    
         
         
/s/ John Ferguson*   Trustee   January 18, 2013
John Ferguson        
         
/s/ Anita Rausch*   Trustee   January 18, 2013
Anita Rausch        
         
/s/ Chris Ruppenstein*   Trustee   January 18, 2013
Chris Ruppenstein        
         
/s/ Matthew Stroyman*   Trustee   January 18, 2013
Matthew Stroyman        
         
*  /s/ Jonathan Krane        
    Jonathan Krane        

 

* Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to power of attorney dated November 8, 2012.

 

7
 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number   Exhibit
     
EX-99.A2   Registrant’s Declaration of Trust dated November 8, 2012
     
EX-99.B   Registrant’s By-Laws as adopted November 8, 2012
     
EX-99.D1   Investment Advisory Agreement dated November 8, 2012 between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors , LLC
     
EX-99.D2   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 12, 2012 between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC and Index management Solutions, LLC
     
EX-99.E1   Distribution Agreement dated December 18, 2012 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co.
     
EX-99.E2   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement
     
EX-99.G   Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement dated December 12, 2012 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
     
EX-99.H1   Administration Agreement dated December 18, 2012 between the Registrant and SEI Global Fund Services
     
EX-99.H2   Compliance Services Agreement dated October 1, 2012 between the Registrant and Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC
     
EX-99.I   Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP
     
EX-99.J   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
     
EX-99.L   Subscription Agreement dated January 2, 2013 between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC
     
EX-99.M   Distribution Plan as adopted November 8, 2012
     
EX-99.P1   Code of Ethics of the Registrant
     
EX-99.P2   Code of Ethics of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC
     
EX-99.P3   Code of Ethics of Index Management Solutions, LLC
     
EX-99.Q   Power of Attorney dated November 8, 2012

 

8

 

DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

as of November 8, 2012

 

of

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

a Delaware Statutory Trust

 

Principal Place of Business:

1350 Avenue of the Americas

2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I Name and Definitions.      1
Section 1.   Name      1
Section 2.   Definitions      1
ARTICLE II Purpose of the Trust.      2
ARTICLE III Shares.      2
Section 1.   Division of Beneficial Interest      2
Section 2.   Ownership of Shares      3
Section 3.   Investments in the Trust      3
Section 4.   Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability      3
Section 5.   Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares      3
Section 6.   Establishment and Designation of Shares      4
ARTICLE IV The Board of Trustees      5
Section 1.   Number, Election and Tenure      5
Section 2.   Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. of a Trustee      6
Section 3.   Powers      6
Section 4.   Payment of Expenses by the Trust      9
Section 5.   Ownership of Assets of the Trust      9
Section 6.   Service Contracts      9
ARTICLE V Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings      10
Section 1.   Voting Powers      10
Section 2.   Voting Power and Meetings      11
Section 3.   Quorum and Required Vote      11
Section 4.   Action by Written Consent      11
Section 5.   Record Dates      11
ARTICLE VI Net Asset Value, Distributions, and Redemptions      12
Section 1.   Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income, and Distributions      12
Section 2.   Redemptions and Repurchases      12
Section 3.   Redemptions at the Option of the Trust      12
ARTICLE VII Compensation and Limitation of Liability      13
Section 1.   Compensation of Trustees      13
Section 2.   Indemnification and Limitation of Liability      13
Section 3.   Trustee’s Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety      14
Section 4.   Insurance      14
Section 5.   Trustee Qualifications and Experience 14
ARTICLE VIII Miscellaneous      14
Section 1.   Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees      14
Section 2.   Termination of Trust or Series      14
Section 3.   Merger, Consolidation, and Reorganization      15
Section 4.   Amendments      16
Section 5.   Filing of Copies, References, Headings      16
Section 6.   Applicable Law      16
Section 7.   Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations      16
Section 8.   Statutory Trust Only      17
Section 9.   Applicability of 1940 Act and Registration Statement 17
Section 10.   Trustees May Resolve Ambiguities 17

  

 
 

 

DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

OF

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

 

This DECLARATION OF TRUST is made and entered into as of the date set forth below by the Trustee named hereunder (“Initial Trustee”) for the purpose of forming a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the Initial Trustee hereby declares that the Trustees will hold IN TRUST all cash, securities, and other assets that the Trust now possesses or may hereafter acquire from time to time in any manner and manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the pro rata benefit of the holders of Shares of this Trust.

 

ARTICLE I.

 

Name and Definitions

 

Section 1 . Name . This trust shall be known as “KRANESHARES TRUST” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name as they may from time to time determine.

 

Section 2 . Definitions . Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided:

 

(a) “Trust” refers to the Delaware statutory trust governed by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time;

 

(b) “Trust Property” means any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust;

 

(c) “Trustees” refers to the persons who have signed this Declaration of Trust, so long as they continue in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other persons who may from time to time be duly elected or appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof, and reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such person or persons in their capacity as Trustees hereunder;

 

(d) “Shares” means the shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest of each Series of the Trust or class thereof shall be divided from time to time and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares;

 

(e) “Shareholder” means a record owner of outstanding Shares;

  

(f) “Person” means and includes individuals, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, foundations, plans, associations, joint ventures, estates and other entities, whether or not legal entities, and governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof, whether domestic or foreign;

 

(g) “1940 Act” refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as amended from time to time. References herein to specific sections of the 1940 Act shall be deemed to include such rules and regulations as are applicable to such sections as determined by the Trustees or their designees;

 

1
 

 

(h) “Commission” has the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(7) of the 1940 Act;

 

(i) “Principal Underwriter” has the meaning given it in Section (2)(a)(29) of the 1940 Act;

 

(j) “Declaration of Trust” shall mean this Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;

 

(k) “By - Laws” shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from time to time;

 

(l) “Interested Person” has the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act;

 

(m) “Investment Adviser” or “Adviser” means a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any contract described in Article IV, Section 6(a) hereof;

 

(n) “Series” refers to each Series of Shares established and designated under or in accordance with the provisions of Article III;

 

(o) “Board of Trustees” means such individuals, as a group, who from time to time constitute the Trustees; and

 

(p) “Delaware Act” refers to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

ARTICLE II.

 

Purpose of the Trust

 

The purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a management investment company registered under the 1940 Act through one or more Series investing primarily in securities and other instruments and rights and to exercise all of the powers and privileges granted to a statutory trust formed under the laws of the State of Delaware and a management investment company registered under the 1940 Act, now or hereafter in force.

 

 

ARTICLE III.

 

Shares

 

Section 1 . Division of Beneficial Interest . The beneficial interest in the Trust shall at all times be divided into an unlimited number of Shares, without par value. All Shares issued hereunder shall be fully paid and non-assessable. The Trustees may authorize the division of Shares into separate Series and the division of Series into separate classes of Shares. The different Series shall be established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Series shall be fixed and determined, by the Trustees. If only one Series shall be established, the Shares shall have the rights and preferences provided for herein and in Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise provided for herein.

 

2
 

 

Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6, each Share shall have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and holders of the Shares of any Series shall be entitled to receive dividends, when, if, and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article VI, Section 1 hereof. No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Series with respect to dividends or distributions of the Trust or otherwise. All dividends and distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of a Series (or class) from the assets held with respect to such Series according to the number of Shares of such Series (or class) held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution or on the date of termination of the Trust, as the case may be. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust or any Series. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of a Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of such Series without thereby materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of such Shares in the assets held with respect to that Series or materially affecting the rights of Shares of any other Series.

 

Section 2 . Ownership of Shares . The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust or a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series. No certificates evidencing the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Trustees may make such rules as they consider appropriate for the transfer of Shares of each Series (or class) and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders of each Series and as to the number of Shares of each Series held from time to time by each Shareholder.

 

Section 3 . Investments in the Trust . Investments may be accepted by the Trust from such Persons, at such times, on such terms, and for such consideration as the Trustees from time to time may authorize. Each investment shall be credited to the Shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional Shares of the Trust, in such Series (or class) as the purchaser shall select, at the net asset value per Share next determined for such Series (or class) after receipt of the investment; provided, however, that the Trustees may, in their sole discretion, impose a sales charge or transaction fee upon investments in the Trust.

 

Section 4 . Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability . Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving only the rights provided in this instrument and the By-Laws of the Trust. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof. The death of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust shall not operate to terminate the Trust, nor entitle the representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees, but shall entitle such representative only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not entitle a Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the Trust Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as partners or joint venturers. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, or to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time agree to pay. The Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to preference, preemptive, appraisal, conversion, or exchange rights (except as specified in this Declaration of Trust or as specified by the Trustees when creating the Shares). Shareholders shall have the same limitation of personal liability as is extended to stockholders of a private corporation for profit incorporated under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

3
 

 

Section 5 . Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Declaration of Trust to the contrary, and without limiting the power of the Board of Trustees to amend this Declaration of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to amend this Declaration of Trust, at any time and from time to time, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may determine in their sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action, so as to add, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust, provided that before adopting any such amendment without Shareholder approval the Board of Trustees shall determine that it is consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all Shareholders and that Shareholder approval is not otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. If, however, Shares have been issued, Shareholder approval shall be required to adopt any amendments to this Declaration of Trust that would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the Shares of any Series (or class) already issued.

 

Section 6 . Establishment and Designation of Shares . The establishment and designation of any Series (or class) of Shares shall be effective upon the adoption by a majority of the Trustees of a resolution that sets forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of such Series (or class) whether directly in such resolution or by reference to another document including without limitation, any registration statement of the Trust, or as otherwise provided in such resolution. Each such resolution shall be incorporated herein by reference upon adoption.

 

Shares of each Series (or class) established pursuant to this Section 6, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series, shall have the following relative rights and preferences:

 

(a) Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series . All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a Series, including dividends and distributions paid by, and reinvested in, such Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange, or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange, or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred to as “assets held with respect to” that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively “General Assets”), the Trustees shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes in absence of manifest error.

 

(b) Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series . The assets of the Trust held with respect to each Series shall be charged with the liabilities of the Trust with respect to such Series and all expenses, costs, charges, and reserves attributable to such Series, and any general liabilities of the Trust that are not readily identifiable as being held in respect of a Series shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more Series in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves so charged to a Series are herein referred to as “liabilities held with respect to” that Series. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes in absence of manifest error. All Persons who have extended credit that has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to a Series, shall look exclusively to the assets held with respect to such Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. In the absence of an express agreement so limiting the claims of such creditors, claimants, and contracting parties, each creditor, claimant, and contracting party shall be deemed nevertheless to have agreed to such limitation unless an express provision to the contrary has been incorporated in the written contract or other document establishing the contractual relationship.

 

4
 

 

(c) Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions, and Repurchases . No dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon termination of the Trust or of any Series (or class) with respect to, or any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series (or class) shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor shall any Shareholder of any Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders in absence of manifest error.

 

(d) Voting . All Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote without differentiation between the separate Series (or classes) on a one vote per whole Share (and a fractional vote for each fractional Share) basis; provided, however, if a matter to be voted on affects only the interests of certain Series (or class of a Series), then only the Shareholders of such affected Series (or class) shall be entitled to vote on the matter, separated by Series and, if applicable, by class, on the same one vote per each whole Share (and a proportional fractional vote for each fractional Share) basis.

 

(e) Equality . All the Shares of each Series shall represent an equal proportionate undivided interest in the assets held with respect to such Series (subject to the liabilities of such Series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of Shares within such Series), and each Share of a Series shall be equal to each other Share of such Series.

 

(f) Fractions . Any fractional Share of a Series shall have proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of such Series, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions and redemption of Shares.

 

(g) Exchange Privilege . The Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to exchange such Shares for Shares of one or more other Series in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the Trustees.

 

(h) Combination of Series . The Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series.

 

(i) Elimination of Series or Class . At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of a Series or class, the Trustees may abolish such Series or class. Any particular Series or class shall be dissolved upon the occurrence of the applicable dissolution events set forth in Article VIII, Section 2.

 

5
 

 

ARTICLE IV.

 

The Board of Trustees

 

Section 1 . Number, Election and Tenure . The number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees shall be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15). Subject to the requirements of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees and remove Trustees with or without cause. Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or is removed. Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other time. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages or other payment on account of such removal. Any Trustee may be removed at any time by a vote of at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal. Shareholders shall have the power to remove a Trustee only to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Section 2 . Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. of a Trustee . The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, or incapacity of one or more Trustees, or all of them, shall not operate to annul the Trust or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided in Article IV, Section 1, the Trustees in office, regardless of their number, shall have all the powers granted to the Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Trustees by this Declaration of Trust.

 

Section 3 . Powers . Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust shall be managed by the Board of Trustees, and such Board shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility including the power to engage in transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust. Trustees, in all instances, shall act as principals and are and shall be free from the control of the Shareholders. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts, documents and instruments that they may consider desirable, necessary or appropriate in connection with the administration of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may: (i) adopt, amend, and repeal By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the Trust; (ii) elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they consider appropriate; (iii) appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees who may exercise the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees to the extent that the Trustees determine; (iv) employ one or more custodians of the assets of the Trust and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such assets in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank, retain a transfer agent or a shareholder servicing agent, or both; (v) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise; (vi) retain one or more Investment Advisers; (vii) redeem, repurchase, and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; (viii) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters; (ix) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders of each Series from the assets of such Series; (x) establish from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and distinct investment purpose; and (xi) in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any such custodian, transfer or shareholder servicing agent, Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter.

 

Any determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees and, unless otherwise specified herein or required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law, any action by the Board of Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees then in office or a majority of any duly constituted committee of Trustees. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees, or any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees or committee (as the case may be) consent thereto in writing or electronically, and the consents are filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees, or committee, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act.

 

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Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust shall have power and authority:

 

(a) To invest and reinvest cash and cash items, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of all types of securities, futures contracts and options thereon, and forward currency contracts of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, and other securities of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality or organization, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in “when issued” contracts for any such securities, futures contracts and options thereon, swap agreements, forward currency contracts, and other derivatives, to change the investments of the assets of the Trust; and to exercise any and all rights, powers, and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all such investments of every kind and description, including, without limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments;

 

(b) To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, or write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series;

 

(c) To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property; and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;

 

(d) To exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;

 

(e) To hold any security or property in a form not indicating that it is Trust Property, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to deposit the same in a securities depository, subject in each case to the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act;

 

(f) To consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation, or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust;

 

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(g) To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depository, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depository or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depository or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;

 

(h) To litigate, compromise, arbitrate, settle or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or a Series, or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes;

 

(i) To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships, and any other combinations or associations;

  

(j) To borrow funds or other property in the name of the Trust or Series exclusively for Trust purposes;

 

(k) To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof;

 

(l) To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Trustees may deem necessary, desirable or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, administrators, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, administrator, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, including any action taken or omitted that may be determined to constitute negligence, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against liability;

 

(m) To adopt, establish, and carry out pension, profit sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift, and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts, and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees, and agents of the Trust;

 

(n) To employ one or more banks, trust companies, or companies that are members of a national securities exchange or such other entities as the Commission may permit as custodians of any assets of the Trust subject to any conditions set forth in this Declaration or Trust or in the By-Laws;

 

(o) To interpret the investment policies, practices or limitations of any Series or class;

 

(p) To invest part or all of the Trust Property (or part or all of the assets of any Series), or to dispose of part or all of the Trust Property (or part or all of the assets of any Series) and invest the proceeds of such disposition, in securities issued by one or more other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act (including investment by means of transfer of part or all of the Trust Property in exchange for an interest or interests in such one or more investment companies) all without any requirement of approval by Shareholders unless required by the 1940 Act. Any such other investment company may (but need not) be a trust (formed under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any other state) that is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes; and

 

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(q) To engage in any other lawful act or activity in which entities organized as Delaware statutory trusts may engage.

  

The Trust shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible termination of the Trust or one or more of its Series. The Trust shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom in regard to investment by fiduciaries. The Trust shall not be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder.

 

The foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers, and it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the Trust by the Delaware Act and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise; nor shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it be of like nature, not expressed.

 

Section 4 . Payment of Expenses by the Trust . Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(b), the Trustees are authorized to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust or Series, or partly out of the principal and partly out of income, and to charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or more of the Series that may be established or designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes, and liabilities incurred or arising in connection with the Trust or Series, or in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees’ compensation and such expenses and charges for the services of the Trust’s officers, employees, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriter, auditors, counsel, custodian, transfer agent, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses and charges as the Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.

 

Section 5 . Ownership of Assets of the Trust . Title to all of the assets of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trust, except that the Trustees shall have power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of one or more of the Trustees, or in the name of the Trust, or in the name of any other Person as nominee, on such terms as the Trustees may determine. The right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a Trustee. Upon the resignation, incompetency, bankruptcy, removal, or death of a Trustee he or she shall automatically cease to have any such title in any of the Trust Property, and the title of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the remaining Trustees. Such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered.

 

Section 6 . Service Contracts .

(a) The Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory, management and/or administrative services for the Trust or for any Series with any Person; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees may determine, including without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Trustees what investments shall be purchased, held, sold, or exchanged and what portion, if any, of the assets of the Trust shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust’s investments, and such other responsibilities as may specifically be delegated to such Person.

 

(b) The Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any Persons, including any affiliate, appointing such Person(s) exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of one or more of the Series (or classes) or other securities to be issued by the Trust. Every such contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees may determine.

 

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(c) The Trustees are also empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons, appointing such Person(s) to serve as custodian(s), transfer agent(s) and/or shareholder servicing agent(s) for the Trust or one or more of its Series (or class). Every such contract shall comply with such terms as may be required by the Trustees.

 

(d) The Trustees are further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons, including any affiliate, to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more of the Series, as the Trustees determine to be in the best interests of the Trust and the applicable Series.

 

(e) The fact that:

 

(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees, or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or affiliate or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization or for any parent or affiliate of any organization with which an advisory, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or transfer, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that

 

(ii) any Person with which an advisory, management or administration contract or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or transfer, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may be made also has an advisory, management or administration contract, or principal underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or transfer, shareholder servicing or other service contract, or has other business or interests with any other Person, shall not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders, provided approval of each such contract is made pursuant to the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act.

 

ARTICLE V.

 

Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings

 

Section 1 . Voting Powers . Subject to the provisions of Article III, Sections 5 and 6(d), the Shareholders shall have right to vote only (i) for the election or removal of Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1, and (ii) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, or any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission, and (iii) on such other matters as the Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. Each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote.

 

To the extent that the 1940 Act or Delaware law is amended by rule, regulation, order, or no-action letter to eliminate or limit Shareholders’ right to vote on any specific matter, the Shareholders’ right to vote shall be deemed to be amended, modified, or interpreted in accordance therewith without further approval by the Trustees or the Shareholders. Shares may be voted in person or by proxy or by any manner authorized by the Trustees. Unless the Trustees declare otherwise, proxies may be given by any electronic or telecommunications device, including telefax, telephone or through the Internet or any other means permissible under the Delaware Act, but if a proposal by anyone other than the officers or Trustees is submitted to a vote of the Shareholders of any Series or class, or if there is a proxy contest or proxy solicitation or proposal in opposition to any proposal by the officers or Trustees, Shares may be voted only in person or by written proxy unless the Trustees specifically authorize other permissible methods of transmission. Until Shares of a Series are issued, the Trustees may exercise all of the rights of the Shareholders of such Series with respect to the Trust or such particular Series required or permitted by law or this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws to be taken by Shareholders. A proxy with respect to Shares held in the name of two or more persons shall be valid if executed by any one of them unless at or prior to exercise of the proxy the Trust receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them. A proxy purporting to be executed by or on behalf of a Shareholder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger.

 

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Section 2 . Voting Power and Meetings . Meetings of the Shareholders may be called by the Trustees for the purposes described in Section 1 of this Article V. A meeting of Shareholders may be held at any place designated by the Trustees. Written or electronic notice of any meeting of Shareholders shall be given or caused to be given by the Trustees by delivering personally, electronically, or mailing such notice not more than ninety (90), nor less than ten (10) days before such meeting, postage prepaid, stating the time and place of the meeting, to each Shareholder at the Shareholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Trust. Whenever notice of a meeting is required to be given to a Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust, a written or electronic waiver thereof, executed before or after the meeting by such Shareholder or his or her attorney thereunto authorized and filed with the records of the meeting, or actual attendance at the meeting of Shareholders in person or by proxy, shall be deemed equivalent to such notice.

  

Section 3 . Quorum and Required Vote . Except as otherwise provided by the 1940 Act or in this Declaration of Trust, one-third of the outstanding Shares of each Series or class, or one-third of the outstanding Shares of the Trust, entitled to vote in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at a meeting with respect to such Series or class, or with respect to the entire Trust, respectively. Any meeting of Shareholders may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of the votes properly cast upon the question of adjourning a meeting to another date and time, whether or not a quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as adjourned within a reasonable time after the date set for the original meeting without further notice. Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d) and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, when a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the Shares voted in person or by proxy shall decide any questions, except only a plurality vote shall be necessary to elect trustees. Where any provision of law or of this Declaration of Trust requires that the holders of any Series (or class) shall vote as a Series (or class) on the matter, the vote of a majority of the Shares of the Series (or class) voted in person or by proxy (or a plurality with respect to the election of a Trustee) shall decide that matter insofar as that Series (or class) is concerned. There shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees.

 

Section 4 . Action by Written Consent . Any action taken by Shareholders may be taken without a meeting if written or electronic consent to the action is filed with the records of the meetings of Shareholders by the holders of the number of votes that would be required to approve the matter as provided in Article V, Section 3. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.

 

Section 5 . Record Dates . For the purpose of determining the Shareholders who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, the Trustees may fix a time, which shall be not more than ninety (90) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of any meeting of Shareholders, as the record date for determining the Shareholders having the right to notice of and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof, and in such case only Shareholders of record on such record date shall have such right, notwithstanding any transfer of Shares on the books of the Trust after the record date. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Trustees may fix a date, which shall be before the date for the payment of such dividend or distribution, as the record date for determining the Shareholders having the right to receive such dividend or distribution. Nothing in this Section 5 shall be construed as precluding the Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series.

  

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ARTICLE VI.

 

Net Asset Value, Distributions, and Redemptions

 

Section 1 . Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income, and Distributions . Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Trustees, in their absolute discretion, may prescribe such bases and time for determining the per Share net asset value of the Shares of any Series (or class) and the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on the Shares of any Series (or class), as they may deem necessary or desirable.

  

Section 2 . Redemptions and Repurchases . The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered for redemption in accordance with the conditions regarding the redemption of Shares as may be described in the applicable prospectus and in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or by the SEC through exemptive, no-action, or other relief, upon receipt of a request in proper form, directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust, that the Trust purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Trustees may from time to time authorize. The Trust will pay therefor the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request for redemption is received in proper form or such later date as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or by the SEC through exemptive, no-action, or other relief. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net assets held with respect to such Series or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection of investors, or as may otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Trustees.

 

The redemption price may in any case or cases be paid in cash or wholly or partly in kind. Subject to the foregoing, the fair value, selection, and quantity of securities or other property so paid or delivered as all or part of the redemption price may be determined by or under authority of the Trustees. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.

 

Section 3 . Redemptions at the Option of the Trust . The Trustees may require Shareholders to redeem Shares for any reason under terms set by the Trustees, including, but not limited to: (i) the determination of the Trustees that direct or indirect ownership of Shares of any Series has or may become concentrated in such Shareholder to an extent that would disqualify any Series as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor statute thereto) (the “Code”); (ii) the failure of a Shareholder to supply a tax identification number if required to do so, or to have the minimum investment required (which may vary by Series or class); (iii) the Shareholder’s account balance, due to redemptions, falls below the minimum investment amount as described in the applicable Series’ prospectus; or (iv) the failure of a Shareholder to pay when due for the purchase of Shares issued to him. Any such redemption shall be effected at the redemption price and in the manner provided in this Article VI.

 

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ARTICLE VII.

 

Compensation and Limitation of Liability

 

Section 1 . Compensation of Trustees . Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust shall be entitled to reasonable compensation from the Trust, and the Board of Trustees may fix the amount of such compensation from time to time.

 

Section 1.1. Section 2 . Indemnification and Limitation of Liability . A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in this Article VII, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Investment Adviser, or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

 

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 1.1 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 1.1.

 

All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or the Trustees shall look only to the assets of the appropriate Series, or, if the Trustees have yet to establish Series, of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.

 

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or Trustees or by any of them in connection with the Trust shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to his or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, and such Trustee or Trustees shall not be personally liable thereon. At the Trustees’ discretion, any note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers may give notice that the Certificate of Trust is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and that a limitation on the liability of each Series exists and such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or made on behalf of the Trust or by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust or a Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.

 

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Section 3 . Trustee’s Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety . The exercise by the Trustees of their powers hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested in or dealing with the Trust. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice nor for failing to follow such advice. The Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.

  

Section 4 . Insurance . The Trustees shall be entitled and empowered to the fullest extent permitted by law to purchase with Trust assets insurance for liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected to be paid by a Trustee or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved by virtue of his or her capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Article VII.

 

Section 5 . Trustee Qualifications and Experience . The appointment or designation (including in any proxy or registration statement or other document) of a Trustee as an expert on any topic or in any area, or as having experience, attributes or skills in any area, or any other appointment, designation or identification, shall not impose on that person any standard of care or liability that is greater than that imposed on that person as a Trustee in the absence of the appointment, designation or identification, and no Trustee who has special attributes, skills, experience or expertise, or is appointed, designated, or identified as aforesaid, shall be held to a higher standard of care by virtue thereof.

 

ARTICLE VIII.

 

Miscellaneous

 

Section 1 . Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees . No Person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction made or to be made by the Trustees or to see to the application of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or upon its order.

 

Section 2 . Termination of Trust or Series .

(a) Unless terminated as provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of time. The Trust may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of each Series entitled to vote, voting separately by Series, or by the Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series or class may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of that Series or class entitled to vote, or by the Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of that Series or class.

 

(b) Upon the requisite Shareholder vote or action by the Trustees to terminate the Trust or any one or more Series of Shares or any class thereof, after paying or otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses and liabilities, whether due or accrued or anticipated, of the Trust or of the particular Series of any class thereof as may be determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall, in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees consider appropriate, reduce the remaining assets of the Trust or of the affected Series or class to distributable form in cash or Shares (if any Series remain) or other securities, or any combination thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders of the Series or classes involved, ratably according to the number of Shares of such Series or class held by the several Shareholders of such Series or class on the date of distribution. Thereupon, the Trust or any affected Series or class shall terminate and the Trustees and the Trust shall be discharged of any and all further liabilities and duties relating thereto or arising therefrom, and the right, title and interest of all parties with respect to the Trust or such Series or class shall be canceled and discharged.

 

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(c) Upon termination of the Trust, following completion of winding up of its business, the Trustees shall cause a certificate of cancellation of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with the Delaware Act.

 

Section 3 . Merger, Consolidation, and Reorganization .

(a) Notwithstanding anything else herein, the Trustees may, without Shareholder vote or approval, unless such approval or vote is required by applicable federal and state law, (i) cause the Trust to convert or merge, reorganize or consolidate with or into one or more trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, corporations or other business entities (or a segregated portfolio of assets (“Series”) of any of the foregoing to the extent permitted by law) (including trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, corporations or other business entities created by the Trustees to accomplish such conversion, merger, reorganization or consolidation) so long as the surviving or resulting entity is an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act, or is a series thereof, to the extent permitted by law, and that, in the case of any trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity created by the Trustees to accomplish such conversion, merger, reorganization, or consolidation, it may succeed to or assume the Trust’s registration under the 1940 Act and that, in any case, it is formed, organized or existing under the laws of the United States or of a state, commonwealth, possession, or colony of the United States, (ii) cause the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law, (iii) cause the Trust to incorporate under the laws of a state, commonwealth, possession or colony of the United States, (iv) sell or convey all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust or any Series or class to another Series or class of the Trust or to another trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity (or a series of any of the foregoing to the extent permitted by law) (including a trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity created by the Trustees to accomplish such sale and conveyance), organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, commonwealth, possession or colony of the United States so long as such trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity is an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act and, in the case of any trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity created by the Trustees to accomplish such sale and conveyance, may succeed to or assume the Trust’s registration under the 1940 Act, for adequate consideration as determined by the Trustees which may include the assumption of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent of the Trust or any affected Series or class, and which may include Shares of such other Series or class of the Trust or shares of beneficial interest, stock or other ownership interest of such trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, corporation or other business entity (or series thereof), or (v) at any time sell or convert into money all or any part of the assets of the Trust or any Series or class thereof. Any agreement of merger, reorganization, consolidation or conversion or exchange or certificate of merger, certificate of conversion or other applicable certificate may be signed by a majority of the Trustees and facsimile signatures conveyed by electronic or telecommunication means shall be valid.

 

(b) Pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3815(f) of the Delaware Act, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Declaration of Trust, an agreement of merger or consolidation approved by the Trustees in accordance with this Section 3 may effect any amendment to this Declaration of Trust or effect the adoption of a new governing instrument of the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting entity in the merger or consolidation.

 

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Section 4 . Amendments . Except as specifically provided herein, the Trustees, without Shareholder vote, may amend or otherwise supplement this Declaration of Trust by making an amendment, a Declaration of Trust supplemental hereto, or an amended and restated declaration of trust. Any such restatement, amendment and/or supplement hereto shall be effective immediately upon execution and approval. Shareholders shall have the right to vote (i) on any amendment which would affect their right to vote granted in Section 1 of Article V hereof, (ii) on any amendment to this Section 4 of Article VIII, (iii) on any amendment as may be required by law, and (iv) on any amendment submitted to the Shareholders by the Trustees. Any amendment required or permitted to be submitted to Shareholders which, as the Trustees determine, shall affect the Shareholders of one or more Series (or class) shall be authorized by vote of the Shareholders of each Series (or class) affected and no vote of Shareholders of a Series (or class) not affected shall be required. Notwithstanding anything else herein, no amendment hereof shall limit the rights to indemnification referred in Article VII, Section 2 hereof with respect to any actions or omissions of Persons covered thereby prior to such amendment. The Trustees may, without Shareholder vote, restate, amend, or otherwise supplement the Certificate of Trust as they deem necessary or desirable, any such restatement, amendment and/or supplement shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future date as may be stated therein.

 

Section 5 . Filing of Copies, References, Headings . The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it may be inspected by any Shareholder. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or amendments. In this instrument and in any such restatements and/or amendment, references to this instrument, and all expressions like “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original.

 

Section 6 . Applicable Law . The Trust set forth in this Declaration of Trust is made in the State of Delaware, and the Trust and this Declaration of Trust, and the rights and obligations of the Trustees and Shareholders hereunder, are to be governed by and construed and administered according to the Delaware Act and the laws of said State. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a statutory trust, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers or privileges afforded to statutory trusts or actions that may be engaged in by statutory trusts under the Delaware Act, and the absence of a specific reference herein to any such power, privilege or action shall not imply that the Trust may not exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.

 

Section 7 . Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations .

(a) The provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the Delaware Act or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.

 

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(b) If any provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust in any jurisdiction.

 

Section 8. Statutory Trust Only . It is the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant to the Act, and thereby to create only the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of such Act between the Trustees and each Shareholder. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership, joint stock association, corporation, bailment, joint venture, or any form of legal relationship other than a statutory trust pursuant to such Act. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.

 

Section 9. Applicability of 1940 Act and Registration Statement. The Trustees acknowledge that this Declaration of Trust is not intended to, and does not, set forth the substantive provisions contained in the 1940 Act and the Trust’s registration statement that affect numerous aspects of the conduct of the Trust’s business and of the rights, privileges, and obligations of the Shareholders. Each provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be subject to and interpreted in a manner consistent with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and such registration statement.

 

Section 10. Trustees May Resolve Ambiguities . The Trustees may construe any of the provisions of this Declaration of Trust insofar as the same may appear to be ambiguous or inconsistent with any other provisions hereof, and any such construction hereof by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive as to the meaning to be given to such provisions.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the Initial Trustee of the Trust, has executed this Declaration of Trust as of the 8th day of November, 2012.

 

For and on behalf of KRANESHARES TRUST,

 

/s/ Jonathan Krane
Name:  Jonathan Krane
Title:  Trustee, Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer

 

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BY-LAWS

 

OF

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

 

ARTICLE I

 

Fiscal Year and Offices

 

Section 1. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Trust or any series thereof shall be established, re-established or changed from time to time by resolution of the Board. The fiscal year of the Trust shall be the taxable year of each series of the Trust.

 

Section 2. Delaware Office . The Board of Trustees shall establish a registered office in the State of Delaware and shall appoint as the Trust’s registered agent for service of process in the State of Delaware, an individual resident of the State of Delaware or a Delaware corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in the State of Delaware; in each case the business office of such registered agent for service of process shall be identical with the registered Delaware office of the Trust.

 

Section 3. Other Offices . The Board of Trustees may at any time establish other offices at any place or places where the Trust intends to do business.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Meetings of Shareholders

 

Section 1. Place of Meeting . Meetings of the Shareholders shall be held in such place as shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Trustees and stated in the notice of the meeting.

 

Section 2. Annual Meetings . An annual meeting of Shareholders will not be held.

 

Section 3. Special Meetings . Special Meetings of the Shareholders may be called at any time by the Chairman, or President, or by a majority of the Board of Trustees, and shall be called by the Secretary upon written request of the holders of Shares entitled to cast not less than twenty-five percent (25%) of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting provided that:

 

  (a) Such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on.
     
  (b) The Shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonable estimated cost of preparing and disseminating the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such Shareholders. No special meeting need be called upon the request of Shareholders entitled to cast less than a majority of all votes entitled to be cast at such meeting to consider any matter which is substantially the same as a matter voted on at any meeting of the Shareholders held during the preceding twelve months.

  

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3, a special meeting of Shareholders shall be called upon the request of the holders of at least ten percent (10%) of the votes entitled to be cast. for the purpose of consideration of the removal of a Trustee from office as provided in Section 16(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

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Section 4. Notice . Not less than ten (10), nor more than ninety (90) days before the date of every shareholder meeting, the Secretary shall cause to be mailed or sent electronically to each Shareholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting at his address (as it appears on the records of the Trust at the time of mailing) notice stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a Special Meeting of Shareholders, shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice. Notice of adjournment of a Shareholders meeting to another time or place need not be given, if such time and place are announced at the meeting.

 

Section 5. Record Date for Meetings . Subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a date not more than ninety (90), nor less than ten (10) days, prior to the date of any meeting of the Shareholders as a record date for the determination of the Shareholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at any meeting and any adjournment thereof.

 

Section 6. Quorum . Except as otherwise provided by the 1940 Act or in the Declaration of Trust, at any meeting of Shareholders, one-third of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at the meeting.

 

If, however, a quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the Shareholders, the holders of a majority of the Shares voted in person or by proxy shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present or represented to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

Section 7. Voting . Each Shareholder shall have one vote per whole Share (and a fractional vote for each fractional Share) held by such Shareholder on the record date set pursuant to Section 5 on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of Shareholders. There shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Votes may be made in person or by proxy.

 

At all meetings of the Shareholders, a quorum being present, all matters shall be decided by a majority of the Shares voted in person or by proxy, unless the question is one for which by express provision of the laws of the State of Delaware, the 1940 Act, or the Declaration of Trust, a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall control the decision of such question. The Shareholders present, in person or by proxy shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time if the vote required to approve or reject any matter is not obtained. At all meetings of Shareholders, unless the voting is conducted by inspectors, all questions relating to the qualification of voters and the validity of proxies and the acceptance or rejection of votes shall be decided by the Chairman of the meeting.

 

Section 8. Inspectors . At any meeting of the Shareholders, the Board of Trustees prior thereto may, or, if they have not so acted, the Chairman of the meeting may appoint one or more inspectors of election who shall first subscribe an oath of affirmation to execute faithfully the duties of inspectors at such election with strict impartiality and according to the best of their ability, and shall after the election make a certificate of the result of the vote taken.

 

Section 9. Action Without Meeting . Any action to be taken by Shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares entitled to vote on the matter (or such larger proportion thereof as shall be required by any express provision of the Declaration of Trust, by the By-Laws or by applicable law) and holding a majority (or such larger proportion as aforesaid) of the Shares of any Series (or Class) entitled to vote separately on the matter consent to the action in writing and such written consents are filed with the records of the meetings of Shareholders. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.

 

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ARTICLE III

 

Trustees

 

Section 1. General Powers . The business of the Trust shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees, which may exercise all powers of the Trust, except such as are by statute, or the Declaration of Trust, or by these By-Laws conferred upon or reserved to the Shareholders.

 

Section 2. Number and Term of Office . The number of Trustees which shall constitute the whole Board shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Trustees, but shall not be fewer than the minimum number permitted by applicable laws, nor more than fifteen. Each Trustee elected shall hold office until he or she dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified or until his successor is elected and qualified.

 

Section 3. Elections . Provided a quorum is present, the Trustees shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes present in person or by proxy, except that any vacancy on the Board of Trustees may be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, although less than a quorum, subject to the requirements of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act.

 

Section 4. Place of Meeting . Meetings of the Board of Trustees, regular or special, may be held at any place as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

Section 5 . Quorum . At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, one-third of the entire Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business provided that in no case may a quorum be less than two persons. The action of a majority of the Trustees present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by the 1940 Act, these By-Laws, or the Declaration of Trust. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of Trustees, the Trustees present thereat may by a majority vote adjourn the meeting from time to time without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

Section 6. Regular Meetings . Regular meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held without additional notice at such time and place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Trustees provided that notice of any change in the time or place of such meetings shall be sent promptly to each Trustee not present at the meeting at which such change was made in the manner provided for notice of special meetings.

 

Section 7. Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by the Chairman or President on one day’s notice to each Trustee; special meetings shall be called by the Chairman or President or Secretary in like manner and on like notice upon the written request of two Trustees.

 

Section 8. Telephone Meeting . Members of the Board of Trustees or a committee of the Board of Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.

 

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Section 9. Action Without Meeting . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if a written or electronic consent to such action is signed by a majority of the members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, and such consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as an action taken at a meeting of the Board of Trustees.

 

Section 10. Committees . The Board of Trustees may, by resolution passed by a majority of the entire Board, appoint from among its members committees composed of two or more Trustees, and may delegate to such committees, in the intervals between meetings of the Board of Trustees, any or all of the powers of the Board of Trustees in the management of the business and affairs of the Trust.

 

Section 11. Action of Committees . In the absence of an appropriate resolution of the Board of Trustees, each committee may adopt such rules and regulations governing its proceedings, quorum and manner of acting as it shall deem proper and desirable, provided that the quorum shall not be less than two Trustees. The committees shall keep minutes of their proceedings and shall report the same to the Board of Trustees at the meeting next succeeding, and any action by the committee shall be subject to revision and alteration by the Board of Trustees, provided that no rights of third persons shall be affected by any such revision or alteration. In the absence of any member of such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint a member of the Board of Trustees to act in the place of such absent member.

 

Section 12. Chairman . The Chairman of the Board, if such an officer is elected, shall perform and execute such duties and administrative powers as the Board of Trustees shall from time to time prescribe.

 

Section 13. Compensation . Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust may be compensated for his or her service as Trustee or as a member of a committee of Trustees, or as chairman of a committee by fixed periodic payments or by fees for attendance at meetings or by both, and in addition may be reimbursed for transportation and other expenses, all in such manner and amounts as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Notices

 

Section 1. Form . Notices to Shareholders and Trustees shall be delivered by any method legally permissible with respect to that type of notice. Such methods may include oral, written, electronic, or otherwise. Delivery of notice shall be made using the most current contact information for that Shareholder or Trustee appearing on the books of the Trust. Notice by mail shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be mailed. Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, notice to Trustees need not state the purpose of a regular or special meeting.

 

Section 2. Waiver . Whenever any notice of the time, place or purpose of any meeting of Shareholders, Trustees or a committee is required to be given under the provisions of the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws, a waiver thereof in writing or sent electronically, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice and filed with the records of the meeting, whether before or after the holding thereof, or actual attendance at the meeting of Shareholders in person or by proxy, or at the meeting of Trustees or a committee in person, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice to such persons.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Officers

 

Section 1. Executive Officers . The officers of the Trust shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees and include a President, Treasurer and Secretary. The Board of Trustees may, from time to time, elect or appoint one or more Vice-Presidents and such other executive officers as it may deem necessary. The same person may hold two or more offices, except that no person shall be both President and Vice President.

 

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Section 2. Other Officers . The Board of Trustees shall appoint a Chief Compliance Officer and from time to time may appoint such other officers and agents as it shall deem advisable, who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board. The Board of Trustees from time to time may delegate to one or more officers or agents the power to appoint any such subordinate officers or agents and to prescribe their respective rights, terms of office, authorities and duties.

 

Section 3. Compensation . The salaries or other compensation paid by the Trust, if any, of all officers and agents of the Trust shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees, except that the Board of Trustees may delegate to any person or group of persons the power to fix the salary or other compensation of any subordinate officers or agents appointed pursuant to Section 2 of this Article V.

 

Section 4. Tenure . The officers of the Trust shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees. Any officer or agent may be removed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees with or without cause. In addition, any officer or agent appointed pursuant to Section 2 may be removed, either with or without cause, by any officer upon whom such power of removal shall have been conferred by the Board of Trustees. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Trust by death, resignation, removal or otherwise shall be filled by the Board of Trustees, unless pursuant to Section 2 the power of appointment has been conferred by the Board of Trustees on any other officer.

 

Section 5. President . The President shall be the principal executive officer of the Trust. The President may call meetings of the Trustees and of any Committee thereof when he deems it necessary and, in the absence of the Chairman, shall preside at all meetings of the Shareholders. Subject to the control of the Trustees, the Chairman and any Committees of the Trustees, within their respective spheres, as provided by the Trustees, the President shall at all times exercise a general supervision and direction over the affairs of the Trust. The President shall have the power to employ attorneys and counsel for the Trust and to employ such subordinate officers, agents, secretaries, clerks and employees as he or she may find necessary to transact the business of the Trust. The President shall also have the power to grant, issue, execute or sign such powers of attorney, proxies or other documents as may be deemed advisable or necessary in furtherance of the interests of the Trust. The President shall have such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred upon or assigned to him by the Trustees.

 

Section 6. Vice-President . The Vice-Presidents, in order of their seniority, shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees or the President may from time to time prescribe. Any Vice President shall be authorized to sign documents on behalf of the Trust.

 

Section 7. Secretary . The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees and all meetings of the Shareholders and record all the proceedings thereof and shall perform like duties for any committee when required. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of meetings of the Shareholders and of the Board of Trustees, shall have charge of the records of the Trust and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or the President, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be. The Secretary shall be authorized to sign documents on behalf of the Trust.

 

Section 8. Assistant Secretaries . The Assistant Secretaries in order of their seniority, shall, in the absence or disability of the Secretary, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees shall prescribe.

 

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Section 9. Treasurer . The Treasurer, unless another officer has been so designated, shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Trust. The Treasurer shall have general charge of the finances and books of account of the Trust. Except as otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer shall have general supervision of the funds and property of the Trust and of the performance by the custodian of its duties with respect thereto. The Treasurer shall render to the Board of Trustees, whenever directed by the Board, an account of the financial condition of the Trust and of all her/his transactions as Treasurer. The Treasurer shall cause to be prepared annually a full and correct statement of the affairs of the Trust, including a balance sheet and a statement of operations for the preceding fiscal year. The Treasurer shall perform all of the acts incidental to the office of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees. The Treasurer shall be authorized to sign documents on behalf of the Trust.

 

Section 10. Assistant Treasurer . The Assistant Treasurer shall in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees may from time to time prescribe.

 

Section 11 . Chief Compliance Officer . The Chief Compliance Officer shall be responsible for administering the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures as required by Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and may have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Trustees. The designation, compensation, and removal of the Chief Compliance Officer must be approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act. The Chief Compliance Officer shall be authorized to sign documents on behalf of the Trust.

 

Section 12 . Resignations and Removals . Any officer may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to the Chairman, the President or the Secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other time. The Trustees may remove any officer with or without cause. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no officer resigning and no officer removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.

 

Section 13 . Vacancies in Offices . Any vacancy in any of the offices, whether by resignation, removal or otherwise, may be filled by the President. A vacancy in the office of Assistant Vice President may be filled by a Vice President; in the office of Assistant Secretary by the Secretary; or in the office of Assistant Treasurer by the Treasurer. Any appointment to fill any vacancy shall serve subject to ratification by the Board at its next regular meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Indemnification and Insurance

 

Section 1. Agents, Proceedings and Expenses . For the purpose of this Article, “agent” means any person who is or was a Trustee or officer of this Trust and any person who, while a Trustee or officer of this Trust, is or was serving at the request of this Trust as a trustee, director, officer, partner, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise; “Trust” includes any domestic or foreign predecessor entity of this Trust in a merger, consolidation, or other transaction in which the predecessor’s existence ceased upon consummation of the transaction; “proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative; and “expenses” includes without limitation attorney’s fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article.

 

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Section 2. Actions Other Than by Trust . This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this Trust) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding, if it is determined that person acted in good faith and reasonably believed: (a) in the case of conduct in his official capacity as an agent of the Trust, that his conduct was in the Trust’s best interests and (b) in all other cases, that his conduct was at least not opposed to the Trust’s best interests and (c) in the case of a criminal proceeding, that he had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order or settlement shall not of itself create a presumption that the person did not meet the requisite standard of conduct set forth in this Section. The termination of any proceeding by conviction, or a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, creates a rebuttable presumption that the person did not meet the requisite standard of conduct set forth in this Section.

 

Section 3. Actions by the Trust . This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by or in the right of this Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that that person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that action if that person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.

 

Section 4. Exclusion of Indemnification . Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein, there shall be no right to indemnification for any liability arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the agent’s office with this Trust.

 

No indemnification shall be made under Section 2 or 3 of this Article:

 

  (a) In respect of any proceeding as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by her/him, whether or not the benefit resulted from an action taken in the person’s official capacity; or

 

  (b) In respect of any proceeding as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable in the performance of that person’s duty to this Trust, unless and only to the extent that the court in which that action was brought shall determine upon application that in view of all the relevant circumstances of the case, that person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which the court shall determine; however, in such case, indemnification with respect to any proceeding by or in the right of the Trust or in which liability shall have been adjudged by reason of the disabling conduct set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be limited to expenses; or

 

  (c) Of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a proceeding, with or without court approval, or of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding which is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval, unless the required approval set forth in Section 6 of this Article is obtained.

 

Section 5. Successful Defense by Agent . To the extent that an agent of this Trust has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article before the court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the agent in connection therewith, provided that the Board of Trustees, including a majority who are disinterested, non-party trustees, also determines that based upon a review of the facts, the agent was not liable by reason of the disabling conduct referred to in Section 4 of this Article.

 

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Section 6. Required Approval . Except as provided in Section 5 of this Article, any indemnification under this Article shall be made by this Trust only if authorized in the specific case on a determination that indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances because the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 2 or 3 of this Article and is not prohibited from indemnification because of the disabling conduct set forth in Section 4 of this Article, by:

 

  (a) A majority vote of a quorum consisting of Trustees who are not parties to the proceeding and are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act);

 

  (b) A written opinion by an independent legal counsel; or

 

  (c) A majority vote of the Shareholders; however, Shares held by agents who are parties to the proceeding may not be voted on the subject matter under this sub-section.

 

Section 7. Advance of Expenses . Expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by this Trust before the final disposition of the proceeding if:

 

  (a) Receipt of a written affirmation by the agent of his good faith belief that he has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification under this Article and a written undertaking by or on behalf of the agent, such undertaking being an unlimited general obligation to repay the amount of the advance if it is ultimately determined that he has not met those requirements, and

 

  (b) A determination that the facts then known to those making the determination would not preclude indemnification under this Article.

 

Determinations and authorizations of payments under this Section must be made in the manner specified in Section 6 of this Article for determining that the indemnification is permissible.

 

Section 8. Other Contractual Rights . Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than Trustees and officers of this Trust or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise.

 

Section 9. Limitations . No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 5 or 6 in any circumstances where it appears:

 

  (a) That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Declaration of Trust, a resolution of the Shareholders, or an agreement in effect at the time of accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or

 

  (b) That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement.

 

Section 10. Insurance . Upon and in the event of a determination by the Board of Trustees of this Trust to purchase such insurance, this Trust shall purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent or employee of this Trust against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent or employee in such capacity or arising out of the agent’s or employee’s status as such to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

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Section 11. Fiduciaries of Employee Benefit Plan . This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any Trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that person’s capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent of this Trust as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a Trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Shares of Beneficial Interest

 

Section 1. Certificates . No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise authorize.

 

Section 2. Recording and Transfer of Shares . The Trust shall have the full power to participate in any program approved by the Board of Trustees providing for the recording and transfer of ownership of the Trust’s Shares by electronic or other means without the issuance of certificates. Transfers of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be made on the books of the Trust by the holder of record thereof (in person or by his attorney thereunto duly authorized by a power of attorney duly executed in writing and filed with the Secretary of the Trust).

 

Section 3. Registered Shareholders . The Trust shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of Shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of Shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by applicable law or the Declaration of Trust.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

General Provisions

 

Section 1. Custodianship . Except as otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Trustees, the Trust shall place and at all times maintain in the custody of a custodian (including any sub-custodian for the custodian) all funds, securities and similar investments owned by the Trust. Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, the custodian may enter into arrangements with securities depositories, provided such arrangements comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Section 2. Execution of Instruments . All deeds, documents, transfers, contracts, agreements and other instruments requiring execution by the Trust shall be signed by a duly authorized officer of the Trust.

 

Section 3. Net Asset Value . The net asset value per Share shall be determined separately as to each class of the Trust’s Shares, by dividing the sum of the total market value of the class’s investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total outstanding Shares of such class, subject to the 1940 Act and any other applicable Federal securities law or rule or regulation currently in effect.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Amendments to the By-Laws

 

These By-Laws may be restated and/or amended at any time, without the approval of the shareholders, by an instrument in writing signed by, or a resolution of, a majority of the then Board.

 

Adopted: November 8, 2012

 

9

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

This Investment Advisory Agreement (“Agreement”) is made this November 8, 2012, by and between KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”).

 

WHEREAS , the Adviser is engaged in the business of rendering investment management services and is or will be registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”);

 

WHEREAS , the Trust is a management investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

 

WHEREAS , the Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate series with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;

 

WHEREAS , the Trust offers shares representing interests in each of the separate series listed on Schedule A attached hereto, as may be amended from time to time to add and remove series (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”);

 

WHEREAS , the Trust desires to appoint the Adviser to serve as the investment adviser with respect to each of the Funds; and

 

WHEREAS , the Adviser is willing to provide management and investment advisory services to the Funds on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set out in this Agreement, the Trust and the Adviser agree as follows:

 

1. General Provision .

 

The Trust hereby employs the Adviser and the Adviser hereby undertakes to act as the investment adviser of the Trust and to perform for the Trust such other duties and functions as are hereinafter set forth for the compensation herein provided. The Adviser shall, in all matters, give to the Trust and its Board of Trustees (the “Board”) the benefit of its best judgment, effort, advice and recommendations and shall, at all times conform to, and use its best efforts to enable the Trust to conform to (i) the provisions of the Investment Company Act and any rules or regulations thereunder, (ii) any other applicable provisions of state or federal law, (iii) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Trust as amended from time to time, (iv) the policies and determinations of the Board; (v) the investment policies and investment restrictions of the Trust as reflected in the Trust’s registration statement under the Investment Company Act or as such policies may, from time to time, be amended by the Trust’s shareholders; and (vi) the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of each Fund in effect from time to time. The appropriate officers and employees of the Adviser shall be available upon reasonable notice for consultation with any of the Trustees and officers of the Trust with respect to any matters dealing with the business and affairs of the Trust, including the valuation of any Fund’s portfolio securities for which market prices are unavailable or the Adviser believes the market prices are unreliable.

 

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2.                   Services to be Provided by the Adviser .

 

(a) Management Services . The Adviser shall perform, or arrange for the performance of, the management and other related services necessary for the operation of each Fund. The Adviser shall provide the Funds with office space, facilities, equipment and necessary personnel and such other services as the Adviser, subject to review by the Board, from time to time shall determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Adviser, also on behalf of the Funds, shall conduct relations with custodians, depositories, transfer agents, administrators, pricing agents, dividend disbursing agents, other shareholder servicing agents, accountants, attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and such other persons in any such other capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable. The Adviser shall prepare or participate in the preparation of Board materials, registration statements, proxy statements and reports and other communications to shareholders. The Adviser generally shall monitor each Fund’s compliance with investment policies and restrictions as set forth in filings made by the Fund under the federal securities laws. The Adviser shall make reports to the Board of its performance of obligations hereunder and furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the business and affairs of the Funds as it shall determine to be desirable.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser shall not be deemed to have assumed any duties with respect to, and shall not be responsible for, the distribution of the shares of any Fund, nor shall the Adviser be deemed under this Agreement to have assumed or have any responsibility with respect to functions specifically assumed by any administrator, transfer agent, fund accounting agent, custodian, shareholder servicing agent or other agent, in each case employed by the Trust to perform such functions.

 

(b) Investment Advisory Services . Subject to the supervision, direction and approval of the Board, the Adviser will conduct, or cause to be conducted, a continual program of investment, evaluation, sale, and reinvestment of each Fund’s assets. Subject to paragraph (c) below, the Adviser is authorized, in its sole discretion, to: (i) obtain and evaluate pertinent economic, financial, and other information affecting each Fund and its investment assets as such information relates to securities or other financial instruments that are purchased for or considered for purchase by the Funds; (ii) make investment decisions for the Funds; (iii) place purchase and sale orders for portfolio transactions on behalf of the Funds and manage otherwise uninvested cash assets of the Funds; (iv) arrange for the pricing of Fund securities; (v) execute account documentation, agreements, contracts and other documents as may be requested by brokers, dealers, counterparties and other persons in connection with the Adviser’s management of the assets of the Funds (in such respect, and only for this limited purpose, the Adviser will act as the Funds’ agent and attorney-in-fact); (vi) employ professional portfolio managers and securities analysts who provide research and other services to the Funds; and (vii) make decisions with respect to the use by the Funds of borrowing for leverage or other investment purposes as consistent with the Fund’s exemptive relief, investment objective(s) and policies. The Adviser will in general take such action as is appropriate to effectively manage each Fund’s investment practices.

 

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The Adviser will manage, or cause to be managed, the investment and reinvestment of the assets of each Fund in a manner consistent with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies as stated in its Prospectus. The Adviser also will manage, or cause to be managed, the investments of each Fund in a manner consistent with any and all applicable investment restrictions contained in the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), including the diversification requirement of Subchapter M, any exemptive orders issued by the SEC applicable to the Funds or any SEC staff no-action letter applicable to the Funds, and any applicable state securities law or regulation. The Trust will provide the Adviser with copies of any such SEC exemptive orders or SEC staff no-action letters. The Adviser agrees to perform its duties hereunder in compliance with the Funds’ policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 of the Investment Company Act, and the Adviser’s duties and obligations of Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, including providing the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust and/or the Board with such information, reports and certifications as they may reasonably request.

 

(c) Sub-advisers . In carrying out its responsibilities hereunder, the Adviser may, in its sole discretion to the extent permitted by applicable law, any exemptive orders issued by the SEC applicable to the Funds or any SEC staff no-action letter applicable to the Funds, employ, retain or otherwise avail itself of the services of other persons or entities registered as investment advisers under the Advisers Act (a “sub-adviser”) at the Adviser’s own cost and expense, including without limitation, affiliates of the Adviser, on such terms as the Adviser shall determine to be necessary, desirable or appropriate. Retention of one or more sub-advisers shall in no way reduce the responsibilities or obligations of the Adviser under this Agreement and the Adviser shall supervise and oversee the activities of any such sub-adviser and the Adviser shall be responsible for all acts and omissions of such sub-advisers in connection with the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

 

(d) Proxy Voting . The Adviser will have authority and responsibility to vote proxies for each Fund’s securities. The Adviser shall carry out such responsibility in accordance with any instructions that the Board shall provide from time to time, and at all times in a manner consistent with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and its fiduciary responsibilities to the Trust. The Adviser will vote proxies in the best interest of each Fund and may not vote proxies where the cost of doing so, in the Adviser’s opinion, would exceed the expected benefits to the Fund. The Adviser shall provide periodic reports and keep records relating to proxy voting as the Board may reasonably request or as may be necessary for the Funds to comply with the 1940 Act and other applicable law. The Adviser’s authority to vote proxies for each Fund’s securities may be revoked or modified by the Board at any time. The Trust acknowledges and agrees that the Adviser may delegate its responsibility to vote proxies for a Fund to the Fund’s sub-adviser(s).

   

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3.                   Information and Reports .

 

(a) The Adviser will keep the Trust informed of developments relating to its duties as investment adviser of which the Adviser has, or should have, knowledge that would materially affect the Funds. In this regard, the Adviser will provide the Trust and its officers with such periodic reports concerning the obligations the Adviser has assumed under this Agreement as the Trust may from time to time reasonably request.

 

(b) The Adviser will provide the Trust with any information reasonably requested regarding its management of the Funds required for any shareholder report, amended registration statement, or prospectus supplement to be filed by the Trust with the SEC. The Adviser will promptly inform the Trust if any information in a Fund’s Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information, as amended from time to time (“SAI”), to the Adviser’s knowledge is (or will become) inaccurate or incomplete.

 

4.                   Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage .

 

(a) Placement of Orders . The Adviser will take, or cause to be taken, all actions that it considers necessary to implement the investment policies of the Funds, and, in particular, to place all orders for the purchase or sale of securities or other investments for the Funds with brokers or dealers that the Adviser, in its sole discretion, selects. To that end, the Adviser is authorized as the Funds’ agent to give instructions to the Funds’ custodian as to deliveries of securities or other investments and payments of cash for the Funds’ account. In connection with the selection of brokers or dealers and the placement of purchase and sale orders, the Adviser is subject to the supervision of the Board and is directed at all times to seek to obtain best execution and price within the policy guidelines determined by the Board and set out in each Fund’s current Prospectus or SAI, subject to provisions (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 4.

 

(b) Selection of Brokers and Dealers . To the extent permitted by the policy guidelines set out in each Fund’s current Prospectus or SAI, in connection with the selection of brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions, the Adviser is authorized to consider not only the available prices and rates of brokerage commissions, but also other relevant factors, which may include, without limitation: the execution capabilities of the brokers and dealers; the research, custody, and other services provided by the brokers and dealers that the Adviser believes will enhance its general portfolio management capabilities; the size of the transaction; the difficulty of execution; the operational facilities of these brokers and dealers; the risk to a broker or dealer of positioning a block of securities; and the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided by the brokers and dealers. In connection with the foregoing, the Adviser is specifically authorized to pay those brokers and dealers who provide brokerage and research services to the Adviser a higher commission than that charged by other brokers and dealers if the Adviser determines in good faith that the amount of the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the services in terms of either the particular transaction or in terms of the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Funds and to any other client accounts or portfolios that the Adviser advises. The execution of such transactions will not be considered to represent an unlawful breach of any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise.

 

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(c) Soft Dollar Arrangements . On an ongoing basis, but not less often than annually, the Adviser will identify and provide a written description to the Board of all “soft dollar” arrangements that the Adviser maintains with respect to the Funds or with brokers or dealers that execute transactions for the Funds, if any, and of all research and other services provided to the Adviser by a broker or dealer (whether prepared by such broker or dealer or by a third party), if any, as a result, in whole or in part, of the direction of Fund transactions to the broker or dealer.

 

(d) Aggregated Transactions . On occasions when the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or other financial instrument to be in the best interest of a Fund, as well as other clients, the Adviser is authorized, but not required, to aggregate purchase and sale orders for securities or other financial instruments held (or to be held) by that Fund with similar orders being made on the same day for other client accounts or portfolios that the Adviser manages. When an order is so aggregated, the Adviser may allocate the recommendations or transactions among all accounts and portfolios for whom the recommendation is made or transaction is effected on a basis that the Adviser reasonably considers equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and its other clients. The Adviser and the Funds recognize that in some cases this procedure may adversely affect the size of the position obtainable for a Fund.

 

(e) Affiliated Brokers . An affiliate of the Adviser may act as broker or agent in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or other investments for the Funds, subject to: (i) the requirement that the Adviser seek to obtain best execution and price within the policy guidelines determined by the Board and set out in each Fund’s current Prospectus or SAI; and (ii) the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act, and any other applicable federal securities law or regulation.

 

5.                   Records .

 

(a) Maintenance of Records . The Adviser hereby undertakes and agrees to maintain for the Trust, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act, all records relating to the Funds’ investments that are required to be maintained by the Funds pursuant to the Investment Company Act and any other applicable state or federal securities law or regulation, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Advisers Act, with respect to the Adviser’s responsibilities under this Agreement (the “Funds’ Books and Records”).

 

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(b) Ownership of Records . The Adviser agrees that the Funds’ Books and Records are the Trust’s property and further agrees to surrender them promptly to the Trust upon the request of the Trust; provided , however , that the Adviser may retain copies of the Funds’ Books and Records at its own cost. The Funds’ Books and Records will be made available, as soon as reasonably practicable, following any written request, to the Funds’ accountants or auditors during regular business hours at the Adviser’s offices. The Trust or its authorized representatives will have the right to copy any records in the Adviser’s possession that pertain to any Fund. These books, records, information, or reports will be made available to properly authorized government representatives consistent with state and federal law and/or regulations. In the event of the termination of this Agreement, the Funds’ Books and Records will be returned to the Trust. The Adviser agrees that the policies and procedures it has established for managing the Funds, including, but not limited to, all policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations governing the adviser/client relationship and management and operation of the Funds, will be made available promptly for inspection by the Fund or its authorized representatives upon reasonable written request.

   

6.                Compensation .

 

(a) For the services to be provided by the Adviser hereunder with respect to each Fund, the Trust shall pay to the Adviser an annual investment advisory fee equal to the amount set forth on Schedule A attached hereto of the average daily value of each Fund’s net assets. Schedule A shall be amended from time to time to reflect the addition and/or termination of any Fund as a Fund hereunder and to reflect any change in the advisory fees payable with respect thereto. All fees payable hereunder shall be accrued daily and paid as soon as practicable after the last day of each calendar month. In case of commencement or termination of this Agreement with respect to any Fund during any calendar month, the fee with respect to such Fund for that month shall be reduced proportionately based upon the number of calendar days during which it is in effect, and the fee shall be computed upon the average daily net assets of such Fund for the days during which it is in effect.

 

(b) For the purpose of determining fees payable to the Adviser, the value of a Fund’s net assets will be computed at the times and in the manner specified in the Fund’s current Prospectus or SAI, and on days on which the net assets are not so determined, the net asset value computation to be used will be as determined on the immediately preceding day on which the net assets were determined.

 

7. Expenses .

 

(a) The Adviser . Except as otherwise provided in Section 7(b) of this Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay all expenses incurred by the Trust.

 

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(b) The Funds . The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, on a Fund-by-Fund basis out of the assets of the particular Fund for which an expense relates, agrees to pay all of the following expenses incurred by such Fund: (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the advisory fee payable to the Adviser hereunder; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees’ counsel fees); (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board.

 

8. Liability of Adviser .

 

Neither the Adviser nor its directors, officers, employees, agents or controlling persons or assigns shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Trust, any Fund or its shareholders arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates; provided , however, that no provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust, any Fund or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.

 

9. Term of Agreement; Termination of Agreement; Amendment of Agreement

 

(a) Term . This Agreement will become effective with respect to a Fund on the date set forth opposite the Fund’s name on Schedule A annexed hereto (the “Effective Date”), and, unless terminated in accordance with its terms, will continue for an initial two-year term and thereafter so long as such continuance is specifically approved with respect to such Fund at least annually as required by the Investment Company Act.

 

(b) Termination . This Agreement may be terminated, without penalty, with respect to any Fund (i) by the Board or by vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Adviser, and (ii) by the Adviser upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Fund (which notice may be waived by the Fund). This Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

(c) Amendment . This Agreement may be amended by the parties only if the amendment is specifically approved by: (i) a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” of any party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Agreement’s approval; and (ii) if required by applicable law, the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The amendment of Schedule A to this Agreement for the sole purpose of (i) adding or removing one or more Funds or (ii) making other non-material changes to the information included in the Schedule shall not be deemed an amendment of this Agreement or amendment affecting an already existing Fund and requiring the approval of shareholders of that Fund.

  

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10.               Disclaimer of Trustee and Shareholder Liability .

 

The obligations of the Trust and the Funds under this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders of the Trust and the Funds individually, but bind only the property of that Fund and no other Funds of the Trust. The Adviser agrees to look solely to the assets of the Trust and each Fund for the satisfaction of any liability in respect of the Trust and the Funds under this Agreement and will not seek recourse against such Trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders, or any of them, or any of their personal assets for such transaction.

 

11.               Other Activities .

 

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prohibit or otherwise limit the Adviser or any of its affiliates from engaging in any other business or to devote his time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar nature or a dissimilar nature, including the provision of investment advisory and management services, to any other fund, firm, individual or association.

 

12.               Definitions .

 

The terms “assignment,” “affiliated person,” and “interested person,” when used in this Agreement, will have the respective meanings specified in Section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act. The term “majority of the outstanding shares” means the lesser of (a) sixty-seven percent (67%) or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than fifty percent (50%) of these shares are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding shares.

 

13.               Entire Agreement; Severability .

 

This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. Should any part of this Agreement be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.

 

14.               Use of the “KraneShares” Name .

 

The Adviser has consented to the use by the Trust of the name or identifying word “KraneShares” in the name of the Trust and each Fund. Such consent is conditioned upon the employment of the Adviser or an affiliate as the investment adviser to the Trust. The name or identifying word “KraneShares” may be used from time to time in other connections and for other purposes by the Adviser and any of its affiliates. The Adviser may require the Trust and the Funds to cease using “KraneShares” in the name of the Trust and the Funds if the Funds cease to employ, for any reason, the Adviser, any successor thereto or any affiliate thereof as investment adviser of the Trust.

 

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15.               Governing Law .

 

To the extent the federal securities laws do not apply, this Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.

 

16.               Counterparts .

 

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, and all of such counterparts together will constitute one and the same instrument.

 

 

 

 

[signature page to follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers thereunto duly authorized.

 

  KRANESHARES TRUST
   
   
  By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
   
  Name: Jonathan Krane
   
  Title: CEO
   
   
  KRANESHARES FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC
   
   
  By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
   
  Name: Jonathan Krane
   
  Title: CEO

 

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Schedule A

 

 

Fund Name

Effective Date Advisory Fee
KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF   0.68%
KraneShares Dow Jones Global Luxury Consumer ETF   0.68%
KraneShares Dow Jones China Alternative Energy ETF   0.68%
KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF   0.68%
KraneShares CSI China Consumer Staples ETF   0.68%
KraneShares CSI China Consumer Discretionary ETF   0.68%
KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF   0.68%
KraneShares CSI China Urbanization ETF   0.68%

 

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SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT, made on December 12, 2012 by and between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and Index Management Solutions, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company (the “Sub-Adviser”).

 

WITNESSETH:

 

WHEREAS, the Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and engages in the business of providing investment management services; and

 

WHEREAS, the Sub-Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and engages in the business of providing investment management services; and

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) and the Adviser desire to retain the Sub-Adviser to render investment advisory and other services to the funds specified in Schedule A hereto, as amended from time to time, each a series of the Trust (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth; and

 

WHEREAS, the Adviser has the authority under the Investment Advisory Agreement, subject to the approval of the Board, to select sub-advisers for each Fund; and

 

WHEREAS, the Sub-Adviser is willing to furnish such services to the Adviser and each Fund.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and each of the parties hereto intending to be legally bound, it is agreed as follows:

 

1.          The Adviser hereby appoints the Sub-Adviser to act as a sub-adviser for each Fund, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Adviser and the Trustees of the Trust, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. As sub-adviser to each Fund, the Sub-Adviser will perform certain of the day-to-day operations of the Funds, including the day-to-day trading, rebalancing and cash management of each Fund’s assets. The Sub-Adviser will manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and determine the composition of the assets of the Fund in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The Sub-Adviser hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render the services and assume the obligations herein set forth for the compensation herein provided. The Sub-Adviser shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor, and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided and authorized, have no authority to act for or to represent the Adviser, the Trust or a Fund in any way, or in any way be deemed an agent of the Adviser, the Trust or a Fund. The Sub-Adviser shall regularly make decisions as to what securities to purchase and sell on behalf of the Fund; such as when needed to equitize cash proceeds or raise cash for a pending distribution, and shall record and implement such decisions and shall furnish the Adviser and the Board with such information and reports regarding the Funds’ investments as the Sub-Adviser deems appropriate or as the Adviser or the Board may reasonably request .

 

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2.          (a)          The Sub-Adviser shall place and execute Fund orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities with broker-dealers. Subject to the obtaining the best price and execution reasonably available, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to place orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for a Fund with such broker-dealers as it may select from time to time. The Sub-Adviser also agrees that it will cooperate with the Trust to allocate brokerage transactions to brokers or dealers who provide benefits directly to such Fund; provided, however, that such allocation comports with applicable law including, without limitation, Rule 12b-1(h) under the 1940 Act.

 

(b)          Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (a) above and subject to such policies and procedures as may be adopted by the Board and officers of the Trust, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to cause a Fund to pay a member of an exchange, broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount of commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, in such instances where the Sub-Adviser has determined in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Sub-Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to such Fund and to other funds or clients for which the Sub-Adviser exercises investment discretion.

 

(c)          The Sub-Adviser is authorized to direct portfolio transactions to a broker that is an affiliated person of the Sub-Adviser, Adviser or a Fund in accordance with such standards and procedures as may be approved by the Board in accordance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, or other rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Any transaction placed with an affiliated broker must (i) be placed at best execution, and (ii) may not be a principal transaction.

 

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(d)          The Sub-Adviser is authorized to aggregate or “bunch” purchase or sale orders for a Fund with orders for various other clients when it believes that such action is in the best interests of such Fund and all other such clients. In such an event, allocation of the securities purchased or sold will be made by the Sub-Adviser in accordance with the Sub-Adviser’s written policy.

 

3.          The Sub-Adviser will, unless and until otherwise directed by the Adviser or the Board, exercise all rights of security holders with respect to securities held by each Fund, including, but not limited to: voting proxies in accordance with the Sub-Adviser’s then-current proxy voting policies (provided such policies have been approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees), and converting, tendering, exchanging or redeeming securities.

 

4.          (a)          As compensation for the services to be rendered to the Fund by the Sub-Adviser under the provisions of this Agreement, the Adviser shall pay to the Sub-Adviser an annual fee equal to the amount of the daily average net assets of such Fund shown on Schedule A attached hereto, payable on a monthly basis.

 

(b)          If this Agreement is terminated prior to the end of any calendar month, the management fee shall be prorated for the portion of any month in which this Agreement is in effect according to the proportion which the number of calendar days, during which the Agreement is in effect, bears to the number of calendar days in the month, and shall be payable within 10 days after the date of termination.

 

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5.          The services to be rendered by the Sub-Adviser to the Adviser, the Funds and the Trust under the provisions of this Agreement are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Sub-Adviser shall be free to render similar or different services to others so long as its ability to render the services provided for in this Agreement shall not be impaired thereby.

 

6.          The Sub-Adviser, its members, employees and agents may engage in other businesses, may render investment advisory services to other investment companies, or to any other corporation, association, firm, entity or individual, and may render underwriting services to the Trust on behalf of a Fund or to any other investment company, corporation, association, firm, entity or individual. In accordance with the Advisers Act, if there is a change in the membership of the Sub-Adviser, which is a limited liability company, the Sub-Adviser shall, within a reasonable time after such change, notify the Adviser, the Trust and the Board of the change.

 

7.          In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of its duties to the Adviser or a Fund, the Sub-Adviser shall not be liable to the Adviser, the Trust, a Fund or to any Trustee or shareholder of the Trust or a Fund for any loss or damage arising from any action or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any investment or security, or otherwise.

 

5
 

 

8.          (a)       This Agreement shall be executed and become effective as of the date written below if approved (i) by the Board, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of such party (the “Independent Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, unless such vote is not required by the rules or orders of the SEC or the interpretive positions of the staff of the SEC. It shall continue in effect for a period of two years and may be renewed thereafter only so long as such renewal and continuance is specifically approved as required by the 1940 Act (currently, at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund and only if the terms and the renewal hereof have been approved by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval).

 

(b)                  No amendment to this Agreement shall be effective unless the terms thereof have been approved as required by the 1940 Act (currently, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund unless such shareholder approval would not be required under applicable interpretations by the staff of the SEC, and by the vote of a majority of Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval).

 

(c)                 In connection with such renewal or amendment, it shall be the duty of the Board to request and evaluate, and the duty of the Sub-Adviser to furnish, such information as may be reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of this Agreement and any amendment thereto.

 

6
 

 

(d)               Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser or the Trust at any time, without the payment of a penalty, on ninety days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser of the Adviser’s or the Trust’s intention to do so, pursuant to action by the Board or pursuant to a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund. The Sub-Adviser may terminate this Agreement at any time, without the payment of penalty on ninety days’ written notice to the Adviser of its intention to do so. Upon termination of this Agreement, the obligations of all the parties hereunder shall cease and terminate as of the date of such termination, except for any obligation to respond for a breach of this Agreement committed prior to such termination, and except for the obligation of the Adviser to pay to the Sub-Adviser the fee provided in Paragraph 4 hereof. This Agreement will automatically terminate, without the payment of any penalty, in the event of the assignment or termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment unless the parties hereto, by agreement, obtain an exemption from the SEC from the provisions of the 1940 Act pertaining to the subject matter of this paragraph.

 

9.          This Agreement shall extend to and bind the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties hereto.

 

10.         For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities”; “interested persons”; and “assignment” shall have the meaning defined in the 1940 Act and the rules and interpretations thereunder.

 

7
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized officers on the date first written above.

 

    Krane Funds Advisors, LLC
     
     
Attest: /s/ Jennifer Krane   By: /s/ Jonathan Krane  
    Name:  Jonathan Krane
    Title:  Chief Executive Officer
     
    Index Management Solutions, LLC
     
Attest: /s/ Jennifer Folgia   By: /s/ Michael J. Gompers  
    Name:  Michael J. Gompers
    Title:  Chief Executive Officer

 

8
 

 

Schedule A

to the

Sub-Advisory Agreement

by and between

Index Management Solutions, LLC

and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

 

Fund   Effective Date

KraneShares Dow Jones Global Luxury ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Alternative Energy ETF

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

KraneShares CSI China Consumer Staples ETF

KraneShares CSI China Consumer Discretionary ETF

KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF

KraneShares CSI China Urbanization ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

 

· 5.0 basis points (0.05%) per annum on the fund’s daily average net assets up to $50 Million
· 4.0 basis points (0.04%) per annum on the next $50 Million
· 3.0 basis points (0.03%) per annum on the excess

 

Minimum Annual Fees:

 

Each fund will be subject to the following minimum fee schedule:

 

· $20,000 minimum annual fee per fund

 

Index Management Solutions, LLC will manage the soft dollar program for KraneShares, LLC. IMS will have discretion over payments made using soft dollars.

 

The above Annual Fees will be billed monthly in arrears based on the average daily market value of each Fund or at the minimum rate applied pro rata.

 

9

 

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

THIS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement’ ) is made as of this 18 th day of December, 2012, by and between KraneShares Trust (the “ Trust ”), a Delaware statutory trust, and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “ Distributor ”), a Pennsylvania corporation.

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an investment company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) under the Investment Trust Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”), and its shares of beneficial interest (“ Shares ”) are registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ 1933 Act ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ 1934 Act ”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Trust intends to create and redeem groups of Shares of each class or series of the Trust (each a “ Fund ” and collectively, the “ Funds ”) identified on Schedule A hereto, on a continuous basis at their net asset value only in aggregations constituting Creation Units (as defined in the Funds’ Registration Statement); and

 

WHEREAS , the Shares of each Fund will be listed on one or more national securities exchanges (together, the “ Listing Exchanges ”);

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Distributor to act as the distributor with respect to the issuance and distribution of Creation Units of each Fund, hold itself available to receive and process orders for such Creation Units in the manner set forth herein, and to enter into arrangements with broker-dealers who may solicit purchases of Creation Units.

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter contained and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1 Appointment

 

The Trust hereby appoints Distributor as its distributor of Creation Units of the Funds and to provide such other services in accordance with the terms set forth in this Agreement. Distributor accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish certain related services as set forth in this Agreement.

 

SECTION 2 Solicitation of Sales and Other Services

 

2.01         Solicitation of Sales . The Trust grants to Distributor the right to sell its Creation Units authorized for issue at the applicable net asset value, in accordance with the Prospectus, as agent and on behalf of the Trust, during the term of this Agreement and subject to the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC and the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states (“ Blue Sky Laws ”). As used in this Agreement, the term, “ Prospectus ” means any registration statement, proxy solicitation and tender offer materials, annual or other periodic report of the Trust or any Fund of the Trust or any advertising, marketing, shareholder communication, or promotional material generated by the Trust or its investment adviser from time to time, as appropriate, including all amendments or supplements thereto and applicable law.

 

2.02         Other Services . Without limiting the foregoing, the Distributor will perform or supervise the performance by others of the additional services set forth herein, including those set forth in Schedule B , attached hereto.

 

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 1  

 

 
 

  

SECTION 3 Representations, warranties and covenants

 

3.01        Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Trust. The Trust represents, warrants and covenants that:

 

(a)          it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its formation, and has all requisite power under the laws of such state and applicable federal law to conduct its business as now being conducted and to perform its obligations as contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(b)          this Agreement has been duly authorized by the board of trustees of the Trust, including by unanimous affirmative vote of all of the independent trustees of the Trust and, when executed and delivered by the Trust, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Trust, enforceable against the Trust in accordance with its terms;

 

(c)          it shall timely perform all obligations identified in this Agreement as obligations of the Trust, including, without limitation, providing the Distributor with all due diligence and marketing materials reasonably requested by the Distributor and giving all necessary consents or approvals in good faith and within a timely manner;

 

(d)          it is not a party to any, and there are no, pending or threatened legal, administrative, arbitral or other proceedings, claims, actions or governmental or regulatory investigations or inquiries (collectively, “ Actions ”) of any nature against it, its advisor or its properties or assets which are reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect upon its business or financial condition, and there is no injunction, order, judgment, decree, or regulatory restriction imposed upon it or any of its properties or assets that are reasonably likely to have a material effect upon its business or financial condition;

 

(e)          it is an investment company that is duly registered under all applicable laws and regulations, including, without limitation the 1940 Act, and each Fund is a separate series of the Trust;

 

(f)          it is and will continue to be in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations aimed at the prevention and detection of money laundering and/or the financing of terrorism activities including Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by USA PATRIOT Act, U.S. Treasury Department, including the Office of Foreign Asset Control (“ OFAC ”), Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (“ FinCEN ”) and the SEC

 

(g)          it has an anti-money laundering program (“ AML Program ”) that complies with applicable laws and regulations;

 

(h)          each Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations and, at the time such Prospectus was filed with the SEC and became effective, no Prospectus will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact that is required to be stated therein so as to make the statements contained in such Prospectus not misleading;

 

(i)          it will notify the Distributor as soon as reasonably practical in advance of any matter which is reasonably likely to materially affect the Distributor’s performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including any amendment to the Prospectus;

 

(j)          it will use best efforts to provide Distributor with the opportunity to review and comment on each registration statement and supplement thereto at least one week prior to filing the same with an applicable regulatory body;

 

(k)          it will use best efforts to provide Distributor with the opportunity to review and comment on each exemptive application or amendment thereto at least two weeks prior to filing the same with an applicable regulatory body;

 

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 2  

 

 
 

 

(l)          it shall fully cooperate with requests from government regulators and the Distributor for information relating to customers and/or transactions involving the Creation Units, as permitted by law, in order for the Distributor to comply with its regulatory obligations; and

 

(m)          in the event it determines that it is in the interest of the Trust to suspend or terminate the sale of any Creation Units, the Trust shall promptly notify the Distributor of such fact in advance and in writing prior to the date on which the Trust desires to cease offering the Creation Units.

 

3.02          Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Distributor . Distributor hereby represents, warrants and covenants as follows:

 

(a)          it has full power, right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly approved by all requisite actions on its part, and no other proceedings on its part are necessary to approve this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it; this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;

 

(b)          it is not a party to any, and there are no, pending or threatened legal, administrative, arbitral or other proceedings, claims, actions or governmental or regulatory investigations or inquiries (collectively, “ Actions ”) of any nature against it, its advisor or its properties or assets which are reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect upon its business or financial condition, and there is no injunction, order, judgment, decree, or regulatory restriction imposed upon it or any of its properties or assets that are reasonably likely to have a material effect upon its business or financial condition;

 

(c)          information about litigation to which SEI or its affiliates is a party will be set forth in SEI Investments Company’s (NASDAQ: SEIC) periodic SEC filings in accordance with the rules of the SEC and will be publicly available in filings on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K from time to time;

 

(d)           it is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC under the 1934 Act and a member in good standing of FINRA and will use best efforts to act in material compliance with all applicable FINRA and NASD Conduct Rules as they relate to the services of the Distributor performed pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(e)          it shall not give any information or make any representations other than those contained in the current Prospectus of the Trust filed with the SEC or contained in shareholder reports or other material that may be prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for the Distributor’s use;

 

(f)          it may prepare and distribute sales literature and other material as approved by the Trust as it may deem appropriate, provided that such literature and materials have been prepared in accordance with applicable rules and regulations;

 

(g)          it will maintain compliance policies and procedures (a “Compliance Program”) reasonably designed to prevent violations of the federal securities laws (as defined in Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act) with respect to the Distributor’s services to the Trust under this Agreement, to provide upon a certification to such effect upon reasonable request of the Trust and to provide all reasonably requested information with respect to the Compliance Program, including without limitation, information and certifications with respect to material violations of the Compliance Program and any material deficiencies therein, as may be reasonably requested by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or Board with respect to the Distributor’s services to the Trust under this Agreement;

 

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 3  

 

 
 

  

(h)          it is and will continue to use best efforts to be in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations aimed at the prevention and detection of money laundering and/or the financing of terrorism activities including Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by USA PATRIOT Act, U.S. Treasury Department, including the OFAC, FinCEN and SEC

 

(i)          it has an AML Program that complies with applicable laws and regulations;

 

(j)          it will notify the Trust as soon as reasonably practical in advance of any matter which is reasonably likely to materially affect the Trust’s performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and

 

(k)          it shall fully cooperate with requests from FINRA and governmental authorities with jurisdiction over the Trust and the Distributor as relating to the Services hereunder, and as permitted by law, in order for the Distributor to comply with its regulatory obligations.

 

SECTION 4 Registration of Shares

 

The Trust agrees that it will take all action necessary to register Shares under the federal and state securities laws so that there will be available for sale the number of Shares necessary in connection with the number of Creation Units the Distributor may reasonably be expected to sell and to pay all fees associated with said registration. The Trust will make available to the Distributor such number of copies of its Prospectus as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Trust will furnish to the Distributor copies of all information, financial statements and other papers which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with the distribution of Creation Units of the Trust.

 

SECTION 5 Agreements with Authorized participants

 

The Distributor will enter into agreements (each, an “ Authorized Participant Agreement ”) with authorized participants selected by the Trust for the creation and redemption of Creation Units of a Fund. Each authorized participant shall be a registered broker/dealer, a clearing agency registered with the SEC or a participant in the system for book-entry of the Depository Trust Company. Each Authorized Participant Agreement will include such terms and conditions as the Distributor will deem necessary or appropriate from time to time.

 

SECTION 6 Expenses

 

6.01         Trust Expenses . The Trust will pay all fees and expenses (i) in connection with the preparation, setting in type and filing of any Prospectus under the 1933 Act and amendments for the issue of its Shares or Creation Units; (ii) in connection with the registration and qualification of Shares for sale in the various states in which the board of trustees of the Trust will determine advisable to qualify such Shares for sale; (iii) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing any report or other communication to shareholders or authorized participants of the Trust in their capacity as such; and (iv) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing any Prospectus sent to existing shareholders or authorized participants.

 

6.02          Distributor Expenses . Distributor will pay all of its costs and expenses (other than expenses and costs deemed payable by the Funds and other than expenses which one or more authorized participants may bear pursuant to any agreement with Distributor) incurred by it in connection with the performance of its distribution duties hereunder.

 

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 4  

 

 
 

 

SECTION 7 Compensation

 

As compensation for providing the services under this Agreement, the Trust will pay Distributor the fees set forth in Schedule C hereto. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Distributor and its affiliates may receive compensation or reimbursement from the Trust or the Trust’s investment advisor with respect to any services not included under this Agreement, as may be agreed upon by the parties from time to time. The parties acknowledge, that to the extent the Trust lacks sufficient resources to pay the fees (or other expenses) payable to Distributor, the Trust’s investment adviser may make such payment to Distributor from the past profits or other resources of the investment adviser, including management fees paid by the Trust. The parties further acknowledge that to the extent that fees payable to the Distributor are paid by the investment adviser, the investment adviser shall be responsible for making all disclosures of such payments to the board of trustees.

 

SECTION 8 indemnification; contribution

 

8.01         Indemnification of Distributor . The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless, the Distributor, each of its directors, officers, principals, representatives, employees and each person, if any, who controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “ Distributor Indemnified Parties ”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, whatsoever (including any investigation, legal or other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which the Distributor Indemnified Parties may become subject, arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or filed as an exhibit thereto, or any marketing literature or materials distributed on behalf of the Trust with respect to the securities covered by the Prospectus (the “ Covered Documents ”) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse the Distributor for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Distributor in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred and (ii) any breach of any representation, warranty or covenant made by the Trust in this Agreement; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Covered Documents about the Distributor in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Trust by the Distributor expressly for use therein.

 

8.02          Indemnification of the Trust . Distributor will indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, each of its trustees, officers, employees and each person, if any, who controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “ Trust Indemnified Parties ”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, whatsoever (including any investigation, legal or other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which the Trust Indemnified Parties may become subject, to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Covered Document, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Trust by the Distributor expressly for use therein; or (ii) such action is a direct result of an action, inaction, or omission of Distributor pursuant to this Agreement involving gross negligence, recklessness, bad faith, willful misconduct or fraud by Distributor, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and/or its agents.

 

8.03          Indemnification Procedures .

 

(a)          If any action or claim shall be brought against any Distributor Indemnified Party or Trust Indemnified Party (any such party, an “ Indemnified Party ” and collectively, the “ Indemnified Parties ”), in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the other party hereto, such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing, and the indemnifying party shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel and payment of all fees and expenses; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such failure.

 

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(b)          Any Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (i) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (ii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense and employ counsel, or (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded party) included such Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party or which may also result in a conflict of interest (in which case if such Indemnified Party notifies the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action on behalf of such Indemnified Party, it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for all such Indemnified Parties.

 

(c)          No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the Indemnified Party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party.

 

(d)          The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its written consent, but if such action is settled with the written consent of the indemnifying party, or if there shall be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action and the time for filing all appeals has expired, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Indemnified Party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.

 

(e)          The obligations of the indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability that the indemnifying party may otherwise have.

 

8.04          Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is insufficient or unavailable to any Indemnified Party under this Section 8 in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party hereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by damages, liabilities or expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Trust on the one hand and the Distributor on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the Indemnified Party failed to give the notice required under Section 8.3(a) , above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Trust on the one hand and the Distributor on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Trust on the one hand and the Distributor on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the amount of net proceeds received by the Trust from the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (expressed in dollars) bears to the net profits received by the Distributor under this Agreement. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Trust on the one hand or the Distributor on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Trust and the Distributor agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

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8.05          Consequential Damages . In no event and under no circumstances will either party to this Agreement be liable to anyone, including, without limitation, the other party, for consequential damages for any act or failure to act under any provision of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 9 Term and Termination

 

This Agreement will be effective upon its execution, and, unless terminated as provided, will continue in force for two years and thereafter from year to year, provided that such annual continuance is approved by either (i) the vote of a majority of the Trust of the Trust, or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the trustees and (ii) the vote of a majority of those trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or the Trust’s distribution plan(s) or interested persons of any such party (“ Qualified Director ”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the approval. This Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty by a vote of the trustees; by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust; or by the Distributor upon not less than thirty days prior written notice to the other party; and shall automatically terminate upon its assignment. As used in this paragraph the terms, “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “assignment” and “interested person” will have the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act. In the event the Trust gives notice of termination, all expenses associated with the movement (or duplication) of records and materials and conversion thereof to a successor service provider, and all trailing expenses incurred by Distributor, will be borne by the Trust.

 

SECTION 10 miscellaneous

 

10.01       Records . The books and records pertaining to the Trust, which are in the possession or under the control of Distributor, will be the property of the Trust. Such books and records will be prepared and maintained as required under the 1940 Act and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. The Trust and its authorized persons will have access to such books and records at all times during the Distributor’s normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Trust, the Distributor will make available copies of such books and records to the Trust or its authorized persons, at the Trust’s expense.

 

10.02       Independent Contractor. The Distributor will undertake and discharge its obligations hereunder as an independent contractor. Neither Distributor nor any of its officers, trustees, employees or representatives is or will be an employee of a Fund in connection with the performance of Distributor’s duties hereunder. Distributor will be responsible for its own conduct and the employment, control, compensation and conduct of its agents and employees, and for any injury to such agents or employees or to others through its agents and employees. The Distributor may, subject to applicable law, perform certain ancillary or administrative obligations (e.g. printing, mailing, telecommunications) under this Agreement through an agreement with one or more third parties or affiliates of Distributor; provided however that any act or omission of any such third party or affiliate shall be deemed to be an act or omission of the Distributor hereunder.

 

10.03       Notices . All notices provided for or permitted under this Agreement will be deemed effective upon receipt, and will be in writing and (a) delivered personally, (b) sent by commercial overnight courier with written verification of receipt, (c) sent by certified or registered U.S. mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, to the party to be notified, at the address for such party set forth below, or (d) by email to the email addresses as may be agreed from time to time, provided that any email notice delivered outside of day to day operations shall not be effective unless it is followed by a notice as set forth in (a), (b) or (c) above. Notices to the Distributor will be sent to the attention of: General Counsel, SEI Investments Distribution Co., 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Notices to the Trust will be sent to 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2 nd Floor, New York, NY 10019.

 

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10.04          Dispute Resolution . Whenever either party desires to institute legal proceedings against the other party concerning this Agreement, it will provide written notice to that effect to such other party. The party providing such notice will refrain from instituting said legal proceedings for a period of thirty (30) days following the date of provision of such notice. During such period, the parties will attempt in good faith to amicably resolve their dispute by negotiation among their executive officers.

 

10.05          Entire Agreement; Amendments . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement, draft or agreement or proposal with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement or any part hereof may be amended or waived only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of such amendment or waiver is sought.

 

10.06          Non-Solicitation . During the term of this Agreement and for a period of one (1) year afterward, the Trust will not recruit, solicit, employ or engage, for the Trust or any other person, any of the Distributor’s employees.

 

10.07          Governing Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any conflict of laws or choice of laws rules or principles thereof. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of New York , or any of the provisions of this Agreement, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter will control.

 

10.08          Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which will constitute one and the same instrument. Each such counterpart will be deemed an original, and it will not be necessary in making proof of this Agreement to produce or account for more than one such counterpart. This Agreement will be deemed executed by both parties when any one or more counterparts hereof or thereof, individually or taken together, bears the original, scanned or facsimile signatures of each of the parties.

 

10.09          Force Majeure . No breach of any obligation of a party to this Agreement will constitute an event of default or breach to the extent it arises out of a cause, existing or future, that is beyond the control and without negligence of the party otherwise chargeable with breach or default, including without limitation: work action or strike; lockout or other labor dispute; flood; war; riot; theft; act of terrorism, earthquake or natural disaster. Either party desiring to rely upon any of the foregoing as an excuse for default or breach will, when the cause arises, give to the other party prompt notice of the facts which constitute such cause; and, when the cause ceases to exist, give prompt notice thereof to the other party.

 

10.10          Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction will be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability in such jurisdiction, without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction. If a court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of this Agreement to be invalid or unenforceable, the parties agree that the court making such determination will have the power to reduce the scope, duration, or area of the provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace the provision with a provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the original intention of the parties, and this Agreement will be enforceable as so modified.

 

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10.11        Confidential Information .

 

(a)          The Distributor and the Trust (in such capacity, the “ Receiving Party ”) acknowledge and agree to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) provided by the Distributor and the Trust (in such capacity, the “ Disclosing Party ”) in connection with this Agreement. The Receiving Party will not disclose or disseminate the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information to any Person other than (a) those employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees of the Receiving Party, or (b) with respect to the Distributor as a Receiving Party, to those employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees of any agent or affiliate, who have a need to know it in order to assist the Receiving Party in performing its obligations, or to permit the Receiving Party to exercise its rights under this Agreement. In addition, the Receiving Party (a) will take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, and (b) will not use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, or authorize other Persons to use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, for any purposes other than in connection with performing its obligations or exercising its rights hereunder. As used herein, “reasonable steps” means steps that a party takes to protect its own, similarly confidential or proprietary information of a similar nature, which steps will in no event be less than a reasonable standard of care.

 

(b)          The term “ Confidential Information ,” as used herein, will mean all business strategies, plans and procedures, proprietary information, methodologies, data and trade secrets, and other confidential information and materials (including, without limitation, any non-public personal information as defined in Regulation S-P) of the Disclosing Party, its affiliates, their respective clients or suppliers, or other Persons with whom they do business, that may be obtained by the Receiving Party from any source or that may be developed as a result of this Agreement.

 

(c)          The provisions of this Section 10.11 respecting Confidential Information will not apply to the extent, but only to the extent, that such Confidential Information is: (a) already known to the Receiving Party free of any restriction at the time it is obtained from the Disclosing Party, (b) subsequently learned from an independent third party free of any restriction and without breach of this Agreement; (c) or becomes publicly available through no wrongful act of the Receiving Party or any third party; (d) independently developed by or for the Receiving Party without reference to or use of any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party; or (e) required to be disclosed pursuant to an applicable law, rule, regulation, government requirement or court order, or the rules of any stock exchange (provided, however, that the Receiving Party will advise the Disclosing Party of such required disclosure promptly upon learning thereof in order to afford the Disclosing Party a reasonable opportunity to contest, limit and/or assist the Receiving Party in crafting such disclosure).

 

(d)          The Receiving Party will advise its employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees, and will require its agents and affiliates to advise their employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees, of the Receiving Party’s obligations of confidentiality and non-use under this Section 10.11 , and will be responsible for ensuring compliance by its and its affiliates’ employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees with such obligations. In addition, the Receiving Party will require all persons that are provided access to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, other than the Receiving Party’s accountants and legal counsel, to execute confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements containing provisions substantially similar to those set forth in this Section 10.11 . The Receiving Party will promptly notify the Disclosing Party in writing upon learning of any unauthorized disclosure or use of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information by such persons.

 

(e)          Upon the Disclosing Party’s written request following the termination of this Agreement, the Receiving Party promptly will return to the Disclosing Party, or destroy, all Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party provided under or in connection with this Agreement, including all copies, portions and summaries thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (a) the Receiving Party may retain one copy of each item of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information for purposes of identifying and establishing its rights and obligations under this Agreement, for archival or audit purposes and/or to the extent required by applicable law, and (b) the Distributor will have no obligation to return or destroy Confidential Information of the Trust that resides in save tapes of Distributor; provided, however, that in either case all such Confidential Information retained by the Receiving Party will remain subject to the provisions of Section 10.11 for so long as it is so retained. If requested by the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party will certify in writing its compliance with the provisions of this paragraph.

 

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10.12        Use of Name .

 

(a)          The Trust will not use the name of the Distributor, or any of its affiliates, in any Prospectus, sales literature, and other material relating to the Trust in any manner without the prior written consent of the Distributor (which will not be unreasonably withheld); provided , however , that the Distributor hereby approves all lawful uses of the names of the Distributor and its affiliates in the Prospectus of the Trust and in all other materials which merely refer in accurate terms to their appointment hereunder or which are required by applicable law, regulations or otherwise by the SEC, FINRA, or any state securities authority.

 

(b)          Neither the Distributor nor any of its affiliates will use the name of the Trust in any publicly disseminated materials, including sales literature, in any manner other than with respect to representative client lists, without the prior written consent of the Trust (which will not be unreasonably withheld); provided , however , that the Trust and each Fund hereby approves all lawful uses of its name in any required regulatory filings of the Distributor which merely refer in accurate terms to the appointment of the Distributor hereunder, or which are required by applicable law, regulations or otherwise by the SEC, FINRA, or any state securities authority.

 

10.13          Insurance . The Trust hereby represents that it maintains adequate insurance coverage with respect to its responsibilities pursuant to this Agreement, including commercially reasonable fidelity bond(s), errors and omissions, trustees and officers, professional liability insurance. All of the foregoing policies shall be issued by insurance companies having an "A minus" rating or better by A.M. Best Trust. The Trust shall furnish Certificates of Insurance evidencing all of the foregoing insurance coverages upon execution of this Agreement, and annually upon the written request of the Distributor. The Trust shall promptly inform the Distributor of any material changes to its policies, endorsements or coverages.

 

*****

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trust and Distributor have each duly executed this Agreement, as of the day and year above written.

 

KRANESHARES TRUST   SEI INVESTMENTS DISTRIBUTION CO.
     
By: /s/ Jonathan Krane   By:  /s/ Maxine J. Chou  
Name:  Jonathan Krane   Name:  Maxine J. Chou
Title:  CEO   Title:  CFO & COO

  

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 11  

 

 
 

 

Schedule A

 

List of Funds

 

KraneShares Dow Jones Global Luxury Consumer ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Alternative Energy ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

KraneShares CSI China Consumer Staples ETF

KraneShares CSI Consumer Discretionary ETF

KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF

KraneShares CSI China Urbanization ETF

 

KraneShares Trust Distribution Agreement Page 12  

 

 
 

 

Schedule B

 

List of Services

 

Contract Management

 

· Coordinate and execute Authorized Participant Agreements pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement

 

· Coordinate and execute operational agreements related to the services contemplated by this Agreement (networking agreements, NSCC redemption agreements, etc.)

 

· Coordinate and execute on behalf of the Trust shareholder service and similar agreements to the extent permitted by applicable law, and as contemplated by the Trust’s distribution and/or shareholder servicing plan, if applicable

 

FINRA Review

 

· Conduct FINRA filing of materials

 

· Respond to FINRA comments on marketing materials

 

Other Services

 

· Forward any complaints concerning the Trust received by the Distributor to the Trust, assist in resolving such complaints, and maintain a log of such complaints as required by applicable law;

 

· Keep and maintain all books and records relating to the services provided by the Distributor in accordance with applicable law.

 

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Schedule C

 

Fees

 

The Distributor will receive from the Trust, to the extent available pursuant to Section 7 hereof, fees in the amount of $0.00 annually, payable in equally monthly installments of $0.00, and to the extent not available, the Distributor will look solely to the Trust’s investment adviser or its affiliates for the payment of such fees.

 

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AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

 

This Authorized Participant Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of this ___ day of __________ 20__ (the “ Effective Date ”), by and between _____________________ (the “ Participant ”) and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (together with its affiliates, the “ Distributor ”), principal underwriter of [Trust Name] (the “ Trust ”), and is subject to acceptance by the Trust and [Transfer Agent Name] as transfer agent (the “ Transfer Agent ”) to each investment portfolio of the Trust (each, a “Series”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meaning assigned to them in SECTION 14 of this Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”), as an open-end management company;

 

WHEREAS, each Series is listed for trading on one or more U.S. national securities exchanges or associations and operates as an “ Exchange Traded Fund ” or “ ETF ”;

 

WHEREAS, the Distributor serves as the principal underwriter of the Trust acting on an agency basis in connection with the sale and distribution of shares of beneficial interest of each Series of the Trust (“ Shares ”);

 

WHEREAS, the Transfer Agent serves as the transfer agent for the Trust, and is an Index Receipt Agent as that term is defined in the rules of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”);

 

WHEREAS, the Shares of any Series offered by the Trust (now or in the future) may be directly purchased from or redeemed to the Trust at a price based on the net asset value per Share (subject to applicable Law and the terms hereof) only by or through a registered broker-dealer and member of The Depository Trust Company that has entered into an authorized participant agreement with the Distributor; and

 

WHEREAS the Distributor and the Participant intend that the Trust shall be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and shall receive the benefits contemplated by this Agreement.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto in consideration of the premises and of the mutual agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1 ORDERS FOR CREATION AND REDEMPTION

 

1.01          Creation Units . The Shares of any Series offered by the Trust may only be directly purchased from or redeemed to the Distributor in Creation Units. The number of Shares of a Series constituting a Creation Unit will be stated in the Prospectus of the applicable Series. The Participant is authorized to create and redeem Creation Units of such Series as determined in the discretion of the Trust and/or the Distributor, subject to applicable Law and the terms hereof.

 

1.02          Procedures for Orders . The procedures for placing and execution of Creation Orders and Redemption Requests are described in the Prospectus for each Series and in the AP Handbook (and any updates) which shall be provided to the Trust. All Orders shall be placed and executed in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth in the Prospectus and the AP Handbook. Orders received in proper form in accordance with such terms and procedures shall be processed at the net asset value per Share of the relevant Series next determined after such Order is received in proper form. The Participant agrees to comply with any and all requirements stated in the Prospectus and in the AP Handbook to the extent applicable to it. The Trust reserves the right to revise or augment the procedures relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Creation Units. The Distributor will make commercially reasonable efforts to provide prior notice to the Participant of any changes to the AP Handbook with respect to the placement of Orders. Revised procedures shall not apply retroactively to Orders submitted prior to such change in procedure, unless required by applicable Law. The Participant agrees to comply with such procedures as they may be revised or augmented from time to time. Such revised or additional procedures may be implemented by the Trust, with respect to any or all Series, due to changing applicable Law, market conditions, administrative or operational processes or requirements for new or existing Series, or any other purposes.

 

 
 

 

Any Series may, subject to applicable Law, change the manner in which a Creation Order and/or Redemption Request may be placed and/or executed by the Participant, including, without limitation, requiring that a Creation Order or Redemption Request be cleared outside the CNS Clearing Process or any non-CNS Clearing Process subject to approval by the Index Receipt Agent.

 

1.03          NSCC Authorization . Solely with respect to Orders processed through the CNS Clearing Process, the Participant, as a Participating Party, hereby authorizes the Index Receipt Agent to transmit to the NSCC on behalf of the Participant instructions, including without limitation instructions regarding the transfer of Deposit Securities, Cash Amounts and Cash Components, consistent with the Order instructions issued by the Participant to the Distributor. The Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of such instructions issued by the Index Receipt Agent and reported to NSCC as though such instructions were issued by the Participant directly to NSCC.

 

1.04          Consent to Recording . It is contemplated that the phone lines used by the Distributor, the Trust or their Affiliated Persons with respect to any Orders will be recorded, and the Parties hereby consent to the recording of all calls with any of those Parties. The Participant also acknowledges and agrees that its access to, and actions taken on, the Website may be recorded.

 

1.05          Irrevocability . All Orders are irrevocable and considered final when placed by a Participant. Accordingly, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that it may not be possible to cancel or modify an Order once the Participant has placed it, and the Participant agrees to exercise caution before placing all Orders. Any attempt the Participant makes to revise or cancel an Order may be deemed a request to place a new Order that may modify or cancel the previous Order, at the sole discretion of the Trust. The Participant shall be responsible for any and all reasonable expenses and costs incurred by the Trust or the Distributor in connection with any modified or cancelled Order. It is acknowledged and agreed that the Trust has the absolute right to reject any Creation Order or Redemption Request (to the extent permitted by Law and the Prospectus) transmitted to it by the Distributor. The Distributor shall notify the Participant as soon as reasonably practicable of any such rejection of an Order. It is acknowledged and agreed that notice may not be reasonably practicable until after the time the Distributor stops accepting Orders for that day.

 

1.06          Prospectus and Trade Confirmation Delivery . The Participant consents to the delivery of a link to the Prospectus and trade confirmations electronically, and understands that unless the Participant notifies the Distributor in writing that this consent is revoked, the Participant can only obtain access to Prospectuses from the Distributor electronically. The Trust makes the current Prospectuses and annual and semi-annual shareholder reports for each applicable Series available on the Trust’s website: [link to Trust website]. The Participant agrees to maintain a valid electronic mail address for purposes of receiving links to Prospectuses and trade confirmations and further agrees to promptly notify the Distributor if its electronic mail address for this purpose changes. The Participant understands that it must have regular and continuous Internet access to access all documents relating to a Prospectus.

 

SECTION 2 EXECUTION OF CREATION ORDERS

 

2.01          Fund Deposit . To affect the purchase of a Creation Unit of a Series, the Participant agrees to deliver to the Series a Fund Deposit plus any applicable Cash Amount.

 

2.02          Cash in Lieu . The Trust may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash to be added to any Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security (“ cash in lieu ”). The Trust may suspend the ability of the Participant to engage in cash in lieu transactions with respect to any Series at any time, without prior notice.

 

 
 

 

2.03          Delivery of Collateral or Fund Deposit . As described in the Prospectus and the AP Handbook from time to time, the Trust may, in its sole discretion, permit collateral to be posted to the Custodian (or such other agent as may be agreed in writing by the Participant and the Trust from time to time) for the benefit of a Series in anticipation of delivery of all or a portion of the requisite Deposit Securities, and may require additional collateral of 115% of the market value of such Deposit Securities to be posted, in the sole discretion of the Trust. The Series may at any time use such cash or collateral to purchase Deposit Securities without further consultation with the Participant. To the extent permitted by the Prospectus, the Participant shall be responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by the Trust, including all Cash Amounts, in connection with any Creation Orders. The Participant understands and agrees that in the event collateral or the Fund Deposit are not fully transferred to the Trust by the time specified, a Creation Order may be cancelled by the Trust and the Participant will be solely responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by the applicable Series, Distributor, or the Index Receipt Agent related to the cancelled Creation Order. Orders processed through the NSCC via CNS are not eligible for cash collateralization.

 

2.04          Title to Securities; Restricted Shares . The Participant represents that upon delivery of a portfolio of Deposit Securities to the Custodian and/or the relevant subcustodian in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus, the Trust will acquire good, marketable and unencumbered title to such securities, free and clear of any and all liens, restrictions, hypothecations, charges, duties imposed on the transfer of assets and encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claims, including, without limitation, any restriction upon the sale or transfer of such securities imposed by (A) any agreement or arrangement entered into by the Participant or any Participant Client, or (B) any applicable provision of the 1933 Act, and any regulations thereunder (except that (I) securities of issuers other than U.S. issuers shall not be required to have been registered under the 1933 Act if exempt from such registration and (II) securities of U.S. issuers shall not be required to have been registered under the 1933 Act if (1) exempt from such registration or (2) eligible for sale without registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and such security is included by a Series as a Deposit Security (a “ Rule 144A Security ”), or of the applicable Law of any other applicable jurisdiction and (C) any such securities being “restricted securities” as such term is used in Rule 144(a)(3)(i) promulgated under the 1933 Act.

 

2.05          Corporate Actions . With respect to any Creation Order, the Trust, on behalf of each applicable Series, shall return to the Participant or the Participant Client any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Trust in respect of any Deposit Security that is transferred to the Trust that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security on the Business Day on which the Trust receives and accepts the Creation Order in proper form, should have been paid to the Participant or the Participant Client. Likewise, the Participant acknowledges and agrees to return to the Trust any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Participant or any Participant Client in respect of any Deposit Security that is transferred to the Trust that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security on the Business Day on which the Trust receives and accepts the Creation Order in proper form, should have been paid to the Trust.

 

2.06          Cash Amount and Cash Component . In situations where a Cash Amount and/or a Cash Component will be applied to a Creation Order, the Participant hereby agrees it will transfer funds for each creation of Shares in an amount equal to the Cash Amount and/or Cash Component, as applicable. Computation of this amount shall exclude any stamp duty and other similar fees and expenses payable upon the transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Participant and not of the Trust or the Distributor. The Participant hereby agrees to deliver the Cash Amount and/or Cash Component to the Trust on or before the Contractual Settlement Date or such earlier time as may be designated by the Trust.

 

2.07          Ownership of Deposit Securities . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, and subject to the provisions of Section 2.02 , the Participant agrees that this Agreement is a contract for the sale of the Deposit Securities in praesenti , and that ownership of, and all attendant rights to and benefits of, the Deposit Securities shall be vested in the Trust as of the Business Day on which the Trust receives and accepts the related Purchase Order in proper form and in accordance with the foregoing terms and procedures.

 

 
 

 

SECTION 3 EXECUTION OF REDEMPTION REQUESTS

 

3.01          Creation Units . To effect the redemption of a Creation Unit of a Series, the Participant agrees to deliver to the Trust, the requisite number of Shares comprising the number of Creation Units being redeemed plus any applicable Cash Amount and/or Cash Component. Proceeds of redemption of a Creation Unit shall consist of Fund Securities and/or any applicable Cash Component, less any applicable Cash Amount. To the extent permitted by the Prospectus, the Participant shall be responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by the Trust, including all Cash Amounts, in connection with any Redemption Request.

 

3.02          Delivery of Shares . The Participant understands and agrees that in the event Shares are not transferred to the Trust (or the Custodian for the benefit of the Trust) by the time specified, a Redemption Request may be cancelled by the Trust and the Participant will be solely responsible for all expenses and costs incurred by the Trust and/or the Distributor related to the cancelled Order. The Distributor will provide notice to the Participant, as soon as reasonably practicable, of any such cancellation of a Redemption Request.

 

3.03          Legal and Beneficial Ownership . The Participant represents and warrants that it will not attempt to place a Redemption Request for the purpose of redeeming any Creation Unit of Shares of any Series unless it or the Participant Client, as the case may be, owns outright or has full legal authority and legal right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Series to be redeemed as a Creation Unit and to the entire proceeds of the redemption and that such Shares have not been loaned or pledged to another party and are not the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or any other arrangement affecting legal or beneficial ownership or precluding the tender of such Shares for redemption. In the event that the Distributor and/or the Trust have reason to believe that the Participant does not have the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Series to be redeemed as a Creation Unit, the Distributor and/or the Trust may require the Participant to deliver or execute supporting documentation in order for the Redemption Request to be in proper form. Failure to deliver or execute the requested supporting documentation may result in a Participant’s Redemption Request being rejected as not in proper form.

 

3.04          Same Business Day Creation and Redemption . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, except as otherwise specifically advised by the Participant in writing to the Distributor and the Trust, the Participant represents and warrants on behalf of itself and any Participant Client that in the case of any Redemption Request that is placed on the same Business Day as any Creation Order is placed by the Participant for the same Series: (i) the Redeeming Shareholder is not the same Participant or Participant Client as the Creation Shareholder; (ii) the Redeeming Shareholder is not affiliated in any manner to or with the Creating Shareholder; (iii) the Redeeming Shareholder and the Creating Shareholder are acting for their own respective beneficial interests; (iv) the placing of such Redemption Request and such Creation Order is not for the beneficial interest of the same person; and (v) the placing of such Redemption Request and such Creation Order is not pursuant to any common plan, mutual agreement, or understanding.

 

3.05          Corporate Actions . With respect to any Redemption Request, the Participant acknowledges and agrees to return to the Trust any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to it or a Participant Client in respect of any Fund Security that is transferred to the Participant or any Participant Client that, based on the valuation of such Fund Security at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Series. It is acknowledged and agreed that the Trust is entitled to reduce the amount of money or other proceeds due to the Participant or any Participant Client by an amount equal to any dividend, distribution or other corporate action to be paid to the Participant or to the Participant Client in respect of any Fund Security that is transferred to the Participant or any Participant Client that, based on the valuation of such Fund Security at the time of transfer, should be paid to the Series. Likewise, the Trust, on behalf of the applicable Series, shall return to the Participant or any Participant Client any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to it in respect of any Fund Security that is transferred to the Trust, on behalf of the applicable Series, that, based on the valuation of such Fund Security at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Participant or the Participant Client.

 

 
 

 

3.06          Cash Amount and Cash Component . In situations where a Cash Amount and/or a Cash Component will be applied to a Redemption Request, the Participant hereby agrees that it will make available or transfer funds in an amount equal to the Cash Amount and/or Cash Component, as applicable. Computation of this amount shall exclude any stamp duty and other similar fees and expenses payable upon the transfer of beneficial ownership of the Fund Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Participant and not of the Trust or the Distributor. The Participant hereby agrees to ensure that the Cash Amount and/or Cash Component will be received by the Trust on or before the Contractual Settlement Date or such earlier time as may be designated by the Trust.

 

SECTION 4 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP LIMITATION

 

4.01          Beneficial Ownership . The Participant represents and warrants to the Distributor and the Trust that immediately after each acquisition of Shares by the Participant pursuant to this Agreement (based upon the number of outstanding Shares of such Series made publicly available by the Trust) it does not hold for its account or the account of any single Beneficial Owner of Shares of the relevant Series eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Shares of such relevant Series. The Participant agrees that its Authorized Persons will be asked to represent and warrant that, immediately after giving effect to the creation of Shares to which the Order relates, the Participant will not own or hold eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Shares of the relevant Series of the Trust. If the Participant acts as agent for another party or parties in acquiring Shares, then Participant agrees that no party or parties on behalf of whom Participant acquired Shares in the transaction to which the confirmation relates holds or owns through the Participant account, immediately after such acquisition, eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Shares of the relevant Series. The Trust, the Index Receipt Agent and Distributor shall have the right to require information from the Participant regarding Share ownership of each Series, and to rely thereon to the extent necessary to make a determination regarding ownership of eighty percent (80%) or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Series by a Beneficial Owner as a condition to the acceptance of a deposit of Deposit Securities.

 

4.02          Rule 144A Securities . The Participant represents and warrants to the Distributor and the Trust that immediately after each acquisition of a Rule 144A Security by the Participant pursuant to this Agreement, it or any Beneficial Owner of the Rule 144A Security will be a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A under the 1933 Act.

 

SECTION 5 AUTHORIZED PERSONS

 

5.01          Phone Orders and Website Orders . When placing Orders by phone, an Authorized Person, on behalf of the Participant, will be required to provide his or her name, the name of the Participant he or she represents and a valid PIN Number (with such PIN Number to be issued by the Distributor). When placing Orders through the Website, an Authorized Person on behalf of the Participant, will be required to enter a valid firm PIN Number, a valid personal ID and password (with such password provided by the Distributor) for Website access and trade order processing. The Participant will only have access to certain section(s) of the Website, as determined by the Trust or the Distributor, in their sole discretion. The Participant will adhere to the security procedures mandated by the Distributor from time to time in all material respects. The PIN Number, personal ID and password shall be kept confidential and shall not be shared with any third party unless otherwise required by applicable Law. It is acknowledged and agreed that these procedures may be revised and updated from time to time and made available in the AP Handbook.

 

 
 

 

5.02          PIN Numbers and Password . Upon the execution of this Agreement by the Participant and the acceptance thereof by the Distributor, the Participant shall be issued a PIN Number by the Distributor and each Authorized Person will be issued a personal ID and password for use on the Website. To place Orders through the Distributor, the Authorized Person must provide the Participant’s valid PIN Number and must also enter a valid personal ID and password to access the Website. The PIN Number is used to identify the Participant and validate instructions issued by the Participant pursuant to this Agreement. The Distributor shall be entitled to assume that all instructions issued to it using the Participant’s PIN Number have been properly placed by Authorized Persons, unless the Participant has revoked its PIN Number and such revocation has been acknowledged by the Distributor. The Distributor shall be under no obligation to verify that an Order is being placed by an Authorized Person. The Participant agrees that neither the Distributor nor the Trust shall be responsible for any losses incurred by the Participant as a result of an Authorized Person identifying himself or herself as a different Authorized Person or an unauthorized person identifying himself or herself as an Authorized Person. The PIN Number and password shall be kept confidential and only provided to Authorized Persons unless otherwise required by applicable Law. The Participant may revoke the PIN Number and password at any time upon written notice to the Distributor and the Trust, and the Participant shall be responsible for doing so in the event that it becomes aware that an unauthorized person has received access to its PIN Number and/or password or has used the PIN Number and/or password in an unauthorized manner. Upon receipt of such written request, the Distributor shall promptly de-activate the PIN Number and/or password. If a Participant’s PIN Number and/or password is changed, the new PIN Number and/or password will become effective on a date mutually agreed upon by the Participant and the Distributor.

 

5.03          Certification . Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement and as requested from time to time by the Trust and/or Distributor but no less frequently than annually, the Participant shall deliver to the Distributor and the Trust, with copies to the Index Receipt Agent, a certificate (the form of which is set forth in Annex I ) signed by the Participant’s Secretary or other duly authorized official setting forth the names, electronic mail addresses and telephone and facsimile numbers of all Authorized Persons. Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by the Distributor and the Trust as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until delivery to the Distributor and the Trust of a superseding certificate in a form approved by the Trust bearing a subsequent date. It shall be the responsibility of the Participant to ensure that the Distributor has a current list of all Authorized Persons. Upon the termination or revocation of authority of an Authorized Person by the Participant, the Participant shall give prompt written notice of such fact to the Distributor and such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Distributor.

 

SECTION 6 STATUS OF PARTICIPANT AND DISTRIBUTOR

 

6.01          Ability to Enter Into Agreement . Each of the Participant and Distributor hereby represents and warrants that it (i) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of organization, (ii) has the power and authority, and the legal right, to own its assets and to transact the business in which it is engaged, and (iii) has the power and authority, and the legal right, to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and has taken all necessary action required by its governing documents or other applicable requirements of law and regulation to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. Each of the Participant and Distributor hereby represents and warrants that this Agreement, when executed and delivered by the Participant or the Distributor, as applicable, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of it and be enforceable against it in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws or regulations affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (whether enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity or at law).

 

6.02          Clearing Status . The Participant hereby represents and warrants that with respect to (i) all Orders of Creation Units of any Series, it is a DTC Participant, (ii) any Order of Creation Units of any Series initiated through the CNS Clearing Process, it is a Participating Party and (iii) any Order of Creation Units of any Series initiated through the applicable Non-CNS Clearing Process, it has the ability to transact through such processes designated by such Series. Any change in the status of the Participant with respect to subsection (i) of this Section 6.02 shall terminate this Agreement and the Participant shall give prompt written notice to the Distributor and the Trust of such change. If, at any time, the Participant’s representation and warranty made in subsections (ii) or (iii) of this Section 6.02 becomes inaccurate, Participant shall give prompt written notice to the Distributor and the Trust in writing, and the Distributor or the Trust may elect to terminate this Agreement in their sole discretion.

 

 
 

 

6.03          Broker Dealer Status . The Participant hereby represents and warrants that it is (i) registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act, (ii) qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where it is so required to be qualified, and (iii) a member of FINRA. The Participant agrees that it will maintain such registrations, qualifications, and membership in good standing and in full force and effect throughout the term of this Agreement. The Participant further agrees to materially comply with all applicable Federal laws, the laws of the states or other jurisdictions concerned, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and with the Constitution, By-Laws and NASD/FINRA Conduct Rules, to the extent such laws, rules and regulations relate to Participant’s Orders and related transactions in, and activities with respect to, the Shares, and that it will not offer or sell Shares of any Series of the Trust in any state or jurisdiction where they may not lawfully be offered and/or sold.

 

6.04          Foreign Status . If the Participant is offering and selling Shares of any Series of the Trust in jurisdictions outside the several states, territories and possessions of the United States and is not otherwise required to be registered, qualified, or a member in good standing of FINRA as set forth in the preceding paragraph, the Participant nevertheless agrees to observe the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which such offer and/or sale is made, to comply with the full disclosure requirements of the 1933 Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and to conduct its business in accordance with the NASD/FINRA Conduct Rules.

 

6.05          Distributor Status . The Participant understands and acknowledges that the method by which Shares will be created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws and regulations. For example, because new Creation Units may be issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution”, as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur. The Distributor and the Trust hereby caution Participant that some activities on its part, depending on the circumstances, may result in its being deemed a participant in a distribution in a manner which could render it a statutory underwriter and subject it to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. The Participant also understands and acknowledges that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus.

 

SECTION 7 ROLE OF PARTICIPANT

 

7.01          Independent Contractor . The Participant acknowledges and agrees that for all purposes of this Agreement, the Participant will be deemed to be an independent contractor, and will have no authority to act as agent for the Trust or the Distributor in any matter or in any respect. The Participant and Distributor each agree to make itself and its employees available, upon reasonable request, during normal business hours to consult with the other party, and if requested, the Trust or their designees concerning the performance of the Participant’s responsibilities under this Agreement.

 

7.02          Maintenance of Records . The Participant agrees to maintain records of all Orders relating to Shares made by or through it and, to the extent it can do so in a manner consistent with any contractual obligations of Participant to any clients and applicable Laws, to furnish copies of such records to the Trust or the Distributor upon the reasonable request of the Trust or the Distributor.

 

SECTION 8 MARKETING MATERIALS AND REPRESENTATIONS

 

The Participant represents, warrants and agrees that it will not make any representations concerning Shares other than those contained in or consistent with the Trust’s then current Prospectus or in any promotional materials or sales literature furnished to the Participant by the Trust or the Distributor. The Participant agrees not to furnish or cause to be furnished to any person or display or publish any information or materials relating to Shares (including, without limitation, promotional materials and sales literature, advertisements, press releases, announcements, statements, posters, signs or other similar materials), except such information and materials as may be furnished to the Participant by the Trust or the Distributor and such other information and materials as may be approved in writing by the Trust and the Distributor. The Participant understands that the Trust or any of its Series will not be advertised or marketed as open-end investment companies (i.e., as mutual funds) which offer redeemable securities, and that any advertising materials will prominently disclose that the individual Shares are not redeemable units of beneficial interest in the Trust. In addition, the Participant understands that any advertising material that addresses redemptions of Shares, including the Prospectus, will disclose that the owners of Shares may acquire Shares and tender Shares for redemption to the Trust in Creation Unit aggregations only. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Participant may without the written approval of the Trust or the Distributor prepare and circulate in the regular course of its business or for internal use, research reports institutional sales literature (as such term in defined in NASD Rule 2211 or any successor rule), correspondence (as such term is defined in NASD Rule 2211 or any successor rule) and other similar materials that include information, opinions or recommendations relating to Shares, provided that such materials comply with applicable NASD rules (or comparable FINRA rules, if such NASD rules are subsequently repealed, rescinded, or are otherwise replaced by FINRA rules). The Participant agrees that any representation or statement in such reports, sales literature, correspondence, communications or other similar materials will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact related to a Series or omit to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, to the extent such materials include statements of fact regarding the Shares, such statements of fact will be consistent wit the Prospectus. As between the Trust and Distributor on one hand and the Participant on the other, Participant agrees that Participant shall be fully responsible and liable for such reports, sales literature, correspondence, communications or other similar materials.

 

 
 

 

Participant agrees that, so long as this Agreement remains in effect, it may be identified or named as an “Authorized Participant,” or any similar designation, in any materials relating to any Series, the Trust or as may be necessary to meet applicable legal requirements.

 

SECTION 9 IRREVOCABLE PROXY

 

9.01          Appointment of Irrevocable Proxy . The Participant, from time to time, may be a beneficial owner and/or an owner of record of Shares. To the extent that it is a beneficial owner of Shares, the Participant does hereby irrevocably appoint the Distributor as its attorney and proxy with full authorization and power to vote (or abstain from voting) the Participant’s beneficially owned Shares of a Series, which the Participant is or may be entitled to vote at any meeting of a Series held after the date this Agreement is executed, whether annual or special and whether or not an adjourned meeting, or, if applicable, to give written consent with respect thereto.

 

9.02          Powers of Attorney and Proxy . The Distributor, as attorney and proxy for the Participant under this SECTION 9 : (i) is hereby given full power of substitution and revocation, (ii) may act through such agents, nominees or substitute attorneys as it may from time to time appoint, and (iii) may provide voting instructions to such agents, nominees or substitute attorneys in any lawful manner deemed appropriate by it, including in writing, by telephone, telex, facsimile, electronically (including through the Internet) or otherwise. The powers of the Distributor as attorney and proxy under this paragraph shall include (without limiting its general powers hereunder) the power to receive and waive any notice of any meeting on behalf of the Participant.

 

9.03          Term of Power of Attorney and Proxy . The appointment of the Distributor as attorney and proxy shall be deemed renewed each time Participant acquires Shares as a beneficial owner. The Distributor shall serve as an irrevocable attorney and proxy for the Participant under this Section for so long (and only so long) as this Agreement remains in effect. In the event applicable law prevents the assignment of the irrevocable power of attorney and proxy, or deems such power of attorney and proxy to expire due to the passage of time, the Participant hereby agrees to execute and deliver such additional documentation as may be necessary to cause the Distributor to serve as its attorney and proxy for the purposes discussed in this Agreement. This irrevocable proxy automatically shall terminate with respect to any Series or the Trust as a whole, if the Distributor ceases to act as Distributor to any Series or the Trust, as applicable. The Distributor may terminate this irrevocable proxy with sixty (60) days written notice to the Participant.

 

 
 

 

SECTION 10 INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

10.01          Indemnification of Distributor Indemnified Party . The Participant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, the Trust, the Index Receipt Agent, their respective subsidiaries, Affiliated Persons, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each a “ Distributor Indemnified Party ”) from and against any loss, liability, cost and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, collectively “ Losses ”) incurred by such Distributor Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Participant of any provision of this Agreement; (ii) any failure by the Participant to comply with applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations such as the NASD/FINRA Conduct Rules; and (iii) actions of such Distributor Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued over the phone or the Website reasonably believed by the Trust, the Distributor and/or the Index Receipt Agent to be genuine and to have been given by the Participant or an Authorized Person. The foregoing shall not apply to any Losses incurred by such Distributor Indemnified Party arising out of the Distributor Indemnified Party’s own fraud, willful misconduct or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder.

 

10.02          Limitation of Liability . The Participant agrees that the Distributor, the Index Receipt Agent and the Trust shall not be liable, absent fraud or willful misconduct, for losses incurred by the Participant in connection with the placement of Orders or otherwise, including as a result of unauthorized use of the Participant’s PIN Number.

 

10.03          Survival . This SECTION 10 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 11 THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES

 

The Distributor and the Participant acknowledge and agree that this Agreement is entered into for, among other things, the benefit of the Trust and intend that the Trust shall be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and be entitled to enforce all of the terms hereof, including, without limitation, the rights granted in its favor and in favor of the Distributor, the Index Receipt Agent or the Custodian under this Agreement.

 

SECTION 12 NOTICES

 

All notices, communications, requests and demands to or upon the respective parties hereto to be effective shall be in writing (and if sent by mail, sent via certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) or be by confirmed facsimile transmission or electronic mail with confirmed delivery status notification. All notices shall be deemed to have been duly given or made when delivered by hand, or three Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, or, in the case of electronic mail transmission, when sent, addressed as follows or at such other address as such party may designate in writing. Notwithstanding the above, delivery of any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or AP Handbook shall be made via email to the Participant.

 

DISTRIBUTOR: PARTICIPANT:

Attn: General Counsel

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456-1100

Telephone: (610) 676-3482

Facsimile: (610) 676-3482

Email:

DTC/ NSCC Clearing Participant Code:

Attn:

 

 

Telephone:

Facsimile:

Email:

 

INDEX RECEIPT AGENT: TRUST:

Attn:

 

Telephone:

Facsimile:

Email:

Attn:

 

Telephone:

Facsimile:

Email:

 

 
 

 

SECTION 13 COMMENCEMENT OF TRADING

 

The Participant may not submit an Order pursuant to this Agreement until five Business Days after effectiveness of this Agreement or a date agreed upon by the Distributor and the Participant; provided, however, that this Agreement shall be immediately effective if the execution of this Agreement supersedes any other authorized participant agreement among the Parties that is currently in effect.

 

SECTION 14 DEFINITIONS

 

The capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined below. Any capitalized terms used herein that are not defined shall have the meaning set forth in the Prospectus or in the AP Handbook.

 

14.01          1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

14.02          1934 Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

14.03          1940 Act ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

14.04          Affiliated Person ” shall have the meaning given to it by Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission by any rule, regulation or order applicable to the Trust or their investment adviser.

 

14.05          Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

14.06          AP Handbook ” means the handbook and other supplemental materials that accompany, or are made available in connection with, this Agreement that clarify and provide revised or additional procedures with respect to a Participant’s transactions with the Distributor and the Trust, as they may be amended from time to time by the Distributor or the Trust and made available to the Participant. The AP Handbook is incorporated by reference into this Agreement and hereby made a part hereof. It is acknowledged and agreed that the AP Handbook may be made available solely in an electronic format accessible via the internet. Any changes to the AP Handbook made available to the Participant subsequent to the date of this Agreement shall also be deemed incorporated by reference herein.

 

14.07          Authorized Person ” means a person that is authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by this Agreement or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant.

 

14.08          Beneficial Owner ” shall have the meaning given to it by Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the 1934 Act.

 

14.09          Business Day ” shall mean each day the exchange on which a Series is listed is open for regular trading.

 

14.10          Cash Amount ” means an amount of cash sufficient to pay any applicable transaction fee, redemption fee and any additional fixed and/or variable charges applicable to purchase or redemption transactions effected fully or partially in cash (when, in the sole discretion of the Trust, cash transactions are available or specified), in each case, as disclosed in the applicable Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term “Cash Amount” shall also include any fees, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys fees) incurred by the Trust in taking possession of, liquidation of or other use of any collateral posted in lieu of delivery of Deposit Securities or Shares.

 

14.11          Cash Component ” means, (1) in the case of a purchase of a Creation Unit, an amount of cash equal to the difference between the total aggregate value of the Deposit Securities and the net asset value of the Creation Unit; and (2) in the case of a redemption of a Creation Unit, an amount of cash equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Creation Unit being redeemed and the total aggregate value of the Fund Securities delivered by the Series in consideration for the Creation Unit, in such case including any cash in lieu amounts.

 

 
 

 

14.12          Cash in Lieu ” shall have the meaning given such term in Section 2.02 of this Agreement.

 

14.13          CNS Clearing Process ” means the Continuous Net Settlement clearing processes of NSCC, as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

 

14.14          CNS System ” means the Continuous Net Settlement clearing processes of NSCC.

 

14.15          Contractual Settlement Date ” means the date as specified in the Prospectus or in the AP Handbook upon which delivery of Deposit Securities, Shares and/or any Cash Component, as applicable, must be made by the Participant to the Trust.

 

14.16          Creation Unit ” means an aggregation of a specified number of Shares of a Series, as specified in the applicable Prospectus.

 

14.17          Custodian ” means [name of Custodian] or such other custodian as the Trust may specify from time to time.

 

14.18          Deposit Securities ” means an in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of equity or fixed-income securities or other financial instruments as determined from time to time in the sole discretion of the Trust in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus.

 

14.19          Distributor Indemnified Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.01 .

 

14.20          Distributor ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

14.21          DTC Participant ” means a person that is eligible and authorized to participate in the DTC direct registration system.

 

14.22          DTC ” means The Depository Trust Company.

 

14.23          Effective Date ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

14.24          Exchange Traded Fund ” or “ ETF ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

14.25          Federal Reserve System ” means the central banking system of the United States.

 

14.26          FINRA ” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

 

14.27          Fund Deposit ” means the requisite Deposit Securities and, if applicable, a Cash
Component.

 

14.28          Fund Securities ” means in-kind redemption proceeds of a designated portfolio of securities or other financial instruments as determined from time to time in the sole discretion of the Trust

 

14.29          Index Receipt Agent ” means acting in the capacity as “index receipt agent,” as such term is defined in the rules of NSCC, for the Trust.

 

14.30          Law ” means any rule, regulation, statute, order, ordinance, guideline, pronouncement, code or other legally enforceable requirement, including common law, state and federal laws or securities laws and laws of foreign jurisdictions and, with respect to a Party, the rules and regulations of any self regulatory organization of which such Party or, to the extent relevant to the performance of a Party’s obligations under this Agreement, such Party’s Affiliate, is a member or securities market on which Shares are listed.

 

 
 

 

14.31          Losses ” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.01 hereto.

 

14.32          non-CNS Clearing Process ” means the applicable clearing process specified for any Series, including but not limited to those affected through the facilities of DTC, the Federal Reserve System, Euroclear, the custodian, local subcustodians and/or any subset or combination thereof.

 

14.33          NSCC ” means the National Securities Clearing Corporation.

 

14.34          Orders ” means Purchase Orders and Redemption Requests.

 

14.35          Participant Client ” means any party on whose behalf the Participant acts in connection with an Order (whether a customer or otherwise).

 

14.36          Participant ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

14.37          Participating Party ” means a Participant who is a member of the NSCC and a participant in the CNS System of NSCC.

 

14.38          Party ” means the Distributor, the Participant and the Trust as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.

 

14.39          PIN Number ” means a unique personal identification number issued to the Participant pursuant to this Agreement.

 

14.40          Prospectus ” means each Series’ current prospectus and statement of additional information included in the Trust’s effective registration statement, as supplemented and/or amended from time to time, the contents of which are hereby incorporated into this Agreement by reference.

 

14.41          Purchase Order ” means an irrevocable order to purchase one or more Creation Units by a Participant.

 

14.42          Purchasing Shareholder ” means, in the case of a same Business Day Purchase Order and Redemption Request as described in Section 3.04 , the Participant (in the case of a Purchase Order that is placed for the Participant’s own beneficial interest) or Participant Client (in the case of a Purchase Order that is placed for the Participant Client’s beneficial interest).

 

14.43          Redeeming Shareholder ” means, in the case of a same Business Day Purchase Order and Redemption Request as described in Section 3.04 , the Participant (in the case of a Redemption Request that is placed for the Participant’s own beneficial interest) or Participant Client (in the case of a Redemption Request that is placed for the Participant Client’s beneficial interest).

 

14.44          Redemption Request ” means a request to redeem one or more Creation Units by a Participant.

 

14.45          Rule 144A Security ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04 hereof.

 

14.46          Series ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals and includes Series that are formed and offered after the date of this Agreement.

 

14.47          Shares ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

14.48          Trust ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

 
 

 

14.49          Website ” means the website: https://etfwebservices.seic.com/ETF (or such other web address as may be communicated by the Distributor or the Trust to the Participant from time to time) established and maintained by the Trust or their affiliates for purposes of allowing Participants to place Orders, as it may be updated from time to time.

 

SECTION 15 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE AND PROSPECTUS CONTROLLING

 

The Participant acknowledges receipt of the AP Handbook, represents that it has reviewed such document and understands the terms thereof, and further acknowledges that the information and procedures contained therein are incorporated herein by reference. The Participant also acknowledges and agrees that the Prospectus for each Series may contain, among other things, procedures relating to the creation and redemption of Shares. The Participant hereby acknowledges and agrees that it has the responsibility of reviewing and obtaining familiarity with the Prospectus for the Shares of each Series in which it transacts. In the event that any information contained in this Agreement, the AP Handbook or posted on the Website is in conflict with the information disclosed in the Prospectus for a Series, the information contained in the Prospectus shall be controlling. In the event that any information posted on the Website (for the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged and agreed that the Website is deemed not to include the Prospectus or the AP Handbook) is in conflict with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be controlling. The Trust will make reasonable efforts to keep the information contained in the AP Handbook or posted on the Website and contained in the Prospectus consistent.

 

SECTION 16 EFFECTIVENESS, TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND ASSIGNMENT

 

16.01          This Agreement shall become effective in this form upon delivery to and execution by the Distributor. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by any Party upon sixty days prior written notice to the other Parties and may be terminated earlier by a Party at any time in the event of a breach by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement or the procedures described or incorporated herein. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement supersedes all prior or contemporaneous representations, discussions, negotiations, letters, proposals, agreements and understandings between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral.

 

This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented by the Trust or the Distributor from time to time without the consent of the Participant or any Beneficial Owner by the following procedure. Amendments to this Agreement can be made upon reasonable notice by the Trust and Distributor, respectively. The Trust or the Distributor will electronically transmit the amendment to the Participant. If neither the Participant nor the other party objects in writing to the amendment within thirty (30) business days after its receipt, the amendment will become a part of this Agreement in accordance with its terms. For the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged and agreed that changes in procedures stated in the Prospectus or AP Handbook shall not be considered an amendment to this Agreement and shall be effective immediately. This Agreement may not be assigned by the Participant, except in connection with the sale of all or substantially all of the Participant’s business to another party.

 

SECTION 17 GOVERNING LAW

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. To the extent that the applicable laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or any of the provisions of this Agreement, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the latter shall control. Each party to this Agreement, by its execution hereof, (i) hereby irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the state courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for the purpose of any action between the parties arising in whole or in part under or in connection with this Agreement, and (ii) hereby waives to the extent not prohibited by applicable Law, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that any such action brought in one of the above-named courts should be dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens, should be transferred or removed to any court other than one of the above-named courts, or should be stayed by reason of the pendency of some other proceeding in any other court other than one of the above-named courts, or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court.

 

 
 

 

SECTION 18 COUNTERPARTS

 

This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. Each such counterpart shall be deemed an original, and it shall not be necessary in making proof of this Agreement to produce or account for more than one such counterpart. This Agreement shall be deemed executed by both parties when any one or more counterparts hereof or thereof, individually or taken together, bears the original facsimile or scanned signatures of each of the parties.

 

 
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the day and year written above.

 

SEI INVESTMENTS DISTRIBUTION CO.   [NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
     
By:     By:  
         
Name:   Name:
Title:   Title:

 

ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED BY:    
     
__________________________, as Index Receipt Agent   [TRUST NAME]
     
By:     By:  
Name:   Name:
Title:   Title:
Date:   Date:
         

 
 

 

ANNEX I
CERTIFICATE DESIGNATING AUTHORIZED PERSONS

 

The following employees of [NAME OF PARTICIPANT] (each, an “Authorized Person”) are authorized, in accordance with the __________ Authorized Participant Agreement between [NAME OF PARTICIPANT] and SEI Investments Distribution Co., as such Agreement may be amended from time to time, to act as agent of [NAME OF PARTICIPANT] to submit purchase orders and redemption requests (“Orders”) on behalf of [NAME OF PARTICIPANT] and to give instructions or any other notice or request on behalf of [NAME OF PARTICIPANT] with respect to such Orders or any other activity contemplated by the Authorized Participant Agreement.

 

SECTION A - List of Current Authorized Persons

 

Name:
e-mail Address:
Telephone:
Fax:

 

Name:
e-mail Address:
Telephone:
Fax:

 

Name:
e-mail Address:
Telephone:
Fax:

 

Name:
e-mail Address:
Telephone:
Fax:

 

 
 

 

SECTION B - List of Changes to Authorized Persons

 

The following persons who were not designated as Authorized Persons on Participant’s previous Certificate have been verified and added as Authorized Persons:   The following persons who were included on the Participant’s previous Certificate are no longer Authorized Persons:

 

The undersigned, [name of secretary or authorized officer], [title] of [NAME OF PARTICIPANT], does hereby certify that the persons listed in Section A above have been duly authorized to act as Authorized Persons pursuant to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

 

By:    
Name:  
Title:  
   
Date:  

 

 

 

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT , dated as of December 12, 2012, between KraneShares Trust (the Fund , including its separate series, the Portfolios ), an open-end management investment company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and registered with the Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act ), and BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. , a limited partnership formed under the laws of the State of New York ( BBH&Co. or, when referring to BBH&Co. in its capacity as custodian, the Custodian, and when referring to BBH&Co. in its capacity as transfer agent, TA ).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS , the Fund wishes to employ BBH&Co. to act as custodian and transfer agent for the Portfolios and to provide related services, all as provided herein, and BBH&Co. is willing to accept such employment, subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth;

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the Fund and BBH&Co. hereby agree, as follows:

 

1. Appointment of Custodian and Transfer Agent.

 

1.1 The Fund hereby appoints BBH&Co. as each Portfolio’s custodian, and BBH&Co. hereby accepts such appointment. All Investments of a Portfolio delivered to the Custodian or its agents or Subcustodians shall be dealt with as provided in this Agreement. The duties of the Custodian with respect to the Portfolio’s Investments shall be only as set forth expressly in this Agreement, including any attachments or schedules thereto, which duties are generally comprised of safekeeping assets and various administrative duties that will be performed in accordance with Instructions (as defined below) and as reasonably required to effect Instructions. The terms of this Agreement shall apply separately and respectively to each Portfolio for which a separate account is maintained on the books of the Custodian. The Parties agree that Sections 2.2-9 and 11-17 and Schedules I, II and II of the Agreement contain the provisions related to BBH&Co.’s performance as Custodian.

 

1.2 The Fund hereby engages BBH as its transfer agent to perform the obligations set forth in this Agreement, and BBH accepts such engagement. The Parties agree that Sections 2.1, 3 and 10-17 and Schedule IV of the Agreement and the Transfer Agency Services Schedule attached hereto contain the provisions related to BBH&Co.’s performance as TA.

 

2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Fund. The Fund hereby represents, warrants and covenants each of the following:

 

With respect to BBH&Co’s appointment as Custodian and TA:

 

2.1 This Agreement has been, and at the time of delivery of each Instruction, such Instruction will have been, duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund. Neither this Agreement, nor any Instruction issued hereunder violates any Applicable Law or conflicts with or constitutes a default under the applicable Portfolio’s prospectus, the Fund’s organizational documents or any agreement, judgment, order or decree to which the Fund is a party or Portfolio or its Investments is bound.

 

With respect to BBH&Co’s appointment as Custodian:

 

2.2 By providing an Instruction with respect to the first acquisition of an Investment (as defined below) in a jurisdiction other than the United States of America, the Fund shall be deemed to have confirmed to the Custodian that the Fund has (a) assessed and accepted[all material Country or Sovereign Risks and accepted responsibility for their occurrence, (b) made all determinations required to be made by the Fund under the 1940 Act, except those appropriately delegated to the Custodian in the Delegation Schedule, and (iii) if appropriate, adequately disclosed the material investment risks of such Investment, including Country Risks. Nothing in this Section 2.2 shall relieve the Custodian of its responsibilities under Section 8.2 of this Agreement.

 

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2.3 The Fund shall safeguard and shall solely be responsible for the safekeeping of any testkeys, identification codes, passwords, other security devices or statements of account with which the Custodian provides it. If the Fund uses any on-line or similar communications service made available by the Custodian, the Fund and the Custodian each shall be solely responsible for ensuring the security of its access to the service and for the authorized use of the service, and shall only attempt to access the service and the Custodian’s computer systems as directed by the Custodian. If the Custodian provides any computer software to the Fund relating to the services described in this Agreement, the Fund will only use the software for the purposes for which the Custodian provided the software to the Fund, and will abide by the license agreement accompanying the software and any other security policies which the Custodian provides to the Fund.

 

2.4 By providing an Instruction in respect of an Investment (which Instruction may relate to among other things, the execution and/or settlement of trades), the Fund hereby (i) authorizes BBH&Co. to complete such documentation as may be required or appropriate for the execution of the Instruction, and agrees to be contractually bound to the terms of such documentation “as is” without recourse against BBH&Co.; (ii) represents, warrants and covenants that it has accepted and agreed to comply with all Applicable Law, terms and conditions to which it and/or its Investment may be bound, including without limitation, requirements imposed by the Investment prospectus or offering circular, subscription agreement, any application or other documentation relating to an Investment (e.g., compliance with suitability requirements and eligibility restrictions); (iii) acknowledges and agrees that BBH&Co. will not be responsible for the accuracy of any information provided to BBH&Co. by or on behalf of the Fund, or for any underlying commitment or obligation inherent to an Investment; (iv) except as otherwise provided for in Section 2.4.1, represents, warrants and covenants that it will not effect any sale, transfer or disposition of Investment(s) held in BBH&Co.’s name by any means other than the issuance of an Instruction by the Fund to BBH&Co.; (v) acknowledges that collective investment pools (and/or their agent(s)) in which the Fund invests may pay to BBH&Co. certain fees (including without limitation, shareholder servicing and/or trailer fees) in respect of the Fund’s investments in such pools; (vi) agrees that BBH&Co. shall have no obligation or responsibility whatsoever to respond to, or provide capital in connection with any capital calls, letters of intent of other requirements as set out in the prospectus or offering circular of an Investment; (vii) represents, warrants and covenants that it will provide BBH&Co. with such information as is necessary or appropriate to enable BBH&Co.’s performance pursuant to an Instruction or under this Agreement; (viii) represents that it is not a “Plan” (which term includes (1) employee benefit plans that are subject to the United States (“US”) Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or plans, individual retirement accounts and other arrangements that are subject to Section 4975 of the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), (2) plans, individual retirement accounts and other arrangements that are subject to the prohibited transaction provisions of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, and (3) entities the underlying assets of which are considered to include “plan assets” of such plans, accounts and arrangements), or an entity purchasing shares on behalf of, or with the “plan assets” of, a Plan; (ix) undertakes to inform BBH&Co. and to keep the same updated as to the status under ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, each as amended, of the beneficial investor to the Investment, and as to any tax withholding or benefit to which an Investment may be subject; (x) acknowledges that BBH&Co. shall have no obligation to fund any order placed by the Fund for which the Fund does not have sufficient cash on deposit with BBH&Co.; and (xi) agrees that BBH&Co. shall be held harmless for the acts, omissions or any unlawful activity of any agent of the Fund, or any transfer agent or other agent of an Investment in which the Fund may invest.

 

2.4.1 To the extent that the Fund holds Investments in an account opened in the name of BBH&Co. as custodian for and at the direction of the Fund, and the Fund requests that BBH&Co. provide the Fund with the capability to place orders and execute trades in fund shares directly with such fund companies and/or their transfer agents which shall be settled in an account established with each such fund company or its transfer agent, the Fund hereby acknowledges that BBH&Co. is under no obligation to agree to such arrangement but if BBH&Co. so agrees, the Fund (i) acknowledges that all relevant terms under Section 2.4 above apply thereto, (ii) authorizes BBH&Co. as custodian, to grant a limited power of attorney to the Fund or its designated agent to enable the Fund to so execute, (iii) agrees to ensure that any instructions issued by the Fund or its designated agent shall also be concurrently submitted to BBH&Co., and (iv) shall adhere to any BBH&Co. procedures established with each such fund or its transfer agent with respect thereto including, but not limited to, the terms of the limited power of attorney. The Fund also acknowledges and agrees that (1) BBH&Co. is acting solely in its capacity as custodian and is not acting as a broker or introducing broker on behalf of the Fund, (2) BBH&Co. is not receiving compensation in connection with the Fund’s execution hereunder of trades with each such fund other than its usual and customary custody fees and transaction charges, (3) it will provide such account opening information to each such fund and/or transfer agent as and when requested by such fund and/or transfer agent, and (4) BBH&Co. is not responsible for (a) providing information published by the relevant distributor of each such fund including, but not limited to, the prospectus for each such Investment in a fund or for resolving execution queries or complaints relative to any such Investment, and (b) assessing the suitability of any such Investment executed directed by the Fund.

 

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3. Representation and Warranty of BBH&Co. as Custodian and TA. BBH&Co. hereby represents and warrants that this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by BBH&Co. and does not and will not violate any Applicable Law or conflict with or constitute a default under BBH&Co.'s limited partnership agreement or any agreement, instrument, judgment, order or decree to which BBH&Co. is a party or by which it is bound.

 

4. Instructions. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, the Custodian shall perform its duties pursuant to Instructions. As used herein, the term Instruction shall mean a directive initiated by the Fund, acting through its board of trustees, officers or other Authorized Person, which directive shall conform to the requirements of this Section 4.

 

4.1 Authorized Persons. For purposes hereof, an Authorized Person shall be a person or entity authorized by the Fund to give Instructions to the Custodian for or on behalf of the Fund or Portfolio, as applicable, in accordance with procedures delivered to and acknowledged by the Custodian. The Custodian may treat any Authorized Person as having the full authority of the Fund to issue Instructions hereunder unless the notice of authorization contains explicit limitations as to said authority. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the authority of designated Authorized Persons to give Instructions with respect to the Fund or a Portfolio until it receives appropriate written notice from the Fund to the contrary.

 

4.2 Form of Instruction. Each Instruction shall be transmitted by such secured or authenticated electro-mechanical means as the Custodian shall make available to the Fund from time to time unless the Fund elects to transmit such Instruction in accordance with Subsections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3 of this Section.

 

4.2.1 Fund Designated Secured-Transmission Method. Instructions may be transmitted through a secured or tested electro-mechanical means identified by the Fund or by an Authorized Person entitled to give Instruction and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian, it being understood that such acknowledgment shall authorize the Custodian to accept such means of delivery but shall not represent a judgment by the Custodian as to the reasonableness or security of the means utilized by the Authorized Person.

 

4.2.2 Written Instructions. Instructions may be transmitted in a writing that bears the manual signature of Authorized Persons.

 

4.2.3 Other Forms of Instruction. Instructions may also be transmitted by another means determined by the Fund or Authorized Persons and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian (subject to the same limits as to acknowledgements as are contained in Subsection 4.2.1, above) including Instructions given orally or by SWIFT or telefax (whether tested or untested).

 

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When an Instruction is given by means established under Subsections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3, it shall be the responsibility of the Custodian to use reasonable care to adhere to any security or other procedures established in writing between the Custodian and the Authorized Person with respect to such means of Instruction, but the Authorized Person shall be solely responsible for determining that the particular means chosen is reasonable under the circumstances. Oral Instructions shall be binding upon the Custodian only if and when the Custodian takes action with respect thereto. With respect to telefax instructions, the parties agree and acknowledge that receipt of legible instructions cannot be assured, that the Custodian cannot verify that authorized signatures on telefax instructions are original or properly affixed, and that the Custodian shall not be liable for losses or expenses incurred through actions taken in reasonable reliance on inaccurately stated, illegible or unauthorized telefax instructions. The provisions of Section 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code shall apply to Funds Transfers performed in accordance with Instructions. The Funds Transfer Services Schedule and the Electronic and Online Services Schedule to this Agreement shall each comprise a designation of a means of delivering Instructions for purposes of this Section 4.2.

 

4.3 Completeness and Contents of Instructions. The Authorized Person shall be responsible for assuring the adequacy and accuracy of Instructions. Particularly, upon any acquisition or disposition or other dealing in the Fund's Investments and upon any delivery and transfer of any Investment or moneys, the Authorized Person initiating the Instruction shall give the Custodian an Instruction with appropriate detail, including, without limitation:

 

4.3.1 The transaction date and the date and location of settlement;

 

4.3.2 The specification of the type of transaction;

 

4.3.3 A description of the Investments or moneys in question, including, as appropriate, quantity, price per unit, amount of money to be received or delivered and currency information. Where an Instruction is communicated by electronic means, or otherwise where an Instruction contains an identifying number such as a CUSIP, SEDOL or ISIN number, the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on such number as controlling notwithstanding any inconsistency contained in the Instruction, particularly with respect to Investment description; and

 

4.3.4 The name of the broker or similar entity concerned with execution of the transaction.

 

If the Custodian determines that an Instruction is either unclear or incomplete, the Custodian may give prompt notice of such determination to the Fund and the Fund shall thereupon amend or otherwise reform the Instruction. In such event, the Custodian shall have no obligation to take any action in response to the Instruction initially delivered until the redelivery of an amended or reformed Instruction.

 

4.4 Timeliness of Instructions. In giving an Instruction, the Fund shall take into consideration known delays which may occur due to the involvement of a Subcustodian or agent, differences in time zones, and other factors particular to a given market, exchange or issuer. When the Custodian has established specific timing requirements or deadlines with respect to particular classes of Instruction and provided those requirements or deadlines to the Fund in writing, or when an Instruction is received by the Custodian at such a time that it could not reasonably be expected to have acted on such instruction due to time zone differences or other factors beyond its reasonable control, the execution of any Instruction received by the Custodian after such deadline or at such time (including any modification or revocation of a previous Instruction) shall be at the risk of the Fund.

 

5. Safekeeping of Fund Assets. The Custodian shall hold Investments delivered to it or Subcustodians for the Fund in accordance with the provisions of this Section. The Custodian shall not be responsible for (a) the safekeeping of Investments not delivered or that are not caused to be issued to it or its Subcustodians; or, (b) pre-existing faults or defects in Investments that are delivered to the Custodian or its Subcustodians. The Custodian is hereby authorized to hold with itself or a Subcustodian, and to record in one or more accounts, all Investments delivered to and accepted by the Custodian, any Subcustodian or their respective agents pursuant to an Instruction or in consequence of any corporate action or income event. The Custodian shall hold Investments for the account of the Fund and shall segregate Investments from assets belonging to the Custodian and shall cause its Subcustodians to segregate Investments from assets belonging to the Subcustodian in an account held for the Fund or in an account maintained by the Subcustodian generally for non-proprietary assets of the Custodian.

 

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5.1 Use of Securities Depositories. The Custodian may deposit and maintain Investments in any Securities Depository, either directly or through one or more Subcustodians appointed by the Custodian. Investments held in a Securities Depository shall be held (a) subject to the agreement, rules, statement of terms and conditions or other document or conditions effective between the Securities Depository and the Custodian or the Subcustodian, as the case may be, and (b) in an account for the Fund or in bulk segregation in an account maintained for the non-proprietary assets of the entity holding such Investments in the Depository. If market practice or the rules and regulations of the Securities Depository prevent the Custodian, the Subcustodian or (any agent of either) from holding its client assets in such a separate account, the Custodian, the Subcustodian or other agent shall as appropriate segregate such Investments for benefit of the Fund or for benefit of clients of the Custodian generally on its own books.

 

5.2 Certificated Assets. Investments which are certificated may be held in registered or bearer form: (a) in the Custodian's vault; (b) in the vault of a Subcustodian or agent of the Custodian or a Subcustodian; or (c) in an account maintained by the Custodian, Subcustodian or agent at a Securities Depository; all in accordance with customary market practice in the jurisdiction in which any Investments are held.

 

5.3 Registered Assets . Investments which are registered may be registered in the name of the Custodian, a Subcustodian, or in the name of the Fund, a Portfolio or a nominee for any of the foregoing, and may be held in any manner set forth in Section 5.2 above.

 

5.4 Book Entry Assets. Investments which are represented by book-entry may be so held in an account maintained by the Book-entry Agent on behalf of the Custodian, a Subcustodian or another Agent of the Custodian, or a Securities Depository.

 

5.5 Replacement of Lost Investments. In the event of a loss of Investments for which loss the Custodian is responsible under the terms of this Agreement, the Custodian shall replace such Investment, or in the event that such replacement cannot be effected, the Custodian shall pay to the affected Portfolio the fair market value of such Investment based on the last available price as of the close of business in the relevant market on the date that a claim was first made to the Custodian with respect to such loss or such other lesser amount as shall be agreed by the parties.

 

6. Administrative Duties of the Custodian. The Custodian shall perform the following administrative duties with respect to Investments of the Fund and its Portfolios.

 

6.1 Purchase of Investments. Pursuant to Instruction, Investments purchased for the account of the Fund (or a Portfolio) shall be paid for (a) against delivery thereof to the Custodian or a Subcustodian, as the case may be, either directly or through a Clearing Corporation or a Securities Depository (in accordance with the rules of such Securities Depository or such Clearing Corporation), or (b) otherwise in accordance with an Instruction, Applicable Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of the instrument representing such Investment.

 

6.2 Sale of Investments. Pursuant to Instruction, Investments sold for the account of the Fund (or a Portfolio) shall be delivered against payment therefor (a) in cash, by check or by bank wire transfer, (b) by credit to the account of the Custodian or the applicable Subcustodian, as the case may be, with a Clearing Corporation or a Securities Depository (in accordance with the rules of such Securities Depository or such Clearing Corporation), or (c) otherwise in accordance with an Instruction, Applicable Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of the instrument representing such Investment.

 

6.3 Delivery and Receipt in Connection with Borrowings of the Fund or other Collateral and Margin Requirements. Pursuant to Instruction, the Custodian may deliver or receive Investments or cash of the Fund in connection with borrowings or loans by the Fund and other collateral and margin requirements.

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6.4 Futures and Options. If, pursuant to an Instruction, the Custodian shall become a party to an agreement with the Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, and a futures commission merchant regarding margin ( Tri-Party Agreement ), the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing the purchase or sale by the Fund of exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options, (b) when required by such Tri-Party Agreement, deposit and maintain in an account opened pursuant to such Agreement ( Margin Account ), segregated either physically or by book-entry in a Securities Depository for the benefit of any futures commission merchant, such Investments as the Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, shall have designated as initial, maintenance or variation "margin" deposits or other collateral intended to secure the Fund's performance of its obligations, on behalf of a Portfolio, under the terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options; and (c) thereafter pay, release or transfer Investments into or out of the margin account in accordance with the provisions of such Agreement. Alternatively, the Custodian may deliver Investments, in accordance with an Instruction, to a futures commission merchant for purposes of margin requirements in accordance with Rule 17f-6 under the 1940 Act. The Custodian shall in no event be responsible for the acts and omissions of any futures commission merchant to whom Investments are delivered pursuant to this Section; for the sufficiency of Investments held in any Margin Account; or, for the performance of any terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options.

 

6.5 Contractual Obligations and Similar Investments. From time to time, the Fund's Investments may include Investments that are not ownership interests as may be represented by certificate (whether registered or bearer), by entry in a Securities Depository or by Book-Entry Agent, registrar or similar agent for recording ownership interests in the relevant Investment. If the Fund shall at any time acquire such Investments, including without limitation deposit obligations, loan participations, repurchase agreements and derivative arrangements, the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing the arrangement; and (b) perform on the Fund's account in accordance with the terms of the applicable arrangement, but only to the extent directed to do so by Instruction. The Custodian shall have no responsibility for agreements running to the Fund as to which it is not a party other than to retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, documents or copies of documents evidencing the arrangement and, in accordance with Instruction, to include such arrangements in reports made to the Fund.

 

6.6 Exchange of Securities. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian shall: (a) exchange securities held for the account of the Fund (or a Portfolio) for other securities in connection with any reorganization, recapitalization, conversion, stock split, change of par value of shares or similar event, and (b) deposit any such securities in accordance with the terms of any reorganization or protective plan.

 

6.7 Surrender of Securities. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian may surrender securities: (a) in temporary form for definitive securities; (b) for transfer into the name of an entity allowable under Section 5.3; and (c) for a different number of certificates or instruments representing in the aggregate the same number of shares or the same principal amount of indebtedness.

 

6.8 Rights, Warrants, Etc. Pursuant to Instruction, the Custodian shall (a) deliver warrants, puts, calls, rights or similar securities to the issuer or trustee thereof, or to any agent of the issuer or trustee, for purposes of exercising such rights or selling such securities, and (b) deliver securities in response to any tender offer.

 

6.9 Mandatory Corporate Actions. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian shall: (a) comply with the terms of all mandatory or compulsory exchanges, calls, tenders, redemptions or similar rights of securities ownership affecting securities held on the Fund’s/Portfolio’s account and promptly notify the Fund of such action; and (b) collect all stock dividends, rights and other items of like nature with respect to such securities.

 

6.10 Income Collection. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian shall collect any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to a Portfolio’s Investments and promptly credit the amount collected to a Principal or Agency Account (each as defined below); provided, however, that the Custodian shall not be responsible for: (a) the collection of amounts due and payable with respect to Investments that are in default or (b) the collection of cash or share entitlements with respect to Investments that are not registered in the name of the Custodian or its Subcustodians. The Custodian is hereby authorized to endorse and deliver any instrument required to be so endorsed and delivered to effect collection of any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to Investments.

 

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6.11 Corporate Action Information. In fulfilling the duties set forth in Sections 6.6 through 6.10 above, the Custodian shall provide to the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio, such material information pertaining to a corporate action which the Custodian actually receives; provided that the Custodian shall not be responsible for the completeness or accuracy of such information. Information relative to any pending corporate action made available to the Fund via any of the services described in the Electronic and Online Services Schedule shall constitute the delivery of such information by the Custodian. Any advance credit of cash or shares expected to be received as a result of any corporate action shall be subject to actual collection and may be reversed by the Custodian.

 

6.12 Proxy Materials. The Custodian shall promptly deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Fund proxy forms, notices of meeting, and any other notices or announcements materially affecting or relating to Investments received by the Custodian. Information relative to any pending corporate action made available to the Fund, on behalf of any Portfolio, via any of the services described in the Electronic and Online Services Schedule shall constitute the delivery of such information by the Custodian.

 

6.13 Ownership Certificates and Disclosure of the Fund's Interest . The Custodian is hereby authorized to execute on behalf of the Fund or a Portfolio ownership certificates, affidavits or other disclosure required under Applicable Law or established market practice in connection with the receipt of income, capital gains or other payments by the Fund or Portfolio with respect to Investments, or in connection with the sale, purchase or ownership of Investments.

 

With respect to securities issued in the United States of America, the Custodian [ ] may [ x ] may not release the identity of the Fund to an issuer which requests such information pursuant to the Shareholder Communications Act of 1985 for the specific purpose of direct communications between such issuer and the Fund. IF NO BOX IS CHECKED, THE CUSTODIAN SHALL RELEASE SUCH INFORMATION UNTIL IT RECEIVES CONTRARY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE FUND. With respect to securities issued outside of the United States of America, information shall be released in accordance with law or custom of the particular country in which such security is located.

 

6.14. Taxes. The Custodian shall, where applicable, assist the Fund and its Portfolios in the reclamation of taxes withheld on dividends and interest payments received by the Fund, including on behalf of a Portfolio. In the performance of its duties with respect to tax withholding and reclamation, the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on the advice of others pursuant to Section 13.11 below and upon information and advice regarding the Fund’s tax status that is received from or on behalf of the Fund without duty of separate inquiry.

 

6.15 Other Dealings. The Custodian shall otherwise act as directed by Instruction, including without limitation effecting the free payments of moneys or the free delivery of securities, provided that such Instruction shall indicate the purpose of such payment or delivery and that the Custodian shall record the party to whom the payment or delivery is made.

 

6.16 Nondiscretionary Details and Minor Expenses. The Custodian shall attend to all nondiscretionary details in connection with the sale or purchase or other administration of Investments, except as otherwise directed by Instruction, and may make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of administering Investments under this Agreement, provided that the Fund shall have the right to request an accounting with respect to such expenses.

 

6.17 Use of Agents. The Custodian may appoint (and remove) any affiliate, bank, trust fund or subcontractor as its agent (each an “ Agent ” and collectively, the “ Agents ”), in addition to Subcustodians, to carry out such provisions of this Agreement. The Custodian shall exercise reasonable care in the selection and monitoring of such Agents and Subcustodians. The appointment of an Agent or Subcustodian shall not relieve the Custodian of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

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7. Cash Accounts, Deposits and Money Movements. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 7, the Fund hereby authorizes the Custodian to open and maintain, with itself or with Subcustodians, cash accounts in United States Dollars, in such other currencies as are the currencies of the countries in which the Fund or Portfolios maintain Investments or in such other currencies as the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, shall from time to time request by Instruction. Notwithstanding any in this Agreement to the contrary, the Fund shall be liable as principal for any overdrafts occurring in its cash accounts.

 

7.1 Types of Cash Accounts . Cash accounts opened on the books of the Custodian ( Principal Accounts ) shall be opened in the name of the Fund, on behalf of the applicable Portfolios. Such accounts collectively shall be a deposit obligation of the Custodian and shall be subject to the terms of this Section 7 and the general liability provisions contained in Section 9. Cash accounts opened on the books of a Subcustodian may be opened in the name of the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, or the Custodian or in the name of the Custodian for its customers generally ( Agency Accounts ). Such deposits shall be obligations of the Subcustodian and shall be treated as an Investment of the Fund and the applicable Portfolios. Accordingly, the Custodian shall be responsible for exercising reasonable care in the administration of such accounts , but shall not be liable for their repayment in the event the Subcustodian, by reason of its bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise, fails to make repayment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, w ith respect to any direct losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses or other liabilities incurred by a Portfolio or the Fund assets as a result of any acts or the failure to act by any Subcustodian or agent, the Custodian shall take commercially reasonable action to pursue claims for such losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses or other liabilities, as applicable, from such Subcustodian or agent. In connection with the services provided hereunder, the Custodian is hereby directed to open cash accounts on its books and records from time to time for the purposes of receiving subscriptions and/or processing redemptions on behalf of the Fund, and/or for the purposes of aggregating, netting and/or clearing transactions (including, without limitation foreign exchange, repurchase agreements, capital stock activity, expense payment) or other administrative purposes on behalf of the Fund or the Fund and affiliated funds (each an "Account"). Each such Account shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including, without limitation Section 7.6) and the Fund shall be liable for the satisfaction of its own obligations in connection with each Account; provided however, the Fund shall not be liable for the obligations of any other affiliated fund thereunder.

 

7.1.1 Administrative Accounts. In connection with the services provided hereunder, the Custodian is hereby directed to open cash accounts on its books and records from time to time for the purposes of receiving subscriptions and/or processing redemptions on behalf of the Fund and/or for the purposes of aggregating, netting and/or clearing transactions (including, without limitation foreign exchange, repurchase agreements, capital stock activity, expense payment) or other administrative purposes, each on behalf of the Fund (each an “Account”). Each such Account shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Fund shall be liable for the satisfaction of its obligations in connection with each Account.

 

7.2 Payments and Credits with Respect to the Cash Accounts . The Custodian shall make payments from or deposits to any of the cash accounts in the course of carrying out its administrative duties, including but not limited to income collection with respect to a Portfolio’s Investments, and otherwise in accordance with Instructions. The Custodian and its Subcustodians shall be required to credit amounts to the cash accounts only when moneys are actually received in cleared funds in accordance with banking practice in the country and currency of deposit. Any credit made to any Principal or Agency Account before actual receipt of cleared funds shall be provisional and may be reversed by the Custodian in the event such payment is not actually collected. Unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by the Custodian or any Subcustodian, all deposits shall be payable only at the branch of the Custodian or Subcustodian where the deposit is made or carried.

 

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7.3 Currency and Related Risks. The Fund bears the risks of holding or transacting in any currency, including any mark to market exposure associated with a foreign exchange transaction undertaken with the Custodian. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the applicability of any law or regulation now or hereafter in effect, or from the occurrence of any event, which may delay or affect the transferability, convertibility or availability of any currency in the country (a) in which such Principal or Agency Accounts are maintained or (b) in which such currency is issued, and in no event shall the Custodian be obligated to make payment of a deposit denominated in a currency during the period during which its transferability, convertibility or availability has been affected by any such law, regulation or event. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be required to repay any deposit made at a foreign branch of either the Custodian or Subcustodian if such branch cannot repay the deposit due to a cause for which the Custodian would not be responsible in accordance with the terms of Section 9 of this Agreement unless the Custodian or such Subcustodian expressly agrees in writing to repay the deposit under such circumstances. All currency transactions in any account opened pursuant to this Agreement are subject to exchange control regulations of the United States and of the country where such currency is the lawful currency or where the account is maintained. Any taxes, costs, charges or fees imposed on the convertibility of a currency held by the Fund on behalf of a Portfolio shall be for the account of the Fund/Portfolio.

 

7.4 Foreign Exchange Transactions . The Custodian shall, subject to the terms of this Section, settle foreign exchange transactions (including contracts, futures, options and options on futures) on behalf and for the account of the Fund or a Portfolio with such currency brokers or banking institutions, including Subcustodians, as the Fund on behalf of a Portfolio may direct pursuant to Instructions. To the extent consistent with applicable law, including the 1940 Act, the Custodian may act as principal in any foreign exchange transaction with the Fund in accordance with Section 7.4.2 of this Agreement. The obligations of the Custodian in respect of all foreign exchange transactions (whether or not the Custodian shall act as principal in such transaction) shall be contingent on the free, unencumbered transferability of the currency transacted on the actual settlement date of the transaction.

 

7.4.1 Third Party Foreign Exchange Transactions . The Custodian shall process foreign exchange transactions (including without limitation contracts, futures, options, and options on futures), where any third party acts as principal counterparty to the Fund or a Portfolio on the same basis it performs duties as agent for the Fund with respect to any other of the Fund's or a Portfolio’s Investments. Accordingly the Custodian shall only be responsible for delivering or receiving currency on behalf of the Fund or a Portfolio in respect of such contracts pursuant to Instructions. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the failure of any counterparty (including a counterparty that is a Subcustodian) in such agency transaction to perform its obligations thereunder. The Custodian (a) shall transmit cash and Instructions to and from the currency broker or banking institution with which a foreign exchange contract or option has been executed, (b) may make free outgoing payments of cash in the form of Dollars or foreign currency without receiving confirmation of a foreign exchange contract or option or confirmation that the countervalue currency completing the foreign exchange contract has been delivered or received or that the option has been delivered or received, (c) may, in connection with cash payments made to third party currency brokers/dealers for settlement of the Fund’s foreign exchange spot or forward transactions, foreign currency swap transactions and similar foreign exchange transactions, process settlements using the facilities of the CLS Bank according to CLS Bank’s standard terms and conditions , and (d) shall hold in safekeeping all confirmations, certificates and other documents and agreements received by the Custodian and evidencing or relating to such foreign exchange transactions. The Fund on behalf of the Portfolios accepts full responsibility for its use of third-party foreign exchange dealers and for execution of the foreign exchange contracts and options and understands that each applicable Portfolio shall be responsible for any and all costs and interest charges which may be incurred by it or the Custodian as a result of the failure or delay of third parties to deliver foreign exchange.

 

7.4.2 Foreign Exchange with the Custodian as Principal . The Custodian, as principal, may, to the extent consistent with applicable law, including the 1940 Act, enter into foreign exchange transactions with the Fund, as the Custodian and the Fund agree from time to time. In this event, the foreign exchange transaction will be performed in accordance with the particular agreement of the parties, or in the event a principal foreign exchange transaction is initiated by Instruction in the absence of a specific agreement, in accordance with the usual commercial terms of the Custodian and the Online Terms and Conditions described in Section 12.13 of this Agreement.

 

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7.5 Delays . If no event of Force Majeure shall have occurred and be continuing and in the event that a delay shall have been caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the Custodian in carrying out an Instruction to credit or transfer cash, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolios for damages, plus: (a) with respect to Principal Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such deposit and currency by the Custodian on overnight deposits at the time the delay occurs for the period from the day when the transfer should have been effected until the day it is in fact effected; and, (b) with respect to Agency Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such deposit and currency by the Subcustodian on overnight deposits at the time the delay occurs for the period from the day when the transfer should have been effected until the day it is in fact effected. The Custodian shall not be liable for delays in carrying out Instructions to transfer cash which are not due to the Custodian's own negligence or willful misconduct.

 

7.6 Advances. If, for any reason in connection with this Agreement the Custodian or any Subcustodian makes an Advance to facilitate settlement or otherwise for the benefit of the Fund or a Portfolio (whether or not any Principal or Agency Account shall be overdrawn either during, or at the end of, any Business Day), the Fund hereby does:

 

7.6.1 acknowledge that the Fund shall have no right, title or interest in or to any Investments purchased with such Advance or proceeds of such Investments, and that any credit to an account of Fund shall be provisional, until: (a) the debit of the Principal or Agency Account by Custodian for an amount equal to Advance Costs; and/or (b) if such debit produces an overdraft in such account, reimbursement to the Custodian or Subcustodian for the amount of such overdraft;

 

7.6.2 acknowledge that the Custodian has an automatically perfected statutory security interest in Investments purchased with any such Advance pursuant to Section 9-206 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York from time to time;

 

7.6.3 in addition, in order to secure the obligations of the Fund to pay or perform any and all obligations of the Fund pursuant to this Agreement, including without limitation to repay any Advance made pursuant to this Agreement, grant to the Custodian a security interest in all Investments and proceeds thereof (as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as currently in effect in the State of New York); and agree to take, and agree that the Custodian may take, in respect of the security interest referenced above, any further actions that the Custodian may reasonably require.

 

7.7 Custodian’s Rights Neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be obligated to make any Advance or to allow an Advance to occur to the Fund or a Portfolio, and in the event that the Custodian or any Subcustodian does make or allow an Advance, any such Advance and any transaction giving rise to such Advance shall be for the account and risk of the Fund and shall not be deemed to be a transaction undertaken by the Custodian for its own account and risk. If such Advance shall have been made or allowed by a Subcustodian or any other person, the Custodian may assign all or part of its security interest referenced above and any other rights granted to the Custodian hereunder to such Subcustodian or other person. If the Fund or Portfolio shall fail to repay the Advance Costs when due, the Custodian or its assignee, as the case may be, shall be entitled to a portion of the available cash balance in any Agency or Principal Account equal to such Advance Costs, and the Fund authorizes the Custodian, on behalf of the Fund or Portfolio, to pay an amount equal to such Advance Costs irrevocably to such Subcustodian or other person, and to dispose of any property in such Account to the extent necessary to make such payment. Any Investments credited to accounts subject to this Agreement created pursuant hereto shall be treated as financial assets credited to securities accounts under Articles 8 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York from time to time. Accordingly, the Custodian and any Subcustodian shall have the rights and benefits of a secured creditor that is a securities intermediary under such Articles 8 and 9.

 

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7.8 Integrated Account . For purposes hereof, deposits maintained in all Principal Accounts (whether or not denominated in Dollars) shall collectively constitute a single and indivisible current account with respect to the Fund's obligations to the Custodian or its assignee, and balances in the Principal Accounts shall be available for satisfaction of the Fund's obligations under this Section 7. The Custodian shall further have a right of offset against the balances in any Agency Account maintained hereunder to the extent that the aggregate of all Principal Accounts is overdrawn.

 

8. Subcustodians and Securities Depositories . Subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth in this Section 8, the Fund hereby authorizes the Custodian to utilize Securities Depositories to act on behalf of a Portfolio and to appoint from time to time and to utilize Subcustodians. With respect to Investments held by a Subcustodian, either directly or indirectly (including by a Securities Depository or Clearing Corporation), notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, payment for securities purchased and delivery of securities sold may be made prior to receipt of securities or payment, respectively, and securities or payment may be received in a form in accordance with (a) governmental regulations, (b) rules of Securities Depositories and Clearing Agencies, (c) generally accepted trade practice in the applicable local market, (d) the terms and characteristics of the particular Investment, or (e) the terms of Instructions.

 

8.1 Domestic Subcustodians and Securities Depositories . The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain, either directly or through one or more Agents appointed by the Custodian, Investments of the Fund in any Securities Depository in the United States, including The Depository Trust Company, provided such Depository meets applicable requirements of the Federal Reserve Bank or of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Custodian may, from time to time, appoint any bank as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund in the United States.

 

8.2 Foreign Subcustodians and Securities Depositories . Unless instructed otherwise by the Fund, the Custodian may deposit and/or maintain non-U.S. Investments of the Fund in any Foreign Securities Depository provided such Securities Depository meets the requirements of an "eligible securities depository" under Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act, or any successor rule or regulation ("Rule 17f-7") or which by order of the Securities and Exchange Commission is exempted therefrom. Prior to the time that Investments are placed with such depository, but subject to the provisions of Section 8.5 below, the Custodian shall have prepared and provided to the Fund an assessment of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Securities Depository and shall have established a system to monitor such risks on a continuing basis in accordance with Section 8.5 of this Section. Additionally, the Custodian may, from time to time, appoint (a) any bank, trust company or other entity meeting the requirements of an “eligible foreign custodian under Rule 17f-5 or which by order of the Securities and Exchange Commission is exempted therefrom, or (b) any bank as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund outside the United States.

 

8.3 Delegation of Board Review of Subcustodians. From time to time, the Custodian may agree to perform certain reviews of Subcustodians and of Subcustodian Contracts as the delegate of the Fund's Board. In such event, the Custodian's duties and obligations with respect to this delegated review will be performed in accordance with the terms of the attached Delegation Schedule.

 

8.4 Board Approval of Foreign Subcustodians . Unless and except to the extent that the Board of Trustees has delegated to the Custodian and the Custodian has accepted delegation of review of certain matters concerning the appointment of Subcustodians pursuant to Subsection 8.3, the Custodian shall, prior to the appointment of any Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund or its Portfolios outside the United States, obtain written confirmation of the approval of the Board of Trustees with respect to (a) the identity of a Subcustodian, and (b) the Subcustodian agreement which shall govern such appointment, such approval to be signed by an Authorized Person. An Instruction to open an account in a given country shall comprise authorization of the Custodian to hold assets in such country in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Custodian shall not be required to make independent inquiry as to the authorization of the Fund to invest in such country.

 

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8.5 Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Securities Depositories. Prior to the placement of any assets of the Fund or a Portfolio with a Foreign Securities Depository, the Custodian: (a) shall provide to the Fund or its authorized representative a written assessment of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets within such Securities Depository; and (b) shall have established a system to monitor the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with such Securities Depository on a continuing basis and to promptly notify the Fund or its Investment Adviser of any material changes in such risk. In performing its duties under this subsection, the Custodian shall use reasonable care and may rely on such reasonable sources of information as may be available including but not limited to: (i) published ratings; (ii) information supplied by a Subcustodian that is a participant in such Securities Depository; (iii) industry surveys or publications; (iv) information supplied by the depository itself, by its auditors (internal or external) or by the relevant Foreign Financial Regulatory Authority. It is acknowledged that information procured through some or all of these sources may not be independently verifiable by the Custodian and that direct access to Securities Depositories is limited under most circumstances. Accordingly, the Custodian shall not be responsible for errors or omissions in its duties hereunder provided that it has performed its monitoring and assessment duties with reasonable care. The risk assessment shall be provided to the Fund or its Investment Adviser by such means as the Custodian shall reasonably establish. Advices of material change in such assessment may be provided by the Custodian in the manner established as customary between the Fund and the Custodian for transmission of material market information.

 

8.6 Responsibility for Subcustodians . Except as provided in the last sentence of this Section 8.6, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund and its applicable Portfolios for any loss or damage thereto caused by or resulting from the acts or omissions of any Subcustodian to the extent that such acts or omissions would be deemed to be negligence, gross negligence or willful misconduct in accordance within the terms of the relevant subcustodian agreement under the laws, circumstances and practices prevailing in the place where the act or omission occurred. The liability of the Custodian in respect of the countries and Subcustodians designated by the Custodian, from time to time on the Global Custody Network Listing, shall be subject to the additional condition that the Custodian actually recovers such loss or damage from the Subcustodian.

 

 

8.7 New Countries. The Fund shall be responsible for informing the Custodian sufficiently in advance of a proposed investment which is to be held in a country in which no Subcustodian is authorized to act in order that the Custodian shall, if it deems appropriate to do so, have sufficient time to establish a subcustodial arrangement in accordance herewith. In the event the Custodian is unable to establish such arrangements prior to the time the investment is to be acquired, the Custodian is authorized to designate at its discretion a local safekeeping agent, and the use of the local safekeeping agent shall be at the sole risk of the Fund, and accordingly the Custodian shall be responsible to the Fund for the actions of such agent if and only to the extent the Custodian shall have recovered from such agent for any damages caused the Fund by such agent.

 

9. Responsibility of the Custodian. In performing its duties and obligations hereunder, the Custodian shall use reasonable care under the facts and circumstances prevailing in the market where performance is effected.. Subject to the specific provisions of this Section, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for any damage incurred by the Fund or a Portfolio in consequence of the Custodian's (or its employees’, officers’ or other agents’) negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. In no event shall either party be liable hereunder for any special, indirect, punitive or consequential damages arising out of, pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement even if advised of the possibility of such damages. It is agreed that the Custodian shall have no duty to assess the risks inherent in the Fund’s Investments or to provide investment advice with respect to Investments and that the Fund and its Portfolios as principal shall bear any risks attendant to particular Investments such as failure of counterparty or issuer.

 

9.1 Limitations of Performance . The Custodian shall not be responsible under this Agreement for any failure to perform its duties, and shall not be liable hereunder for any loss or damage in association with such failure to perform for or in consequence of the following causes:

 

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9.1.1 Force Majeure. Force Majeure shall mean any circumstance or event which is beyond the reasonable control of the Fund, Custodian, a Subcustodian or any agent of the Custodian or a Subcustodian and which adversely affects the performance by the Fund, Custodian of its obligations hereunder, by the Subcustodian of its obligations under its Subcustody Agreement or by any other Agent of the Custodian or the Subcustodian, including any event caused by, arising out of or involving (a) an act of God, (b) accident, fire, water or wind damage or explosion, (c) any computer, system or other equipment failure or malfunction caused by any computer virus or the malfunction or failure of any communications medium, (d) any interruption of the power supply or other utility service, (e) any strike or other work stoppage, whether partial or total, (f) any delay or disruption resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Country or Sovereign Risk, (g) any disruption of, or suspension of trading in, the securities, commodities or foreign exchange markets, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Country or Sovereign Risk, (h) any encumbrance on the transferability of a currency or a currency position on the actual settlement date of a foreign exchange transaction, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Country or Sovereign Risk, or (i) any other cause similarly beyond the reasonable control of the party.

 

9.1.2 Country Risk. Country Risk shall mean, with respect to the acquisition, ownership, settlement or custody of Investments in a jurisdiction, all risks relating to, or arising in consequence of, systemic and markets factors affecting the acquisition, payment for or ownership of Investments including (a) the prevalence of crime and corruption, (b) the inaccuracy or unreliability of business and financial information, (c) the instability or volatility of banking and financial systems, or the absence or inadequacy of an infrastructure to support such systems, (d) custody and settlement infrastructure of the market in which such Investments are transacted and held, (e) the acts, omissions and operation of any Securities Depository, (f) the risk of the bankruptcy or insolvency of banking agents, counterparties to cash and securities transactions, registrars or transfer agents, and (g) the existence of market conditions which prevent the orderly execution or settlement of transactions or which affect the value of assets.

 

9.1.3 Sovereign Risk. Sovereign Risk shall mean, in respect of any jurisdiction, including the United States of America, where Investments are acquired or held hereunder or under a Subcustody Agreement, (a) any act of war, terrorism, riot, insurrection or civil commotion, (b) the imposition of any investment, repatriation or exchange control restrictions by any Governmental Authority, (c) the confiscation, expropriation or nationalization of any Investments by any Governmental Authority, whether de facto or de jure, (d) any devaluation or revaluation of the currency, (e) the imposition of taxes, levies or other charges affecting Investments, (f) any change in the Applicable Law, or (g) any other economic or political risk incurred or experienced.

 

9.2. Limitations on Liability. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss, claim, damage or other liability arising from the following causes:

 

9.2.1 Failure of Third Parties. The failure of any third party (other than a Subcustodian or Agent) including: (a) any issuer of Investments or Book-Entry Agent or other agent of an issuer; (b) any counterparty with respect to any Investment, including any issuer of exchange-traded or other futures, option, derivative or commodities contract; (c) failure of an Investment Advisor, third party foreign custody manager or other agent of the Fund ; or (d) failure of other third parties similarly beyond the control or choice of the Custodian.

 

9.2.2 Information Sources. The Custodian may rely upon information received from issuers of Investments or agents of such issuers, information received from Subcustodians and from other commercially reasonable sources such as commercial data bases and the like, but shall not be responsible for specific inaccuracies in such information (provided that the Custodian has relied upon such information in good faith), or the failiure of any commerciallly reasonable information provider.

 

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9.2.3 Reliance on Instruction . Action by the Custodian or the Subcustodian in accordance with an Instruction, even when such action conflicts with, or is contrary to any provision of, the Fund's trust instrument, certificate of trust or by-laws, Applicable Law, or actions by the trustees, directors or shareholders of the Fund.

 

9.2.4 Restricted Securities. The limitations inherent in the rights, transferability or similar investment characteristics of a given Investment of the Fund.

 

10. Transfer Agency Services. BBH&Co. will provide the transfer agency services described in Schedule IV hereto pursuant to the following terms and conditions:

 

10.1 Limitations on Liability

 

10.1.1 TA shall not be held accountable or liable to the Fund, or any third party if TA is unable to perform its responsibilities in accordance with this Agreement as a result of (i) any errors in the Services based upon or arising out of information received in a timely or untimely manner by TA either (a) from a source which TA was authorized to rely upon pursuant to a relevant Schedule hereto, or (b) from a source which in TA’s reasonable judgment was as an appropriate source for such information, (ii) relevant information known to the Fund which would impact the Services but which is not communicated by the Fund or its agent to TA, or (iii) the suspension, discontinuance or termination of the transmission of information by information providers for any reason, provided TA shall have made reasonable commercial efforts to procure such transmission. The Fund hereby acknowledges and agrees that TA shall neither guarantee nor make any warranties whatsoever, with respect to the sources referenced above and to the accuracy or completeness of their information.

 

10.1.2 The Fund acknowledges and agrees that nothing herein is intended to diminish the responsibility of third parties, including without limitation, its clients, custodian banks, brokers, and pricing and administrative agents, under their respective contractual and/or business arrangements with the Fund.

 

10.1.3 TA shall incur no liability with respect to any telecommunications, equipment or power failures, or any failures to perform or delays in performance by the postal service or any courier services or third-party information providers deemed by the TA to be reputable.

 

10.1.4 TA shall in no event be required to advance or expend its own funds in connection with the services provided hereunder, or take any action which is in contravention of any applicable law, rule or regulation or any order or judgment of any court of competent jurisdiction.

 

10.1.5 The Fund shall review the Services performed by TA under this Agreement promptly and periodically and shall notify TA of any improper performance, discrepancy or error therein. Unless the Fund provides written notice of any such discrepancy or error within a reasonable time after such Services are performed, the Services shall be deemed to have met the duties and standards set forth herein.

 

10.1.6 Without limiting the generality of any of the foregoing provisions, in no event shall TA be liable for any taxes, penalties, fines, costs, charges or fees imposed on the Fund in connection with the Services hereunder unless otherwise agreed between the Parties; provided, however, that any such taxes, penalties, fines, costs, charges or fees do not arise from the TA’s negligence, willful misfeasance or reckless disregard for its duties under this Agreement.

 

10.1.7 In no event shall TA be responsible for providing investment management services or advice or legal advice under this Agreement, nor shall TA be liable for the investment management services and advice received or given by the Fund or the legal advice received by the Fund from its counsel or other legal counsel.

 

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10.1.8 Without limiting the generality of any of the foregoing provisions , the TA shall have no liability for any damages arising out of (i) the failure of any Authorized Participant to perform its obligations under a Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement” defined for this purpose as any Participant Agreement between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant acknowledged by the Administrator); (ii) activities or statements of sales or wholesaler personnel who are employed by any distributor (or its affiliates); or (iii) the failure of any Authorized Participant to deposit with the Custodian sufficient collateral, or to provide additional collateral upon request by the TA, in connection with the monitoring services provided for herein on Schedule IV; or (iv) any errors in the computation of collateral requirements based upon or arising out of quotations or information received by the TA from the Fund’s accounting agent or any other source on which the TA reasonably relies.

 

10.2 Instructions . TA shall not be liable for, and shall be indemnified by the Fund against any and all losses, costs, damages or expenses arising from or as a result of, any action taken or omitted in reliance upon Instructions (as hereinafter defined) or upon any other written notice, request, direction, instruction, certificate or other instrument believed by it to be genuine and signed or authorized by the proper party or parties.

 

10.2.1 Instructions shall mean a written request, direction, instruction or certification signed or initialed on behalf of the Fund by one or more Authorized Persons. Authorized Persons may be identified by name, title or position. Telephonic and other oral instructions or instructions given by facsimile transmission may be given by any one of the Authorized Persons. Such instructions shall be considered Instructions if TA reasonably believes them to have been given by an Authorized Person. In no event shall Instructions be in the form of electronic mail.

 

10.2.2 Where Instructions are conveyed through facsimile transmissions, the Fund hereby acknowledges that (i) receipt of legible instructions cannot be assured, (ii) TA cannot verify that authorized signatures on facsimile Instructions are original, and (iii) TA shall not be responsible for losses or expenses incurred through actions taken in reliance on such Instructions. The Fund agrees that such facsimile Instructions shall be conclusive evidence of the Fund’s Instruction to TA to act or to omit to act.

 

10.2.3 Instructions given orally will be confirmed by written Instructions in the manner set forth above in Section 10.2.1, including by facsimile, but the lack of such confirmation shall in no way affect any action taken by TA in reliance upon such oral Instructions. The Fund authorizes TA to tape record any and all telephonic or other oral Instructions given to TA by or on behalf of the Fund (including any of its officers, directors, trustees, employees or agents or any investment manager or adviser or person or entity with similar responsibilities which is authorized to give Instructions on behalf of the Fund to TA). The Fund agrees to solicit valid written or other consent from any of its employees in respect to telephonic recordings to the extent such consent is required by applicable law.

 

10.3 Representations of TA.

 

10.3.1 TA represents that it is a registered transfer agent under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

10.3.2 TA has established pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, and other U.S. laws and regulations applicable to it, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance programs, including but not limited to: (1) the development of internal policies, procedures, and controls; (2) the designation of a compliance officer; (3) the implementation of ongoing employee training programs; and (4) the creation of an independent audit function to test such programs.

 

10.3.3 TA has a customer identification program (CIP) consistent with the rules under section 326 of the USA Patriot Act. TA. For the avoidance of doubt, DTC is exempt from CIP requirements.

 

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10.3.4 TA: (i) has in place policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with the transfer agent rules of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; (ii) will upon request provide its AML Assurance Letter to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, and (iii) will maintain appropriate records in accordance with said transfer agent rules.

 

10.3.5 The Trust adopts the TA’s AML compliance program.

 

11. Indemnification. The Fund hereby indemnifies the Custodian and each Subcustodian, and their respective Agents, nominees and the partners, employees, officers and directors, and agrees to hold each of them harmless from and against all claims and liabilities, including reasonable counsel fees and taxes, incurred or assessed against any of them in connection with the performance of this Agreement and any Instruction, provided any such indemnifiable loss has not arisen out of the Custodian’s standard of care as set forth in Section 9 hereof. If a Subcustodian or any other person indemnified under the preceding sentence, gives written notice of claim to the Custodian, the Custodian shall promptly give written notice to the Fund. Not more than thirty days following the date of such notice, unless the Custodian shall be liable under Section 8 hereof in respect of such claim, the Fund will pay the amount of such claim or reimburse the Custodian for any payment made by the Custodian in respect thereof.

 

12. Reports and Records. BBH&Co. shall:

 

12.1 create and maintain records relating to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement (including such reports as may be required pursuant to Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder), all of which shall be the property of the Fund;

 

12.2 make available to and copy for the Fund (at the Fund’s expense), its auditors, agents and employees, upon reasonable request and during its normal business hours, all records maintained by BBH&Co. pursuant to Section 12.1 above, subject, however, to all reasonable security requirements of BBH&Co. then applicable to the records of its customers generally; and

 

12.3 make available to the Fund all Electronic Reports; it being understood that Electronic Reports are subject to the terms of Schedule II, the Electronic and On-Line Services Schedule.

 

12.4 The Fund shall examine all records, however produced or transmitted, promptly upon receipt and notify BBH&Co. promptly of any discrepancy or error. Unless the Fund delivers written notice of any such discrepancy or error within a reasonable time after its receipt of the records, the records shall be deemed to be true and accurate.

 

12.5 The Fund acknowledges that the Custodian obtains information on the value of assets from outside sources which may be utilized in certain reports made available to the Fund. The Custodian deems such sources to be reliable but the Fund acknowledges and agrees that the Custodian does not verify such information nor make any representations or warrantees as to its accuracy or completeness and accordingly shall be without liability in selecting and using such sources and furnishing such information.

 

13. Miscellaneous.

 

13.1 Powers of Attorney, etc. The Fund on behalf of its Portfolios will promptly execute and deliver, upon request, such proxies, powers of attorney or other instruments as may reasonably be necessary or desirable for the Custodian to provide, or to cause any Subcustodian to provide, the services contemplated by this Agreement.

 

13.2 Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement of the parties hereto and supersedes any other oral or written agreements heretofore in effect between the Fund and the Custodian with respect to the subject matter hereof. No provision of this Agreement may be amended or terminated except by a statement in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the amendment or termination is sought, provided, however, that an Instruction shall, whether or not such Instruction shall constitute a waiver, amendment or modification for purposes hereof, be deemed to have been accepted by the Custodian when it commences actions pursuant thereto or in accordance therewith. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a service level agreement or other operating agreement in place between the parties from time to time, the terms of this Agreement shall control.

 

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13.3 Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Custodian and the Fund and their successors and assignees, provided that neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Custodian. Each party agrees that only the parties to this Agreement and/or their successors in interest shall have a right to enforce the terms of this Agreement. Accordingly, no client of the Fund or other third party shall have any rights under this Agreement and such rights are explicitly disclaimed by the parties.

 

13.4 GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION AND VENUE. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES OF SUCH STATE. THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN NEW YORK CITY . THE FUND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY OF THE AFORESAID COURTS AND ANY CLAIM THAT ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM. Furthermore, each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives any right that it may have to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

13.5 Notices. Notices and other writings contemplated by this Agreement, other than Instructions, shall be delivered (a) by hand, (b) by first class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (c) by a nationally recognized overnight courier, or (d) by facsimile transmission, provided that any notice or other writing sent by facsimile transmission shall also be mailed, postage prepaid, to the party to whom such notice is addressed. All such notices shall be addressed, as follows:

 

If to the Fund: KraneShares Trust
  1350 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, New York 10019
  Attn:  Jonathon Krane
  Telephone: (646)-479-5031
  Facsimile: (212) 257-6441

 

If to the Custodian: Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
  40 Water Street
  Boston, Massachusetts 02109
  Attn:  Office of the General Counsel
  Telephone: (617) 772-1818
  Facsimile:  (617) 772-2235,

 

or such other address as the Fund or the Custodian may have designated in writing to the other. Notices given by the Custodian pursuant to Section 12.13 may also be given by electronic mail to the email address of any Authorized Person. The Fund agrees that such notices given by electronic mail shall be conclusively presumed to have been delivered and received by the Fund as of the date such electronic mail was sent by the Custodian, as recorded by the Custodian’s systems.

 

13.6 Headings. Paragraph headings included herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not modify, define, expand or limit any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

13. 7 Severability. In the event any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement, which shall continue to be in force.

 

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13.8 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. This Agreement shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed and delivered by the Fund and the Custodian. A photocopy or telefax of the Agreement shall be acceptable evidence of the existence of the Agreement and the Custodian shall be protected in relying on the photocopy or telefax until the Custodian has received the original of the Agreement.

 

13.9 Confidentiality. The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the other regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering or obtaining services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement (including, without limitation, disclosure to Subcustodians or Agents appointed by the Custodian), shall not be disclosed to any third party without the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by or to any regulator of the Custodian or any Agent or Subcustodian, any Regulatory Authority, any auditor or attorney of the parties hereto, or by judicial or administrative process or otherwise by Applicable Law.

 

13.10 Tape-recording. The Fund on behalf of itself and its Customers authorizes the Custodian to tape record any and all telephonic or other oral instructions given to the Custodian by or on behalf of the Fund, including from any Authorized Person. This authorization will remain in effect until and unless revoked by the Fund in writing.

 

13.11 Counsel/ Certified Public Accountant . In fulfilling its duties hereunder, the Custodian shall be entitled to receive and act upon the advice of (i) counsel and/or a certified public accountant regularly retained by the Custodian, at its own cost, in respect of such matters, (ii) counsel and/or a certified public accountant for the Fund or (iii) such counsel or certified public accountant as the Fund and the Custodian may agree upon, with respect to all matters, and the Custodian shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice.

 

13.12 Conflict. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prevent the Custodian and its associates from (i) dealing as a principal or an intermediary in the sale, purchase or loan of the Fund’s Investments to, or from the Custodian or its associates; (ii) acting as a custodian, a subcustodian, a trustee, an agent, securities dealer, an investment manager or in any other capacity for any other client whose interests may be adverse to the interest of the Fund; or (iii) buying, holding, lending, and dealing in any way in any assets for the benefit of its own account, or for the account of any other client whose interests may be adverse to the Fund notwithstanding that the same or similar assets may be held or dealt in by, or for the account of the Fund by the Custodian. The Fund hereby voluntarily consents to, and waives any potential conflict of interest between the Custodian and/or its associates and the Fund, and agrees that:

 

(a) the Custodian’s and/or its associates’ engagement in any such transaction shall not disqualify the Custodian from continuing to perform as the custodian of the Fund or Portfolios under this Agreement, provided that the Fund shall not be deemed to provide consent or grant any waiver with respect to any activity or potential or actual conflict that violates or is otherwise inconsistent with the federal securities laws or any other applicable law;

(b) the Custodian and/or its associates shall not be liable to account to the Fund or a Portfolio for any profits or benefits made or derived by or in connection with any such transaction,; and

(c) the Fund shall use all reasonable efforts to disclose this Section 13.12 to its shareholders.

 

13.13 Online Terms and Conditions. Foreign exchange services provided under or otherwise referenced in this Agreement will be performed and subject to the terms and conditions posted on the Custodian’s website at < http://www.bbh.com/fx/index.php/fx2/Terms_and_Conditions/> (the “FX Online Terms and Conditions”), which terms are available in hardcopy upon request, and which terms may be updated from time to time. The Custodian shall provide notice of any change to the FX Online Terms and Conditions to the Fund at least ten business days prior to their taking effect, unless the Custodian determines that the circumstances require that a shorter period apply. Foreign exchange transactions that occur or are placed on or after the effective date of such changes, as stated in the applicable notice, shall be governed by the modified FX Online Terms and Conditions.

 

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14. Definitions. The following defined terms will have the respective meanings set forth below.

 

14.1 Advance(s) shall mean any extension of credit by or through the Custodian or by or through any Subcustodian and shall include, without limitation, amounts due to the Custodian as the principal counterparty to any foreign exchange transaction with the Fund as described in Section 7.4.2 hereof, or paid to third parties for account of the Fund or in discharge of any expense, tax or other item payable by the Fund.

 

14.2 Advance Costs shall mean any Advance, interest on the Advance and any related expenses, including without limitation any mark to market loss of the Custodian or Subcustodian on any Investment to which Section 7.6.1 applies.

 

14.3 Agency Account(s) shall mean any deposit account opened on the books of a Subcustodian or other banking institution in accordance with Section 7.1 hereof.

 

14.4 Agent(s) shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.17 hereof.

 

14.5 Applicable Law shall mean with respect to each jurisdiction, all (a) laws, statutes, treaties, regulations, guidelines (or their equivalents); (b) orders, interpretations, licenses and permits; and (c) judgments, decrees, injunctions, writs, orders and similar actions by a court of competent jurisdiction; compliance with which is required or customarily observed in such jurisdiction.

 

14.6 Authorized Person(s) shall mean any person or entity authorized to give Instructions on behalf of the Fund in accordance with Section 4.1 or 10.2.1 hereof.

 

14.7 Book-entry Agent(s) shall mean an entity acting as agent for the issuer of Investments for purposes of recording ownership or similar entitlement to Investments, including without limitation a transfer agent or registrar.

 

14.8 Clearing Corporation shall mean any entity or system established for purposes of providing securities settlement and movement and associated functions for a given market(s).

 

14.9 Delegation Schedule shall mean any separate schedule entered into between the Custodian and the Fund or its authorized representative with respect to certain matters concerning the appointment and administration of Subcustodians delegated to the Custodian pursuant to Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.

 

14.10 Electronic and Online Services Schedule shall mean any separate schedule entered into between the Custodian and the Fund or its authorized representative with respect to certain matters concerning certain electronic and online services as described therein and as may be made available from time to time by the Custodian to the Fund and Portfolios.

 

14.11 Electronic Reports shall mean any reports prepared by the Custodian and remitted to the Fund or its authorized representative via the internet or electronic mail.

 

14.12 Foreign Custody Manager shall mean the Fund’s foreign custody manager appointed pursuant to Rule 17f-5 of the 1940 Act.

 

14.13 Foreign Financial Regulatory Authority shall have the meaning given by Section 2(a)(50) of the 1940 Act.

 

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14.14 Funds Transfer Services Schedule shall mean any separate schedule entered into between the Custodian and the Fund or its authorized representative with respect to certain matters concerning the processing of payment orders from Principal Accounts of the Fund.

 

14.15 G lobal Custody Network Listing shall mean Countries and Subcustodians approved for Investments in non-U.S. Markets.

 

14.16 Instruction(s) shall have the meaning assigned in Section 4 hereof.

 

14.17 Investment Advisor shall mean any person or entity who is an Authorized Person to give Instructions with respect to the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's Investments.

 

14.18 Investment(s) shall mean any investment asset of the Fund or Portfolios, including without limitation securities, bonds, notes, and debentures as well as receivables, derivatives, contractual rights or entitlements and other intangible assets, but shall not include any Principal Account.

 

14.19 Margin Account shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4 hereof.

 

14.20 Principal Account(s) shall mean deposit accounts of the Fund or a Portfolio carried on the books of BBH&Co. as principal in accordance with Section 7 hereof.

 

14.21 Safekeeping Account shall mean an account established on the books of the Custodian or any Subcustodian for purposes of segregating the interests of the Fund (or clients of the Custodian or Subcustodian) from the assets of the Custodian or any Subcustodian.

 

14.22 Securities Depository shall mean a central or book entry system or agency established under Applicable Law for purposes of recording the ownership and/or entitlement to investment securities for a given market that, if a foreign Securities Depository, meets the definitional requirements of Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act.

 

14.23 Subcustodian(s) shall mean each foreign bank appointed by the Custodian pursuant to Section 8 hereof, but shall not include Securities Depositories.

 

14.24 Tri-Party Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4 hereof.

 

14.25 1940 Act shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

15. Compensation. The Fund agrees to pay to BBH&Co. a fee in an amount set forth in the fee letter between the Fund and BBH&Co. as Custodian and between BBH&Co. as TA, in effect on the date hereof or as amended from time to time, and (b) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by BBH&Co. for account or benefit of the Fund or its Portfolios, and payable from time to time. Amounts payable by the Fund under and pursuant to this section shall be payable by wire transfer to the Custodian at BBH&Co. in New York, New York.

 

16. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by either party in accordance with the provisions of this Section. The provisions of this Agreement and any other rights or obligations incurred or accrued by any party hereto prior to termination of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

16.1 Term, Notice and Effect . This Agreement shall have an initial term of two (2) years from the date hereof. Thereafter, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one (1) year periods unless either party terminates this Agreement by written notice effective ninety (90) days or more following delivery of that notice to the other party at its address set forth hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, either party may terminate this Agreement at any time (a) for cause, which is a material breach of the Agreement not cured within 60 days, in which case termination shall be effective upon written receipt of notice by the non-terminating party, or (b) immediately upon written notice to the other party in the event that either party is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or there shall be commenced against such party a case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or other similar law now or hereafter in effect.

 

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16.2 Notice and Succession. In the event a termination notice is given by a party hereto, all reasonable costs and expenses associated with any required systems, facilities, procedures, personnel, and other resourced modifications as well as the movement of records and materials and the conversion thereof shall be paid by the Fund for which Services shall cease to be performed hereunder. Furthermore, to the extent that it appears impracticable given the circumstances to effect an orderly delivery of the necessary and appropriate records of BBH&Co. to a successor within the time specified in the notice of termination as aforesaid, BBH&Co. and the Fund agree that this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for such reasonable period as may be required to complete necessary arrangements with a successor.

 

16.3 Successor Custodian . In the event of the appointment of a successor custodian, it is agreed that the Investments of the Fund held by the Custodian or any Subcustodian shall be delivered to the successor custodian in accordance with reasonable Instructions. The Custodian agrees to cooperate with the Fund in the execution of documents and performance of other actions necessary or desirable in order to facilitate the succession of the new custodian. If no successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall in like manner transfer the Fund's Investments in accordance with Instructions.

 

16.4 Delayed Succession of Custodian. If no Instruction has been given as of the effective date of termination, Custodian may at any time on or after such termination date and upon thirty (30) consecutive calendar days written notice to the Fund either (a) deliver the Investments of the Fund or any Portfolio held hereunder to the Fund at the address designated for receipt of notices hereunder; or (b) deliver any investments held hereunder to a bank or trust company having a capitalization of $2,000,000 USD equivalent and operating under the Applicable Law of the jurisdiction where such Investments are located, such delivery to be at the risk of the Fund. In the event that Investments or moneys of the Fund remain in the custody of the Custodian or its Subcustodians after the date of termination owing to the failure of the Fund to issue Instructions with respect to their disposition or owing to the fact that such disposition could not be accomplished in accordance with such Instructions despite diligent efforts of the Custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to compensation for its services with respect to such Investments and moneys during such period as the Custodian or its Subcustodians retain possession of such items and the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until disposition in accordance with this Section is accomplished.

 

17. Compliance Policies and Procedures. To assist the Fund in complying with Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act, BBH&Co. represents that it has adopted written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws in fulfilling its obligations under the Agreement and that it has in place a compliance program to monitor its compliance with those policies and procedures. BBH&Co will upon request provide the Fund with information about our compliance program as mutually agreed.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

The undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this document.

 

BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. KRANESHARES TRUST
   
By: /s/ Michael A. Saunders By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
Name:  Michael A. Saunders Name:  Jonathan Krane
Title: Managing Director Title:  CEO
Date: Date:  December 12, 2012

 

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Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH&Co.”) is a limited partnership organized under the laws of the United States of America (“US”) and is subject to the US Treasury Regulations set forth under 31 CFR 500, et seq. BBH&Co. may not establish any relationship with any Prohibited Person or Entity as such term is defined under the regulations. No customer of BBH&Co. may be owned or controlled by an entity or person: (i) that is listed in the Annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of Executive Order 13224, issued on September 24, 2001 (“EO13224”) < www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/terror/terror.pdf >; (ii) whose name appears on the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) most current list of “Specifically Designated National and Blocked Persons” (which list may be published from time to time in various mediums including, but not limited to, the OFAC website; (iii) who commits, threatens to commit or supports “terrorism”, as such term is defined in EO13224; or (iv) who is otherwise affiliated with any entity or person listed above (any and all parties or persons described in clauses (i) through (iv) above are herein referred to as a “Prohibited Person”).

 

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SCHEDULE I: FUNDS TRANSFER SERVICES SCHEDULE

(“FTSS”)

 

In accordance with Section 4.2 of the Custodian Agreement, the Fund acknowledges the following terms and conditions in respect of all funds transfers effected by the Custodian. References to UCC 4A shall mean Article 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code as currently in effect in the State of New York. Terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings accorded to them in the Custodian Agreement.

 

1. Transmission of Payment Orders . Each FT Instruction shall be transmitted by such secured or authenticated means and subject to such security procedures as the Custodian shall make available to the Fund from time to time (such transmission method and security procedures, a Custodian Designated Security Procedure ), unless the Fund shall elect to transmit such FT Instruction in accordance with a Fund Designated Security Procedure (as defined in Section 4 below). The Fund acknowledges and agrees that the Custodian will use the security procedures referenced in Sections 3 and 4 below solely to authenticate a FT Instruction, as set forth herein, and not to detect any errors or omissions therein.

 

2. Custodian Designated Security Procedure . The Custodian will make the following Custodian Designated Security Procedures available to the Fund for use in communicating FT Instructions to the Custodian:

 

§ BBH Worldview® Payment Products . The Custodian offers to the Fund use of its BBH Worldview Payment Products (“BBH Worldview”), which are Custodian proprietary on-line payment order authorization facilities with built-in authentication procedures. The Custodian and the Fund shall each be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of passwords or other codes used by them in connection with BBH Worldview. The Custodian will act on FT Instructions received through BBH Worldview without duty of further confirmation unless the Fund notifies the Custodian that its password is not secure. The Fund agrees that access to, and use of, BBH Worldview shall be governed by an Electronic and On-line Services Schedule, which the Fund will execute prior to access to BBH Worldview.

 

§ SWIFT Transmission . The Custodian and the Fund shall comply with SWIFT’s authentication procedures. The Custodian will act on FT Instructions received via SWIFT provided the instruction is authenticated by the SWIFT system.

 

§ Written Instructions . Instructions may be transmitted in an original writing that bears the manual signature of an Authorized Person(s) .

 

3. Fund Designated Security Procedure . FT Instructions may be transmitted through such other means, and subject to such additional security procedures, as may be elected by the Fund (or by an Authorized Person entitled to give Instructions) and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian (the transmission methods and security procedures referenced below, as may be supplemented by such additional security procedures, each a Fund Designated Security Procedure ); it being understood that the Custodian’s acknowledgment shall authorize it to accept such means of delivery but shall not represent a judgment by the Custodian as to the reasonableness or security of the means utilized by the Fund.

 

§ C omputer Transmission . The Custodian is able to accept transmissions sent from the Fund’s computer facilities to the Custodian’s computer facilities. If the Fund determines to use its proprietary transmission or other electronic transmission method, it must provide Custodian sufficient notice and information to allow testing or other confirmation that FT Instructions received via the Fund Designated Security Procedure can be processed in good time and order. The Custodian may require the Fund to execute additional documentation prior to the use of such transmission method.

 

§ Facsimile Transmission .

 

A FT Instruction transmitted to the Custodian by facsimile transmission must be transmitted by the Fund to a telephone number specified from time to time by the Custodian for such purposes. The Custodian will then follow one of the procedures below:

 

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1. If the facsimile requests a non-repetitive order, the Custodian will call the Fund and request to speak to a person authorized to validate orders on behalf of the Fund, and confirm the authorization and details of the payment order (a Callback );

 

2. If the facsimile FT Instruction pertains to a repetitive payment order (see Section 7 below), the Custodian may (at its sole discretion) perform a Callback. The Fund acknowledges that prior to its issuance of any repetitive payment order, it must (a) request that the appropriate repetitive payment order process be approved and set up at the Custodian, and (b) complete such documentation as may be required by the Custodian, including a PPO (as defined in Section 7).

 

The Custodian shall rely on the purported identity of the originator but due to the lack of reliability of a facsimile signature, it will not perform signature verification on facsimiles.

 

§ Telephonic . The Fund may call a telephonic payment order into the Custodian at the telephone number designated from time-to-time by the Custodian for that purpose. The caller shall identify herself/himself as an Authorized Person. The Custodian shall obtain the FT Instruction details from the caller. The Custodian shall then follow one of the procedures below:

 

i. If the telephonic FT Instruction pertains to a non-repetitive payment order, the Custodian will perform a Callback; or

 

ii. If the telephonic FT Instruction pertains to a repetitive payment order (see Section 7 below) , the Custodian may (at its sole discretion) perform a Callback. The Fund acknowledges that prior to its issuance of any repetitive payment order, it must (a) request that the appropriate repetitive payment order process be approved and set up at the Custodian, and (b) complete such documentation as may be required by the Custodian, including a PPO.

 

In electing to transmit a FT Instruction via a Fund Designated Security Procedure, the Fund (i) agrees to be bound by the transaction(s) or payment order(s) specified on said FT Instruction, whether or not authorized, and accepted by the Custodian in compliance with such Fund Designated Security Procedure, and (ii) accepts the risk associated with such Fund Designated Security Procedure and confirms it is commercially reasonable for the transmission and authentication of the FT Instruction.

 

The parties agree that the Fund’s transmission of a FT Instruction by means of any of the above Fund Designated Security Procedures and the Custodian’s acceptance and execution of such FT Instruction shall constitute a FT Instruction sent via a Fund Designated Security Procedure and governed by the terms of this FTSA.

 

4. Rejection of Payment Orders; Rescission of Designated Security Procedure . The Custodian shall give the Fund prompt notice of the Custodian’s rejection of a FT Instruction. Such notice may be given in writing, via a Custodian Designated Security Procedure or any Fund Designated Security Procedure used by the Fund, or orally by telephone, each of which is hereby deemed commercially reasonable. In the event the Custodian fails to execute a properly executable FT Instruction and fails to give the Fund notice of the Custodian’s non-execution, the Custodian shall be liable only for the Fund’s actual damages and only to the extent that such damages are recoverable under UCC 4A. The Custodian, after providing prior written notice, may decide to no longer accept a particular Fund or Custodian Designated Security Procedure, or to do so only on revised terms, in the event that it determines that such agreed or established method of transmission represents a security risk or is attendant to any general change in the Custodian’s policy regarding FT Instructions. Notwithstanding anything in this FTSA and the Agreement to the contrary, neither party shall be liable for any consequential, indirect, special or punitive damages under this FTSA, whether or not such damages relate to services covered by UCC 4A, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

 

5. Cancellation of Payment Orders . The Fund may cancel a FT Instruction but the Custodian shall have no liability for the Custodian’s failure to act on a cancellation FT Instruction unless the Custodian has received such cancellation FT Instruction at a time and in a manner affording the Custodian reasonable opportunity to act prior to the Custodian’s execution of the original FT Instruction. Any cancellation FT Instruction shall be sent and confirmed by such means as is set forth in Section 3 or 4 above.

 

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6. Preauthorized Repetitive Payment Orders . The Fund may establish with the Custodian a process to preauthorize certain repetitive payments or transfers. The Fund will execute all documentation required by the Custodian, including a separate Preauthorized Repetitive Payment Order ( PPO ) form. The PPO shall be delivered to the Custodian in writing or by another Custodian Designated Security Procedure or Fund Designated Security Procedure, and will become effective after the Custodian shall have had a reasonable opportunity to act thereon (or if later, two (2) banking days after receipt by the Custodian). The PPO may take the form of either:

 

(i) A standing instruction in which the Fund provides in the PPO all required information for a FT Instruction (except for the transfer date and amount) on a “standing instructions” basis. The Fund may from time-to-time instruct the Custodian to make a payment under the PPO, in writing or another Custodian Designated Security Procedure or Fund Designated Security Procedure, which instruction shall reference the repetitive line number (a number assigned to it by the Custodian after execution of the PPO), details of the payment, the transfer date and the amount of the transfer; or

 

(ii) A recurring instruction in which the Fund supplies all required information for a FT Instruction with an instruction to process such payments with a specific frequency.

 

7. Responsibility for the Detection of Errors in Payment Orders; Liability of the Parties . The purpose of any Fund Designated Security Procedure or Custodian Designated Security Procedure is to confirm the authenticity of any FT Instruction and is not designed to detect errors or omissions in such FT Instructions. Therefore, the Custodian is not responsible for detecting any Fund error or omission contained in any FT Instruction received by the Custodian. In the event that the FT Instruction either (i) identifies the beneficiary by both a name and an identifying or Fund account number and the name and number identify different persons or entities, or (ii) identifies any Fund by both a name and an identifying number and the number identifies a person or entity different from the Fund identified by name, execution of the relevant payment order, payment to the beneficiary, cancellation of the payment order or actions taken by the Custodian or any Fund in respect of such payment order may be made solely on the basis of the number.

 

The Custodian shall not be liable for interest on the amount of any FT Instruction that was not authorized or was erroneously executed unless the Fund so notifies the Custodian within thirty (30) days following the Fund’s receipt of notice that such FT Instruction was processed. Any compensation payable in the form of interest shall be payable in accordance with UCC 4A. If a FT Instruction in the name of the Fund and accepted by the Custodian was not authorized by the Fund, the liability of the parties will be governed by the applicable provisions of UCC 4A.

 

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SCHEDULE II: ELECTRONIC AND ON-LINE SERVICES SCHEDULE

 

This Electronic and On-Line Services Schedule (this Schedule ) to a Custodian Agreement dated as of December 12, 2012 (as amended from time to time hereafter, the Agreement ) by and between Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ( we, us our ) and Krane Shares Trust ( you, your or the Fund ), provides general provisions governing your use of and access to the Services (as hereinafter defined) provided to you by us via the Internet (at www.bbhco.com or such other URL as we may instruct you to use to access our products ) and via a direct dial-up connection between your computer and our computers, as of December 12, 2012 (the Effective Date). Use of the Services constitutes acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Schedule, any Appendices hereto, the Terms and Conditions posted on our web site, and any terms and conditions specifically governing a particular Service or our other products, which may be set forth in the Agreement or in a separate related agreement (collectively, the Related Agreements ).

 

1. General Terms.

You will be granted access to our suite of online products, which may include, but shall not be limited to the following services via the Internet or dial-up connection (each separate service is a Service ; collectively referred to as the Services ):

1.1. BBH WorldView® , a system for effectuating securities and fund trade instruction and execution, processing and handling instructions, and for the input and retrieval of other information;
1.2. F/X WorldView, a system for executing foreign exchange trades;
1.3. Fund WorldView, a system for receiving fund and prospectus information;
1.4. BBHCOnnect, a system for placing securities trade instructions and following the status and detail of trades;
1.5. ActionView SM , a system for receiving certain corporate action information; and,
1.6. Such other services as we shall from time to time offer.

 

2. Security / Passwords.
2.1. A digital certificate and/or an encryption key may be required to access certain Services. You may apply for a digital certificate and/or an encryption key by following the procedures set forth at http://www.bbh.com/certs/. You also will need an identification code ( ID ) and password(s) ( Password ) to access the Services.
2.2. You agree to safeguard your digital certificate and/or encryption key, ID, and Password and not to give or make available, intentionally or otherwise, your digital certificate, ID, and/or Password to any unauthorized person. You must immediately notify us in writing if you believe that your digital certificate and/or encryption key, Password, or ID has been compromised or if you suspect unauthorized access to your account by means of the Services or otherwise, or when a person to whom a digital certificate and/or an encryption key, Password, or ID has been assigned leaves or is no longer permitted to access the Services.
2.3. We will not be responsible for any breach of security, or for any unauthorized trading or theft by any third party, caused by your failure (be it intentional, unintentional, or negligent) to maintain the confidentiality of your ID and/or Password and/or the security of your digital certificate and/or encryption key.

 

3. Instructions.
3.1. Proper instructions under this Schedule shall be provided as designated in the Related Agreements ( Instructions ).
3.2. The following additional provisions apply to Instructions provided via the Services:
a. Instructions sent by electronic mail will not be accepted or acted upon.
b. You authorize us to act upon Instructions received through the Services utilizing your digital certificate, ID, and/or Password as though they were duly authorized written instructions, without any duty of verification or inquiry on our part, and agree to hold us harmless for any losses you experience as a result.
c. From time to time, the temporary unavailability of third party telecommunications or computer systems required by the Services may result in a delay in processing Instructions. In such an event, we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any liabilities, losses, claims, costs, damages, penalties, fines, obligations, or expenses of any kind (including without limitation, reasonable attorneys', accountants', consultants', or experts' fees and disbursements) that you experience due to such a delay.

 

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4. Electronic Documents.

We may make periodic statements, disclosures, notices, and other documents available to you electronically, and, subject to any delivery and receipt verification procedures required by law, you agree to receive such documents electronically and to check the statements for accuracy. If you believe any such statement contains incorrect information, you must follow the procedures set forth in the Related Agreement(s).

 

5. Malicious Code.

You understand and agree that you will be responsible for the introduction (by you, your employees, agents, or representatives) into the Services, whether intentional or unintentional, of (i) any virus or other code, program, or sub-program that damages or interferes with the operation of the computer system containing the code, program or sub-program, or halts, disables, or interferes with the operation of the Services themselves; or (ii) any device, method, or token whose knowing or intended purpose is to permit any person to circumvent the normal security of the Services or the system containing the software code for the Services ( Malicious Code ). You agree to take all actions and precautions reasonably necessary to prevent the introduction and proliferation of any Malicious Code into those systems that interact with the Services.

 

6. Indemnification.

For avoidance of doubt, you and we hereby agree that the provisions in any related agreement(s) entered into pursuant to Section 1 hereof, related to your indemnification of us and any limitations on our liability and responsibilities to you, shall be applicable to this Agreement, and are hereby expressly incorporated herein. You agree that the Services are comprised of telecommunications and computer systems, and that it is possible that Instructions, information, transactions, or account reports might be added to, changed, or omitted by electronic or programming malfunction, unauthorized access, or other failure of the systems which comprise the Services, despite the security features that have been designed into the Services. You agree that we will not be liable for any action taken or not taken in complying with the terms of this Schedule, except as provided by Section 9 of the Agreement. The provisions of this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Schedule and the related agreements.

 

7. Payment.

You may be charged for services hereunder as set forth in a fee schedule from time to time agreed by us.

 

8. Term/Termination.
8.1. This Schedule is effective as of the date you sign it or first use the Services, whichever is first, and continues in effect until such time as either you or we terminate the Schedule in accordance with this Section 8 and/or until your off-line use of the Services is terminated.
8.2. We may terminate your access to the Services at any time, for any reason, with five (5) business days prior notice; provided that we may terminate your access to the Services with no prior notice (i) if your account with us is closed, (ii) if you fail to comply with any of the terms of this Agreement, (iii) if we believe that your continued access to the Services poses a security risk, or (iv) if we believe that you are violating or have violated applicable laws, and we will not be liable for any loss you may experience as a result of such termination. You may terminate your access to the Services at any time by giving us ten (10) business days notice. Upon termination, we will cancel all your Passwords and IDs and any in-process or pending Instructions effective after the termination date will be carried out or cancelled, at our sole discretion.

 

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9. Miscellaneous.
9.1. Notices. All notices, requests, and demands (other than routine operational communications, such as Instructions) shall be in such form and effect as provided in the Related Agreement(s).
9.2. Inconsistent Provisions. Each Service may be governed by separate terms and conditions in addition to this Schedule and the Related Agreement(s). Except where specifically provided to the contrary in this Schedule, in the event that such separate terms and conditions conflict with this Schedule and the Related Agreement(s), the provisions of this Schedule shall prevail to the extent this Schedule applies to the transaction in question.
9.3. Binding Effect; Assignment; Severability. This Schedule shall be binding on you, your employees, officers and agents. We may assign or delegate our rights and duties under this Schedule at any time without notice to you. Your rights under this Schedule may not be assigned without our prior written consent. In the event that any provision of this Schedule conflicts with the law under which this Schedule is to be construed or if any such provision is held invalid or unenforceable by a court with jurisdiction over you and us, such provision shall be deemed to be restated to effectuate as nearly as possible the purposes of the Schedule in accordance with applicable law. The remaining provisions of this Schedule and the application of the challenged provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby, and each such provision shall be valid and enforceable to the full extent permitted by law.
9.4. Choice of Law; Jury Trial. This Schedule shall be governed by and construed, and the legal relations between the parties shall be determined, in accordance with the laws of the State of New York , without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws. Each party agrees to waive its right to trial by jury in any action or proceeding based upon or related to this Agreement. The parties agree that all actions and proceedings based upon or relating to this Schedule shall be litigated exclusively in the federal and state courts located within New York City, New York.

 

The undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this document.

 

KRANE SHARES TRUST ("you")

 

By: /s/ Jonathan Krane                 

Title: CEO

Date: December 12, 2012

 

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SCHEDULE III: DELEGATION SCHEDULE

 

By its execution of this Delegation Schedule dated as of December 12, 2012, between KRANE SHARES TRUST , a management investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission ) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act ), acting through its Board of Directors/Trustees or its duly appointed representative (the Fund ), hereby appoints BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. , a New York limited partnership with an office in Boston, Massachusetts (the Delegate ) as its delegate to perform certain functions with respect to the custody of Fund's Assets outside the United States.

 

1. Maintenance of Fund's Assets Abroad . The Fund, acting through its Board or its duly authorized representative, hereby instructs the Delegate pursuant to the terms of the Custodian Agreement dated as of the date hereof executed by and between the Fund and the Delegate (the Custodian Agreement ) to place and maintain the Fund's Assets in countries outside the United States in accordance with Instructions received from the Fund’s Investment Advisor. Such instruction shall constitute an Instruction under the terms of the Custodian Agreement. The Fund acknowledges that (a) the Delegate shall perform services hereunder only with respect to the countries where it accepts delegation as Foreign Custody Manager as indicated on the Delegate’s Global Custody Network Listing; (b) depending on conditions in the particular country, advance notice may be required before the Delegate shall be able to perform its duties hereunder in or with respect to such country (such advance notice to be reasonable in light of the specific facts and circumstances attendant to performance of duties in such country); and (c) nothing in this Delegation Schedule shall require the Delegate to provide delegated or custodial services in any country, and there may from time to time be countries as to which the Delegate determines it will not provide delegation services.

 

2. Delegation . Pursuant to the provisions of Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act as amended, the Board hereby delegates to the Delegate, and the Delegate hereby accepts such delegation and agrees to perform only those duties set forth in this Delegation Schedule concerning the safekeeping of the Fund's Assets in each of the countries designated on the Global Custody Network Listing or as to which it otherwise acts as the Fund’s delegate. The Delegate is hereby authorized to take such actions on behalf of or in the name of the Fund as are reasonably required to discharge its duties under this Delegation Schedule, including, without limitation, to cause the Fund's Assets to be placed with a particular Eligible Foreign Custodian in accordance herewith. The Fund confirms to the Delegate that the Fund or its Investment Adviser has considered the Sovereign Risk and Country Risk as part of its continuing investment decision process, including such factors as may be reasonably related to the systemic risk of maintaining the Fund's Assets in a particular country, including, but not limited to, financial infrastructure, prevailing custody and settlement systems and practices (including the use of any Securities Depository in the context of information provided by the Custodian in the performance of its duties as required under Rule 17f-7 and the terms of the Custodian Agreement governing such duties), and the laws relating to the safekeeping and recovery of the Fund's Assets held in custody pursuant to the terms of the Custodian Agreement.

 

3. Selection of Eligible Foreign Custodian and Contract Administration . The Delegate shall perform the following duties with respect to the selection of Eligible Foreign Custodians and administration of certain contracts governing the Fund's foreign custodial arrangements:

 

(a) Selection of Eligible Foreign Custodian . The Delegate shall place and maintain the Fund's Assets with an Eligible Foreign Custodian, provided that the Delegate shall have determined that the Fund's Assets will be subject to reasonable care based on the standards applicable to custodians in the relevant market after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets including without limitation:

 

(i) The Eligible Foreign Custodian's practices, procedures, and internal controls, including, but not limited to, the physical protections available for certificated securities (if applicable), the controls and procedures for dealing with any Securities Depository, the method of keeping custodial records, and the security and data protection practices;

(ii) Whether the Eligible Foreign Custodian has the requisite financial strength to provide reasonable care for the Fund's Assets;

(iii) The Eligible Foreign Custodian's general reputation and standing; and

(iv) Whether the Fund will have jurisdiction over and be able to enforce judgments against the Eligible Foreign Custodian, such as by virtue of the existence of any offices of such Eligible Foreign Custodian in the United States or such Eligible Foreign Custodian's appointment of an agent for service of process in the United States or consent to jurisdiction in the United States.

 

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The Delegate shall be required to make the foregoing determination to the best of its knowledge and belief based only on information reasonably available to it.

 

(b) Contract Administration . The Delegate shall cause that the foreign custody arrangements with an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall be governed by a written contract that the Delegate has determined will provide reasonable care for Fund assets based on the standards applicable to custodians in the relevant market. Each such contract shall, except as set forth in the last paragraph of this subsection (b), include provisions that provide:

 

(i) For indemnification or insurance arrangements (or any combination of the foregoing) such that the Fund will be adequately protected against the risk of loss of assets held in accordance with such contract;

(ii) That the Fund's Assets will not be subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of the Eligible Foreign Custodian or its creditors except a claim of payment for their safe custody or administration or, in the case of cash deposits, liens or rights in favor of creditors of such Custodian arising under bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws;

(iii) That beneficial ownership of the Fund's Assets will be freely transferable without the payment of money or value other than for safe custody or administration;

(iv) That adequate records will be maintained identifying the Fund's Assets as belonging to the Fund or as being held by a third party for the benefit of the Fund;

(v) That the Fund's independent public accountants will be given access to those records described in (iv) above or confirmation of the contents of such records; and

(vi) That the Delegate will receive sufficient and timely periodic reports with respect to the safekeeping of the Fund's Assets, including, but not limited to, notification of any transfer to or from the Fund's account or a third party account containing the Fund's Assets.

 

Such contract may contain, in lieu of any or all of the provisions specified in this Section 3(b), such other provisions that the Delegate determines will provide, in their entirety, the same or a greater level of care and protection for the Fund's Assets as the specified provisions, in their entirety.

 

(c) Limitation to Delegated Selection . Notwithstanding anything in this Delegation Schedule to the contrary, the duties under this Section 3 shall apply only to Eligible Foreign Custodians selected by the Delegate and shall not apply to Securities Depositories or to any Eligible Foreign Custodian that the Delegate is directed to use pursuant to Section 7 of this Delegation Schedule.

 

4. Monitoring . The Delegate shall establish and maintain a system to monitor at reasonable intervals (but at least annually) the appropriateness of maintaining the Fund's Assets with each Eligible Foreign Custodian that has been selected by the Delegate pursuant to Section 3 of this Delegation Schedule. The Delegate shall monitor the continuing appropriateness of placement of the Fund's Assets in accordance with the criteria established under Section 3(a) of this Delegation Schedule. The Delegate shall monitor the continuing appropriateness of the contract governing the Fund's arrangements in accordance with the criteria established under Section 3(b) of this Delegation Schedule.

 

5. Reporting . At least annually and more frequently as mutually agreed between the parties, the Delegate shall provide to the Board written reports specifying placement of the Fund's Assets with each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Delegate pursuant to Section 3 of this Delegation Schedule and shall promptly report on any material changes to such foreign custody arrangements. Delegate will prepare such a report with respect to any Eligible Foreign Custodian that the Delegate has been instructed to use pursuant to Section 7 of this Delegation Schedule only to the extent specifically agreed with respect to the particular situation.

 

6. Withdrawal of Fund's Assets . If the Delegate determines that an arrangement with a specific Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Delegate under Section 3 of this Delegation Schedule no longer meets the requirements of said Section, Delegate shall withdraw the Fund's Assets from the non-complying arrangement as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, however, that if in the reasonable judgment of the Delegate, such withdrawal would require liquidation of any of the Fund's Assets or would materially impair the liquidity, value or other investment characteristics of the Fund's Assets, it shall be the duty of the Delegate to provide information regarding the particular circumstances and to act only in accordance with Instructions of the Fund or its Investment Advisor with respect to such liquidation or other withdrawal.

 

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7. Direction as to Eligible Foreign Custodian . Notwithstanding this Delegation Schedule, the Fund, acting through its Board, its Investment Advisor or its other Authorized Representative, may direct the Delegate to place and maintain the Fund's Assets with a particular Eligible Foreign Custodian, including without limitation with respect to investment in countries as to which the Custodian will not provide delegation services. In such event, the Delegate shall be entitled to rely on any such instruction as an Instruction under the terms of the Custodian Agreement and shall have no duties under this Delegation Schedule with respect to such arrangement save those that it may undertake specifically in writing with respect to each particular instance.

 

8. Standard of Care . In carrying out its duties under this Delegation Schedule, the Delegate agrees to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for safekeeping the Fund's Assets would exercise.

 

9. Representations . The Delegate hereby represents and warrants that it is a U.S. Bank, as defined in Rule 17f-5(a)(7) under the 1940 Act and that this Delegation Schedule has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Delegate and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Delegate.

 

The Fund hereby represents and warrants that its Board of Trustees has determined that it is reasonable to rely on the Delegate to perform the delegated responsibilities provided for herein and that this Delegation Schedule has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Fund.

 

10. Effectiveness; termination . This Delegation Schedule shall be effective as of the date on which this Delegation Schedule shall have been accepted by the Delegate, as indicated by the date set forth below the Delegate's signature. This Delegation Schedule may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by written notice from the terminating party to the non-terminating party. Such termination shall be effective on the 30th calendar day following the date on which the non-terminating party shall receive the foregoing notice. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, this Delegation Schedule shall be deemed to have been terminated concurrently with the termination of the Custodian Agreement.

 

11. Notices . Notices and other communications under this Delegation Schedule are to be made in accordance with the arrangements designated for such purpose under the Custodian Agreement unless otherwise indicated in a writing referencing this Delegation Schedule and executed by both parties.

 

12. Definitions . Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Delegation Schedule have the following meanings:

 

a. Country Risk – shall have the meaning set forth in the Custodian Agreement.

 

b. Eligible Foreign Custodian - shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 17f-5(a)(1) of the 1940 Act and shall also include a U.S. Bank.

 

c. Fund's Assets - shall mean any of the Fund's investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States, and such cash and cash equivalents as are reasonably necessary to effect the Fund's transactions in such investments.

 

d. Instructions - shall have the meaning set forth in the Custodian Agreement.

 

e. Securities Depository - shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act.

 

f. Sovereign Risk - shall have the meaning set forth in the Custodian Agreement.

 

g . U.S. Bank - shall mean a bank which qualifies to serve as a custodian of assets of investment companies under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act.

 

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13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction . This Delegation Schedule shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal courts sitting in the State of New York or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or of the state courts of either such State or such Commonwealth.

 

14. Fees . Delegate shall perform its functions under this Delegation Schedule for the compensation determined under the Custodian Agreement.

 

15. Integration . This Delegation Schedule sets forth all of the Delegate's duties with respect to the selection and monitoring of Eligible Foreign Custodians, the administration of contracts with Eligible Foreign Custodians, the withdrawal of assets from Eligible Foreign Custodians and the issuance of reports in connection with such duties. The terms of the Custodian Agreement shall apply generally as to matters not expressly covered in this Delegation Schedule, including dealings with the Eligible Foreign Custodians in the course of discharge of the Delegate's obligations under the Custodian Agreement.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

The undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this document.

 

 

BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. KRANESHARES TRUST
   
By: /s/ James R. Kent By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
Name:  James R. Kent Name:  Jonathan Krane
Title:  Managing Director Title:  CEO

 

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SCHEDULE IV: TRANSFER AGENT SERVICES SCHEDULE

 

BBH&Co. shall perform the following transfer agency services for the Fund and, where applicable, the Fund’s Portfolios. As used herein, the term Fund incorporates and includes the term Portfolio:

 

I. Issuance and Redemption of Unit Baskets. It is agreed and understood that the Fund, and TA on the Fund’s behalf, shall issue and redeem Share Baskets of the Fund in blocks of 50,000 shares (“Shares”) (“Creation Baskets” and “Redemption Baskets,” respectively, and generically, “Baskets”) to and from such persons as are identified by the Fund as “Authorized Participants.”

 

A. Pursuant to such purchase orders that BBH&Co. as the Index Receipt Agent shall receive from SEI Investments Distribution Company (“Distributor”) and pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement entered into by the Fund, TA shall transfer appropriate trade instructions to the Custodian and pursuant to such orders register the appropriate number of book entry only Shares in the name of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee as a unitholder (each an Authorized Participant) of the Fund and deliver the Basket.

 

B. Pursuant to such redemption orders that Index Receipt Agent shall receive from the Distributor, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement entered into by the Fund, TA shall transfer appropriate trade instructions to the Custodian and, pursuant to such orders, redeem the appropriate number of Shares that are delivered to the designated DTC Participant Account of the Custodian for redemption and debit such Shares from the account of the Authorized Participant on the register of the Fund.

 

C. On behalf of the Fund, TA shall issue Creation Baskets for settlement with purchasers through DTC as the purchaser is authorized to receive. Beneficial ownership of Shares shall be shown on the records of DTC and DTC Participants and not on any records maintained by TA. In issuing Shares through DTC to an Authorized Participant, TA shall be entitled to rely upon the latest Instructions that are received from the Distributor by TA as Index Receipt Agent concerning the issuance and delivery of such Shares for settlement.

 

D. TA shall not issue on behalf of the Fund any Shares where it has received an Instruction from the Fund or the Distributor or written notification from any federal or state authority that the sale of the Shares has been suspended or discontinued, and TA shall be entitled to rely upon such Instructions or written notification.

 

E. Upon the issuance of Shares as provided herein, TA shall not be responsible for the payment of any original issue or other taxes, if any, required to be paid by the Fund or the Distributor in connection with such issuance.

 

F. Shares may be redeemed in accordance with the procedures set forth in the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement and TA shall duly process all redemption requests.

 

G. TA will act only upon Instruction from the Fund and/or the Distributor in addressing any failure in the delivery of cash, securities and/or Shares in connection with the issuance and redemption of Shares.

 

II. Recordkeeping.

 

A. In satisfying its obligations under the Agreement, TA shall record the issuance of Creation Baskets and maintain, pursuant to Rule 17Ad 14(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, a record of the total number of Creation Baskets that are authorized, issued and outstanding based upon data provided to TA by the Fund or the Distributor. TA shall also provide the Fund on a regular basis with the total number of Shares authorized, issued and outstanding; provided however that TA shall not be responsible for monitoring the issuance of such Shares or compliance with any laws relating to the validity of the issuance or the legality of the sale of such Shares.

 

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III. Services Related to the Monitoring of Cash Collateral.

 

(a) Monitor the collateralization levels as set forth in Authorized Participant Agreements in connection with cash collateral posted by Authorized Participants in connection with Creation Basket activity.
(b) Mark to market daily the value of such cash collateral using a pricing source from the Fund’s accounting agent or any other source on which the TA reasonably relies.
(c) Monitor collateral levels daily and communicate calls for additional collateral to the Authorized Participants as necessary based upon daily collateral requirement calculations using ratios set forth in Participant Agreements.

 

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ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of the 18 th day of December, 2012 (the “ Effective Date ”), by and between KraneShares Trust (the “ Trust ”), Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (the “ Adviser ”) solely in respect of the rights and obligations set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement, and SEI Investments Global Funds Services, a statutory trust formed under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Administrator ”).

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”), consisting of the series (each a “ Fund ” and collectively, the “ Funds ”) set forth in Schedule I (Funds) , as such Schedule I may be amended from time to time, attached hereto; and

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires the Administrator to provide, and the Administrator is willing to provide, administrative and accounting services to the Trust on the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein, the Trust and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1        DEFINITIONS

 

1.01 1940 Act ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

1.02 Adviser ” means Krane Fund Advisors LLC, or any other Person acting as an “adviser” to the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

1.03 Authorized Participant ” means an individual or institution that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trust and the Trust’s Distributor that is authorized to purchase and redeem Creation Units of Funds within the Trust.

 

1.04 Board ” means any board of directors, board of trustees, board of managers, managing members, general partners or other Persons having similar responsibilities to any of the foregoing.

 

1.05 Confidential Information ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 11.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.06 Creation Unit ” means an aggregation of a specified number of Fund shares that is purchased and/or redeemed by an Authorized Participant as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and in accordance with any terms and procedures set forth in the Distributor’s AP Handbook and/or related procedures.

 

1.07 Disclosing Party ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 11.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.08 Fund ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

1.09 Initial Term ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 9.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.10 Interested Party ” or “ Interested Parties ” means the Administrator, its subsidiaries and its affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, delegates and associates.

 

KraneShares Trust Administration Agreement Page 1 of 19
 

 

 

1.11 Investments ” shall mean such cash, securities and all other assets and property of whatsoever nature now owned or subsequently acquired by or for the account of the Trust.

 

1.12 Live Date ” means the date on which the Trust is converted onto the Administrator’s system and the Administrator begins calculating the Trust’s (and each Fund’s) official net asset values (“ NAV ”).

 

1.13 Organizational Documents ” means, as applicable, the articles of incorporation, declaration of trust, certificate of formation, memorandum of association, partnership agreement, bylaws or other similar documentation setting forth the respective rights and obligations of directors, managers and Authorized Participants in the Trust.

 

1.14 Person ” shall mean any natural person, partnership, estate, association, custodian, nominee, limited liability company, corporation, trust or other legal entity.

 

1.15 Receiving Party ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 11.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.16 Renewal Term ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 9.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.17 Services ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 2.01 of this Agreement.

 

1.18 Unless the context otherwise requires and except as otherwise specified in this Agreement, the term the “ Trust ” shall include, as applicable, a sponsor, general partner, trustee or other Person having similar status or performing similar functions, as the case may be, acting on behalf of the Trust.

 

1.19 Trust Data ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 2.04 of this Agreement.

 

1.20 Trust Materials ” means any prospectus, registration statement, statement of additional information, proxy solicitation and tender offer materials, annual or other periodic report of the Trust or any advertising, marketing, shareholder communication, or promotional material generated by the Trust or its investment adviser from time to time, as appropriate, including all amendments or supplements thereto.

 

SECTION 2        APPOINTMENT AND CONTROL

 

2.01 Services . The Trust hereby appoints the Administrator to be, and the Administrator agrees to act as, the administrative agent of the Trust for the term and subject to the provisions hereof. The Administrator shall perform (and may delegate or sub-contract, as provided below) the services set forth in this Agreement, including the services set forth in Schedule II (Services) , which may be amended from time to time in writing by the parties (“ Services ”). In performing its duties under this Agreement, the Administrator will act in all material respects in accordance with the Organizational Documents and Trust Materials as they may be amended (to the extent that copies of such documents are delivered to the Administrator).

 

KraneShares Trust Administration Agreement Page 2 of 19
 

 

 

2.02 Authority . Each of the activities engaged in under the provisions of this Agreement by the Administrator on behalf of the Trust shall be subject to the overall direction and control of the Trust or any Person authorized to act on the Trust’s behalf (including, without limitation, the Trust’s Board); provided, however, that the Administrator shall have the general authority to do all acts deemed in the Administrator’s good faith belief to be necessary and proper to perform its obligations under this Agreement. In performing its duties hereunder, the Administrator shall observe and comply with the Trust Materials, all applicable resolutions and/or directives of the Board of which it has notice, and applicable laws which may from time to time apply to the Services rendered by the Administrator. In the event that a Fund desires to amend its Organizational Documents in any manner that can reasonably be expected to have a material impact on the Administrator’s performance of the Services hereunder, such Fund shall notify the Administrator in advance of such amendment and the parties will work together in good faith to minimize the impact of such change on the Administrator’s operations and compensate the Administrator in connection therewith. The Administrator (i) shall not have or be required to have any authority to supervise the investment or reinvestment of the Creation Units, underlying securities or other properties which comprise the assets of the Trust and (ii) shall not provide any investment advisory services to the Trust, and shall have no liability related to the foregoing.

 

2.03 Third Parties; Affiliates . The Administrator may delegate to, or sub-contract with, third parties or affiliates administrative or other functions it deems necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, all fees and expenses incurred in any delegation or sub-contract shall be paid by the Administrator and the Administrator shall remain responsible to the Trust for the acts and omissions of such other entities as if such acts or omissions were the acts or omissions of the Administrator. The Trust acknowledges that during the term of this Agreement, the services to be performed by the Administrator may be completed by one or more of the Administrator’s affiliates or third parties located in or outside of the United States of America.

 

2.04 Trust Data . The Trust shall be solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all data and other information provided to the Administrator by or on behalf of the Trust pursuant to this Agreement (including, without limitation, (i) prices, (ii) sufficient transaction supporting documentation, (iii) detailed accounting methodologies with respect to the Trust’s Investments as approved by the Trust’s auditors, (iv) the terms of any agreement between the Trust and an investor or Authorized Participant regarding any special fee or specific fee arrangement or access to portfolio information that may impact or affect the Services, and (v) trade and settlement information from prime brokers and custodians) (collectively, “ Trust Data ”). All Trust Data shall be provided to the Administrator on a timely basis and in a format and medium reasonably requested by the Administrator from time to time. The Trust shall have an ongoing obligation to promptly update all Trust Data so that such information remains complete and accurate. All Trust Data shall be prepared and maintained, by or on behalf of the Trust, in accordance with applicable law, Trust Materials and generally acceptable accounting principles. The Administrator shall be entitled to rely on all the Trust Data and shall have no liability for any loss, damage or expense incurred by the Trust or any other Person to the extent that such loss, damage or expense arises out of or is related to the Trust Data that is not timely, current, complete and accurate.

 

SECTION 3         REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS OF the Trust

 

3.01 The Trust represents and warrants that:

 

3.01.01. it issues and offers shares of an exchange traded fund that is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end fundand that issues and redeems its shares at their net asset value;

 

3.01.02. shares of a Fund in the Trust are available for purchase and redeemable only by Authorized Participants and only in Creation Units;

 

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3.01.03. it has full power, right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly approved by all requisite actions on its part, and no other proceedings on its part are necessary to approve this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it; this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;

 

3.01.04. it is not a party to any, and there are no, pending or threatened legal, administrative, arbitral or other proceedings, claims, actions or governmental or regulatory investigations or inquiries (collectively, “ Actions ”) of any nature against it or its properties or assets which is reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect upon its business or financial condition. There is no injunction, order, judgment, decree, or regulatory restriction imposed specifically upon it or any of its properties or assets;

 

3.01.05. it is not in default under any contractual or statutory obligations whatsoever (including the payment of any tax) which, individually or in the aggregate, is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, or is likely to materially and adversely affect, its business or financial condition;

 

3.01.06. as of the close of business on the Effective Date, each Fund that is in existence as of the Effective Date has authorized the issuance of an indefinite number of shares and has elected to register an indefinite number of shares in accordance with Rule 24f-2 under the 1940 Act;

 

3.01.07. it has obtained all consents and given all notices (regulatory or otherwise), made all required regulatory filings and is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations;

 

3.01.08. it has a valid engagement with an independent auditor, custodian and sub-adviser and will provide additional information regarding such service providers, including information regarding the terms of its agreement with such service providers, upon request;

 

3.01.09. it has notified the Administrator of any and all separate agreements between the Trust and any third party that are reasonably likely to adversely and materially impact the Administrator’s performance of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement; and

 

3.01.10. it has disclosed the terms of any agreement between the Trust and an investor or Authorized Participant regarding any special fee or specific fee arrangement or access to portfolio information that may impact or affect the Services.

 

3.02 The Trust covenants and agrees that:

 

3.02.01. it will furnish the Administrator from time to time with complete copies, authenticated or certified, of each of the following:

 

(a) Copies of the following documents:

 

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(1) Copies of the Trust’s current Organizational Documents and of any amendments thereto, certified by the proper official of the state in which such document has been filed; and

 

(2) Copies of resolutions of the Board covering the approval of this Agreement, authorization of a specified officer of the Trust to execute and deliver this Agreement and authorization for specified officers of the Trust to instruct the Administrator.

 

(b) A list of all the officers of the Trust, together with specimen signatures of those officers who are authorized to instruct the Administrator in all matters.

 

(c) Copies of all Trust Materials, including the current prospectus and statement of additional information for the Trust.

 

(d) A list of all issuers the Trust is restricted from purchasing.

 

(e) A list of all issuers and or indices that any Fund in the Trust will invest in and/or track.

 

(f) A list of all affiliated persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust that are broker-dealers.

 

(g) The identity of the Trust’s auditors along with contact information.

 

(h) The expense budget for each Fund for the current fiscal year.

 

(i) A list of contact persons (primary, backup and secondary backup) of the Trust’s investment adviser and, if applicable, sub-adviser, who can be reached until 6:30 p.m. ET with respect to valuation matters.

 

(j) Copies of all the Trust Data reasonably requested by the Administrator or necessary for the Administrator to perform its obligations pursuant to this Agreement.

 

The Trust shall promptly provide the Administrator with written notice of any updates of or changes to any of the foregoing documents or information, including an updated written copy of such document or information. Until the Administrator receives such updated information or document, the Administrator shall have no obligation to implement or rely upon such updated information or document.

 

3.02.02. it shall timely perform or oversee the performance of all obligations identified in this Agreement as obligations of the Trust, including, without limitation, providing the Administrator with all the Trust Data and Organizational Documents reasonably requested by the Administrator;

 

3.02.03. it will notify the Administrator as soon as reasonably practical in advance of any matter which is reasonably likely to materially affect the Administrator’s performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including any amendment to the documents referenced in Section 3.02.01 above;

 

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3.02.04. it will comply in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the 1940 Act, and any laws, rules and regulations of governmental authorities having jurisdiction;

 

3.02.05. any reference to the Administrator or this Agreement in the Trust Materials shall be limited solely to the description provided by the Administrator in writing from time to time or such other description as the parties shall mutually agree in advance and in writing;

 

3.02.06. it shall be solely responsible for its compliance with applicable investment policies, Trust Materials, and any laws and regulations governing the manner in which its assets may be invested, and shall be solely responsible for any losses attributable to its non-compliance with Trust Materials, and applicable policies, laws and regulations governing such the Trust, its activities or the duties, actions or omissions of the investment manager;

 

3.02.07. it has an agreement in place with the Adviser pursuant to which the Adviser shall review the PLF file and confirm that it is complete and accurate; and

 

3.02.08. it will promptly notify the Administrator of updates to its representations and warranties hereunder;

 

SECTION 4        REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES and covenants OF THE ADMINISTRATOR

 

4.01 The Administrator represents and warrants that:

 

4.01.01. it has full power, right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly approved by all requisite action on its part, and no other proceedings on its part are necessary to approve this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it; this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.

 

4.01.02. it is not a party to any, and there are no, pending or threatened Actions of any nature against it or its properties or assets which is reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect upon its business or financial condition. There is no injunction, order, judgment, decree, or regulatory restriction imposed specifically upon it or any of its properties or assets.

 

4.01.03. it is not in default under any contractual or statutory obligations whatsoever (including the payment of any tax) which, individually or in the aggregate, is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, or is likely to materially and adversely affect, its business or financial condition.

 

4.02 The Administrator covenants and agrees that:

 

4.02.01. It will notify the Trust as soon as reasonably practical in advance of any matter which is reasonably likely to materially affect the Trust’s performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

 

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4.02.02. It will engage a third party to conduct an Internal Control Audit (defined herein as a Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16, Service Organization Control 1, Type 2 (“ SSAE 16 SOC 1 Type 2 ”) Report as defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) annually covering the range of services of the type provided to Trust pursuant to this Agreement.  The audit shall be performed no less frequently than annually and the Administrator shall provide the Trust with a copy of the then current, annual Internal Control Audit report upon written request; 

 

4.02.03. it will promptly notify the Trust of updates to its representations and warranties hereunder;

 

SECTION 5        LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

5.01 THE DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR SHALL BE CONFINED TO THOSE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, AND NO IMPLIED DUTIES ARE ASSUMED BY OR MAY BE ASSERTED AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATOR. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT ARISING OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATOR’S BAD FAITH, FRAUD, RECKLESSNESS, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OR CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT WHEN PROVIDING THE SERVICES, THE ADMINISTRATOR’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO THE FUND WILL BE LIMITED TO MONETARY DAMAGES NOT TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF FEES PAID HEREUNDER DURING THE SIX MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE FIRST SUCH CLAIM TO OCCUR. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrator shall not be responsible for any breach in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement due to (i) the failure or delay of the Trust or its agents to perform its obligations under this Agreement or (ii) the Administrator’s reliance on the Trust Data. Each party shall have the duty to mitigate its damages for which another party may become responsible. As used in this Section 5 , the term “ Administrator ” shall include the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and agents of the Administrator as well as that entity itself. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT TO THE CONTRARY, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER NON-DIRECT DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY IS PREDICATED ON CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER THEORY AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE FUND IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGES.

 

5.02 The Administrator may, from time to time, provide to the Trust services and products (“ Special Third Party Services ”) from external third party sources that are Pricing Sources or other similar service providers (“ Special Third Party Vendors ”). The Trust acknowledges and agrees that the Special Third Party Services are confidential and proprietary trade secrets of the Special Third Party Vendors. Accordingly, the Trust shall honor requests by the Administrator and the Special Third Party Vendors to protect their proprietary rights in their data, information and property including requests that the Trust place copyright notices or other proprietary legends on printed matter, print outs, tapes, disks, film or any other medium of dissemination. The Trust further acknowledges and agrees that all Special Third Party Services are provided on an “AS IS WITH ALL FAULTS” basis solely for the Trust’s internal use, and as an aid in connection with the receipt of the Services. The Trust may use Special Third Party Services as normally required on view-only screens and hard copy statements, reports and other documents necessary to support the Trust’s investors, however the Trust shall not distribute any Special Third Party Services to other third parties. THE SPECIAL THIRD PARTY VENDORS AND THE ADMINISTRATOR MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE, OR ANY OTHER MATTER WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE SPECIAL THIRD PARTY SERVICES. NEITHER THE ADMINISTRATOR NOR THE SPECIAL THIRD PARTY VENDORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES SUFFERED BY THE FUND IN THE USE OF ANY OF THE SPECIAL THIRD PARTY SERVICES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LIABILITY FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SIMILAR DAMAGES.

 

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5.03 The Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Administrator from and against and the Administrator shall have no liability in connection with any and all actions, suits and claims, whether groundless or otherwise, and from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, payments, expenses and liabilities (including reasonable investigation expenses) arising directly or indirectly out of: (i) any act or omission of the Administrator in carrying out its duties hereunder or as a result of the Administrator’s reliance upon any instructions, notice or instrument that the Administrator believes is genuine and signed or presented by an authorized Person of the Trust; provided that this indemnification shall not apply if any such loss, damage or expense is caused by or arises from the Administrator’s bad faith, fraud, recklessness, willful misconduct or criminal misconduct in the performance of the Services; (ii) any violation by the Trust or any agent of the Trust of any applicable investment policy, law or regulation, (iii) any misstatement or omission in Trust Materials or any the Trust Data; (iv) any breach by the Trust of any representation, warranty or agreement contained in this Agreement; (v) any act or omission of the Trust, a Special Third Party Vendor, the Trust’s other service providers (such as custodians, prime brokers, transfer agents, investment advisers and sub-adviser(s); (vi) any pricing error caused by the failure of the Trust’s investment adviser or sub-adviser to provide a trade ticket or for incorrect information included in any trade ticket; or (vii) any act or omission of the Administrator as a result of the Administrator’s compliance with the Regulations, including, but not limited to, returning an investor or Authorized Participant’s investment or restricting the payment of redemption proceeds.

 

5.04 To the extent that the Trust receives Special Third Party Services from Interactive Data Corporation (“IDC”), the Trust shall indemnify and hold harmless IDC and its suppliers from any and all losses, damages, liability, costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, resulting directly or indirectly from any claim or demand against IDC by a third party arising out of, derived from, or related to the accuracy or completeness of any such Special Third Party Services received by the Trust. IDC shall not be liable for any claim or demand against the Trust by any third party.

 

5.05 The Administrator may apply to the Trust, the Trust’s sponsor or any Person acting on the Trust’s behalf at any time for instructions and may consult counsel for the Trust or the Trust’s sponsor or with accountants, counsel and other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection with the Administrator’s duties hereunder, and the Administrator shall not be liable or accountable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such instruction or with the advice of counsel, accountants or other experts. Also, the Administrator shall not be liable for actions taken pursuant to any document which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper Person or Persons. The Administrator shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any officer, employee or agent of the Trust until receipt of written notice thereof. To the extent that the Administrator consults with the Trust counsel pursuant to this provision, any such expense shall be borne by the Trust.

 

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5.06 The Administrator shall have no liability for its reliance on the Trust Data or the performance or omissions of unaffiliated third parties such as, by way of example and not limitation, transfer agents, sub-transfer agents, custodians, prime brokers, placement agents, third party marketers, asset data service providers, investment advisers (including, without limitation, the sponsor) or sub-advisers, current or former third party service providers, Pricing Sources, software providers, printers, postal or delivery services, prior administrators, telecommunications providers and processing and settlement services. The Administrator may rely on and shall have no duty to investigate or confirm the accuracy or adequacy of any information provided by any of the foregoing third parties.

 

5.07 The Administrator shall have no obligations with respect to any laws relating to the distribution, purchase or sale of Creation Units or underlying securities. Further, the Trust assumes full responsibility for the preparation, contents and distribution of its Trust Materials and its compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

 

5.08 The indemnification rights hereunder shall include the right to reasonable advances of defense expenses on an as-incurred basis in the event of any pending or threatened litigation or Action with respect to which indemnification hereunder may ultimately be merited. If in any case the Trust is asked to indemnify or hold the Administrator harmless, the Administrator shall promptly advise the Trust of the pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and the Administrator will use all reasonable care to identify and notify the Trust promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears likely to present the probability of such a claim for indemnification, but failure to do so shall not affect the rights hereunder.

 

5.09 The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the Trust elects to assume the defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Trust and satisfactory to the Administrator, whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Trust elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Administrator shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it. If the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will advance to the Administrator the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by the Administrator. None of the parties hereto shall settle or compromise any action, suit, proceeding or claim if such settlement or compromise provides for an admission of liability on the part of the indemnified party without such indemnified party's written consent.

 

5.10 The provisions of this Section 5 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 6        VALUATION

 

The Administrator is entitled to rely on the price and value information (hereinafter “ Valuation Information ”) provided by prior administrators, brokers and custodians, investment advisers (including, without limitation, the sponsor) an underlying fund in which the Trust invests, if applicable, or any third-party pricing services selected by the Administrator, the Trust’s investment adviser or the Trust (collectively hereinafter referred to as the “ Pricing Sources ”) in order to calculate the Trust’s aggregate NAV (and the value of Authorized Participants’ capital accounts based upon such valuation). The Administrator shall have no obligation to obtain Valuation Information from any sources other than the Pricing Sources and may rely on estimates provided by the Adviser. The Administrator shall have no liability or responsibility for the accuracy of the Valuation Information provided by a Pricing Source or the delegate of a Pricing Source and the Trust shall indemnify and defend the Administrator against any loss, damages, costs, charges or reasonable counsel fees and expenses in connection with any inaccuracy of such Valuation Information. The Trust shall not use Valuation Information for any purpose other than in connection with the Services and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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SECTION 7         Allocation of Charges and Expenses

 

7.01 The Administrator . The Administrator shall furnish at its own expense the personnel necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

7.02 Fund Expenses . The Trust assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all expenses of the Trust (including any Fund of the Trust) not otherwise allocated in this Agreement, including, without limitation, organizational costs; taxes; expenses for legal and auditing services; the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and mailing reports, Trust Materials, proxy solicitation and tender offer materials and notices to existing shareholders; all expenses incurred in connection with issuing and redeeming Creation Units; the costs of Pricing Sources; the costs of loan credit activity data; the costs of escrow and custodial services; the cost of document retention and archival services, the costs of responding to document production requests; the cost of initial and ongoing registration of the shares under Federal and state securities laws; costs associated with attempting to locate lost shareholders; all expenses incurred in connection with any custom programming or systems modifications required to provide any reports or services requested by the Trust; any expense, if applicable, incurred to reprint the Trust documents identifying the Administrator (along with its address and telephone number) as the Trust’s new administrator; costs associated with DST FanMail or similar reporting service; bank service charges; NSCC trading charges; fees and out-of-pocket expenses of Board members; the costs of Board meetings; insurance; interest; brokerage costs; litigation and other extraordinary or nonrecurring expenses; and all fees and charges of service providers to the Trust. The Trust shall reimburse the Administrator for its reasonable costs and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of the Services expenses, including all reasonable charges for Internal Control Audits, printing, financial reporting software/typesetting fees, copying, postage, telephone, and fax charges incurred by the Administrator in the performance of its duties.

 

SECTION 8         COMPENSATION

 

8.01 Fees . Adviser shall pay to the Administrator compensation for the services performed and the facilities and personnel provided by the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement, such fees as will be set forth in a written fee schedule mutually agreed upon from time to time by Adviser and the Administrator. Neither the Trust nor Adviser shall have a right of set-off. The fees set forth in the fee schedule between Administrator and the Adviser shall be determined based on the characteristics of the each Fund as of the Effective Date. Any material change to the characteristics to a Fund may give rise to an adjustment to the fees. In the event of such a change, the Adviser and Administrator shall negotiate any adjustment to the fees payable hereunder in good faith; provided, however, that if the parties cannot in good faith agree on such adjustment to the fees within a reasonable period of time, the Administrator may, solely with respect to the Fund(s) on which the parties cannot agree to such adjustment to the fees, terminate this Agreement upon thirty days prior written notice to the Trust. Adviser shall pay the Administrator’s fees monthly in U.S. Dollars, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. Adviser shall pay the fees despite the existence of any dispute among the parties. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first day of any calendar month or terminates before the last day of any calendar month, the Administrator’s compensation for that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect shall be prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth in the applicable written agreement between Adviser and the Administrator.

 

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8.02 Adjustment of Fees . Adviser acknowledges that from time to time after the first anniversary of the Effective Date, Administrator may increase all non-asset based Fees upon thirty days written notice to the Adviser, in an amount equal to the greater of: (a) five percent; or (b) the percentage increase in the CPI since the Effective Date of the first such increase and since the date of the immediately preceding increase with respect to all subsequent increases; provided, however, that Administrator may not increase the Fees more than one time during any twelve-month period. Notwithstanding the above, in the event of an increase to Administrator’s costs for Special Third Party Services, Administrator may at any time upon thirty days written notice increase the Fees applicable to such Special Third Party Services, provided, that such fee increase will not exceed the applicable percentage increase in costs incurred by Administrator with respect to such Special Third Party Services.

 

SECTION 9         DURATION AND TERMINATION

 

9.01 Term and Renewal . This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date and shall remain in effect for a period of three years from and after the Live Date (the “ Initial Term ”), and thereafter shall automatically renew for successive three year terms (each such period, a “ Renewal Term ”) unless terminated by any party giving written notice of non-renewal at least ninety days prior to the last day of the then current term to each other party hereto.

 

9.02 Termination for Cause .

 

9.02.01. This Agreement may be terminated by any party giving prior notice in writing to the other parties if at anytime the other party or parties have been first (i) notified in writing that such party shall have materially failed to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement (such notice shall be of the specific asserted material breach) (“ Breach Notice ”) and (ii) the party receiving the Breach Notice shall not have remedied the noticed failure within forty-five days after receipt of the Breach Notice requiring it to be remedied.

 

9.02.02. This Agreement may be terminated with respect to a particular Fund by any party giving sixty days prior notice in writing to the other parties prior to the Liquidation (as hereinafter defined) of such Fund. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “liquidation” shall mean a transaction in which all the assets of a Fund are sold or otherwise disposed of and proceeds there from are distributed in cash or in kind to the Authorized Participants in complete liquidation of the interests of such Authorized Participants in the Fund. A termination pursuant to this Section 9.02.02 shall be effective as of the date of such liquidation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the right to terminate set forth in this Section 9.02.02 shall not relieve the Adviser of its obligation to pay the fees as agreed in writing with the Administrator for the remainder of the sixty day period set forth in this Section 9.02.02 , which amount shall be payable prior to the effective date of such liquidation.

 

9.02.03. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of a merger, acquisition, change in control, re-structuring, re-organization or any other decision involving the Trust or any affiliate (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust that causes it to cease to use the Administrator as a provider of the Services in favor of another service provider prior to the last to occur of (a) the date that is the fifth anniversary of the Live Date and (b) the expiration of the then current term of this Agreement, the Administrator shall use reasonable efforts to facilitate the deconversion of the Trust to such successor service provider; provided, however that the Administrator makes no guaranty that such deconversion shall happen as of any particular date. In connection with the foregoing and prior to the effective date of such deconversion, the Adviser shall pay to the Administrator (1) all fees and other costs as agreed between Adviser and Administrator as if the Administrator had continued providing Services until the expiration of the then current term and calculated based upon the assets of the deconverting Trust on the date notice of termination in accordance with this Section was given and (2) all fees and expenses previously waived by the Administrator at any time during the term of the Agreement. This Agreement shall terminate effective as of the conclusion of the deconversion as set forth in this Section.

 

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9.03 Effect of Termination .

 

9.03.01. The termination of this Agreement shall be without prejudice to any rights that may have accrued hereunder to any party hereto prior to such termination.

 

9.03.02. After termination of this Agreement and upon payment of all accrued fees, reimbursable expenses and other moneys owed to the Administrator, the Administrator shall send to the Trust, or as it shall direct, all books of account, records, registers, correspondence, documents and assets relating to the affairs of or belonging to the Trust in the possession of or under the control of the Administrator or any of its agents or delegates.

 

9.03.03. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event this Agreement is terminated and for any reason the Administrator, with the written consent of the Trust, in fact continues to perform any one or more of the services contemplated by this Agreement, the pertinent provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, the provisions dealing with payment of fees and indemnification shall continue in full force and effect. The Administrator shall be entitled to collect from the Adviser, in addition to the compensation described in writing between the parties, the amount of all of the Administrator’s mutually agreed upon expenses in connection with the Administrator’s activities following such termination.

 

SECTION 10       CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

10.01 Non-Exclusive . The services of the Administrator rendered to the Trust are not deemed to be exclusive. The Administrator is free to render such services to others. The Administrator shall not be deemed to be affected by notice of, or to be under any duty to disclose to the Trust or Person acting on the Trust’s behalf, information which has come into its possession or the possession of an Interested Party in the course of or in connection with providing administrative or other services to any other person or in any manner whatsoever other than in the course of carrying out its duties pursuant to this Agreement.

 

10.02 Rights of Interested Parties . Subject to applicable law, nothing herein contained shall prevent:

 

10.02.01. an Interested Party from buying, holding, disposing of or otherwise dealing in any shares or Creation Units for its own account or the account of any of its customers or from receiving remuneration in connection therewith, with the same rights which it would have had if the Administrator were not a party to this Agreement; provided, however, that the prices quoted by the Administrator are no more favorable to the Interested Party than to a similarly situated investor in or redeeming holder of shares or Creation Units;

 

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10.02.02. an Interested Party from buying, holding, disposing of or otherwise dealing in any securities or other investments for its own account or for the account of any of its customers and receiving remuneration in connection therewith, notwithstanding that the same or similar securities or other investments may be held by or for the account of the Trust;

 

10.02.03. an Interested Party from receiving any commission or other remuneration which it may negotiate in connection with any sale or purchase of shares or Creation Units or Investments effected by it for the account of the Trust; provided, however, that the amount of such commission or other remuneration is negotiated at arm’s length; and

 

10.02.04. an Interested Party from contracting or entering into any financial, banking or other transaction with the Trust or from being interested in any such contract or transaction; provided, however, that the terms of such transaction are negotiated at arm's length.

 

SECTION 11       Confidentiality

 

11.01 Confidential Information . The Administrator and the Trust (in such capacity, the “ Receiving Party ”) acknowledge and agree to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) provided by the Administrator and the Trust (in such capacity, the “ Disclosing Party ”) in connection with this Agreement. The Receiving Party shall not disclose or disseminate the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information to any Person other than those employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees of the Receiving Party, or with respect to the Administrator as a Receiving Party, to those employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees of any agent or affiliate, who have a need to know it in order to assist the Receiving Party in performing its obligations, or to permit the Receiving Party to exercise its rights under this Agreement. In addition, the Receiving Party (a) shall take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, and (b) shall not use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, or authorize other Persons to use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, for any purposes other than in connection with performing its obligations or exercising its rights hereunder. As used herein, “reasonable steps” means steps that a party takes to protect its own, similarly confidential or proprietary information of a similar nature, which steps shall in no event be less than a reasonable standard of care.

 

The term “ Confidential Information ,” as used herein, means any of the Disclosing Party’s proprietary or confidential information including, without limitation, any non-public personal information (as defined in Regulation S-P) of the Disclosing Party, its affiliates, their respective clients or suppliers, or other Persons with whom they do business, that may be obtained by the Receiving Party from any source or that may be developed as a result of this Agreement, the terms of (or any exercise of rights granted by) this Agreement, technical data; trade secrets; know-how; business processes; product plans; product designs; service plans; services; customer lists and customers; markets; software; developments; inventions; processes; formulas; technology; designs; drawings; and marketing, distribution or sales methods and systems; sales and profit figures or other financial information that is disclosed, directly or indirectly, to the Receiving Party by or on behalf of the Disclosing Party, whether in writing, orally or by other means and whether or not such information is marked as confidential.

 

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11.02 Exclusions . The provisions of this Section 11 respecting Confidential Information shall not apply to the extent, but only to the extent, that such Confidential Information: (a) is already known to the Receiving Party free of any restriction at the time it is obtained from the Disclosing Party, (b) is subsequently learned from an independent third party free of any restriction and without breach of this Agreement; (c) is or becomes publicly available through no wrongful act of the Receiving Party or any third party; (d) is independently developed by or for the Receiving Party without reference to or use of any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party; or (e) is required to be disclosed pursuant to an applicable law, rule, regulation, government requirement or court order, or the rules of any stock exchange (provided, however, that the Receiving Party shall advise the Disclosing Party of such required disclosure promptly upon learning thereof in order to afford the Disclosing Party a reasonable opportunity to contest, limit and/or assist the Receiving Party in crafting such disclosure).

 

11.03 Permitted Disclosure . The Receiving Party shall advise its employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees, and shall require its affiliates to advise their employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees, of the Receiving Party’s obligations of confidentiality and non-use under this Section 11 , and shall be responsible for ensuring compliance by its and its affiliates’ employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors and licensees with such obligations. In addition, the Receiving Party shall require all Persons that are provided access to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, other than the Receiving Party’s accountants and legal counsel, to execute confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements containing provisions substantially similar to those set forth in this Section 11 . The Receiving Party shall promptly notify the Disclosing Party in writing upon learning of any unauthorized disclosure or use of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information by such Persons.

 

11.04 Effect of Termination . Upon the Disclosing Party’s written request following the termination of this Agreement, the Receiving Party promptly shall return to the Disclosing Party, or destroy, all Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party provided under or in connection with this Agreement, including all copies, portions and summaries thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (a) the Receiving Party may retain one copy of each item of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information for purposes of identifying and establishing its rights and obligations under this Agreement, for archival or audit purposes and/or to the extent required by applicable law, and (b) the Administrator shall have no obligation to return or destroy Confidential Information of the Trust that resides in save tapes of Administrator; provided, however, that in either case all such Confidential Information retained by the Receiving Party shall remain subject to the provisions of Article 11 for so long as it is so retained. If requested by the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party shall certify in writing its compliance with the provisions of this paragraph.

 

SECTION 12       Miscellaneous provisions

 

12.01 Internet Access . Data and information may be made electronically accessible to the Trust, its adviser and/or sub-adviser(s) and its investors or Authorized Participants through Internet access to one or more web sites provided by the Administrator (“ Web Access ”). As between the Trust and Administrator, the Administrator shall own all right, title and interest to such Web Access, including, without limitation, all content, software, interfaces, documentation, data, trade secrets, design concepts, “look and feel” attributes, enhancements, improvements, ideas and inventions and all intellectual property rights inherent in any of the foregoing or appurtenant thereto including all patent rights, copyrights, trademarks, know-how and trade secrets (collectively, the “Proprietary Information”). The Trust recognizes that the Proprietary Information is of substantial value to the Administrator and shall not use or disclose the Proprietary Information except as specifically authorized in writing by the Administrator. Use of the Web Access by the Trust or its agents or investors will be subject to any additional terms of use set forth on the web site. All Web Access and the information (including text, graphics and functionality) on the web sites related to such Web Access is presented “As Is” and “As Available” without express or implied warranties including, but not limited to, implied warranties of non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The Administrator neither warrants that the Web Access will be uninterrupted or error free, nor guarantees the accessibility, reliability, performance, timeliness, sequence, or completeness of information provided on the Web Access.

 

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12.02 Independent Contractor . In making, and performing under, this Agreement, the Administrator shall be deemed to be acting as an independent contractor of the Trust and neither the Administrator nor its employees shall be deemed an agent, affiliate, legal representative, joint venturer or partner of the Trust. No party is authorized to bind any other party to any obligation, affirmation or commitment with respect to any other Person.

 

12.03 Assignment; Binding Effect . The Trust may not assign, delegate or transfer, by operation of law or otherwise, this Agreement (in whole or in part), or any of the Trust’s obligations hereunder, without the prior written consent of the Administrator, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Administrator may assign or transfer, by operation of law or otherwise, all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to an affiliate of the Administrator who purchases all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Administrator to which this Agreement relates, provided that such affiliate, person or entity agrees in advance and in writing to be bound by the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement. Subject to the foregoing, all of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each party’s successors and permitted assigns. Any assignment, delegation, or transfer in violation of this provision shall be void and without legal effect.

 

12.04 Agreement for Sole Benefit of the Administrator and the Trusts . This Agreement is for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Administrator and the Trusts and will not be deemed to be for the direct or indirect benefit of either (i) the clients or customers of the Administrator or the Trust or (ii) the sponsor. The clients or customers of the Administrator or the Trust will not be deemed to be third party beneficiaries of this Agreement nor to have any other contractual relationship with the Administrator by reason of this Agreement and each party hereto agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the other party from any claims of its clients or customers against the other party including any attendant expenses and attorneys’ fees, based on this Agreement or the services provided hereunder.

 

12.05 Governing Law; Jurisdiction . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions of this Agreement, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the latter shall control. Each party to this Agreement, by its execution hereof, (i) hereby irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the state courts of the State of New York or the United States District Courts for the Sourthern District of New York for the purpose of any action between the parties arising in whole or in part under or in connection with this Agreement, and (ii) hereby waives to the extent not prohibited by applicable law, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that any such action brought in one of the above-named courts should be dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens, should be transferred or removed to any court other than one of the above-named courts, or should be stayed by reason of the pendency of some other proceeding in any other court other than one of the above-named courts, or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court.

 

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12.06 Equitable Relief . Each party agrees that any other party’s violation of the provisions of Section 11 (Confidentiality) may cause immediate and irreparable harm to the other party for which money damages may not constitute an adequate remedy at law. Therefore, the parties agree that, in the event either party breaches or threatens to breach said provision or covenant, the other party shall have the right to seek, in any court of competent jurisdiction, an injunction to restrain said breach or threatened breach, without posting any bond or other security.

 

12.07 Dispute Resolution . Whenever either party desires to institute legal proceedings against the other concerning this Agreement, it shall provide written notice to that effect to such other party. The party providing such notice shall refrain from instituting said legal proceedings for a period of thirty days following the date of provision of such notice. During such period, the parties shall attempt in good faith to amicably resolve their dispute by negotiation among their executive officers. This Section 12.07 shall not prohibit either party from seeking, at any time, equitable relief as permitted under Section 12.06 .

 

12.08 Notice . All notices provided for or permitted under this Agreement (except for correspondence between the parties related to day to day operations in the ordinary course which shall not include for example, notices relating to renewal and termination of this Agreement, indemnification obligations, etc., shall be deemed effective upon receipt, and shall be in writing and (a) delivered personally, (b) sent by commercial overnight courier with written verification of receipt, (c) sent by certified or registered U.S. mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, to the party to be notified, at the address for such party set forth below, or at such other address of such party specified in the opening paragraph of this Agreement, or d) by email to the email addresses as may be agreed from time to time, provided that any email notice delivered outside of day to day operations shall not be effective unless it is followed by a notice as set forth in (a), (b) or (c) above. Notices to the Administrator shall be sent to the attention of: General Counsel, SEI Investments Global Funds Services, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456, with a copy, given in the manner prescribed above, to the Trust’s current relationship manager. Notices to the Trust shall be sent to the persons specified in Schedule III (Notice Instruction Form) .

 

12.09 Entire Agreement; Amendments . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement supersedes all prior or contemporaneous representations, discussions, negotiations, letters, proposals, agreements and understandings between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by a written instrument duly executed by an authorized representative of each of the parties.

 

12.10 Severability . Any provision of this Agreement that is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability in such jurisdiction, without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction. If a court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of this Agreement to be invalid or unenforceable, the parties agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to reduce the scope, duration, or area of the provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace the provision with a provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the original intention of the parties, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified.

 

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12.11 Waiver . Any term or provision of this Agreement may be waived at any time by the party entitled to the benefit thereof by written instrument executed by such party. No failure of either party hereto to exercise any power or right granted hereunder, or to insist upon strict compliance with any obligation hereunder, and no custom or practice of the parties with regard to the terms of performance hereof, will constitute a waiver of the rights of such party to demand full and exact compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

12.12 Anti-Money Laundering Laws . In connection with performing the Services set forth herein, the Administrator may provide information that the Trust may rely upon in connection with the Trust’s compliance with applicable laws, policies and regulations aimed at the prevention and detection of money laundering and/or terrorism activities (hereinafter, the “ Regulations ”). The Trust and the Administrator agree that the Trust shall be responsible for its compliance with all such Regulations. It shall be a condition precedent to providing Services to the Trust under this Agreement and the Administrator shall have no liability for non-performance of its obligations under this Agreement unless it is satisfied, in its absolute discretion, that it has sufficient and appropriate information and material to discharge its obligations under the Regulations, and that the performance of such obligations will not violate any Regulations applicable to it. Without in any way limiting the foregoing, the Trust acknowledges that the Administrator is authorized to return an Authorized Participant’s Investment in any Fund and take any action necessary to restrict repayment of redemption proceeds to the extent necessary to comply with its obligations pursuant to the Regulations.

 

12.13 Force Majeure . No breach of any obligation of a party to this Agreement (other than obligations to pay amounts owed) will constitute an event of default or breach to the extent it arises out of a cause, existing or future, that is beyond the control and without negligence of the party otherwise chargeable with breach or default, including without limitation: work action or strike; lockout or other labor dispute; flood; war; riot; theft; act of terrorism, earthquake or natural disaster. Either party desiring to rely upon any of the foregoing as an excuse for default or breach will, when the cause arises, give to the other party prompt notice of the facts which constitute such cause; and, when the cause ceases to exist, give prompt notice thereof to the other party.

 

12.14 Equipment Failures . In the event of equipment failures beyond the Administrator’s control, the Administrator shall take reasonable and prompt steps to minimize service interruptions but shall have no liability with respect thereto. The Administrator shall develop and maintain a plan for recovery from equipment failures with a recovery time objective of no more than twenty-four (24) hours, which may include contractual arrangements with appropriate parties making reasonable provision for emergency use of electronic data processing equipment to the extent appropriate equipment is available.

 

12.15 Non-Solicitation. During the term of this Agreement and for a period of one year thereafter, the Trust shall not solicit, make an offer of employment to, or enter into a consulting relationship with, any person who was an employee of the Administrator during the term of this Agreement. If the Trust breaches this provision, the Trust shall pay to the Administrator liquidated damages equal to 100% of the most recent twelve month salary of the Administrator’s former employee together with all legal fees reasonably incurred by the Administrator in enforcing this provision. The foregoing restriction on solicitation does not apply to unsolicited applications for jobs, responses to public advertisements or candidates submitted by recruiting firms, provided that such firms have not been contacted to circumvent the spirit and intention of this Section 12.15 .

 

12.16 Headings . All Article headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, do not form a part of this Agreement and will not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

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12.17 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. Each such counterpart shall be deemed an original, and it shall not be necessary in making proof of this Agreement to produce or account for more than one such counterpart. This Agreement shall be deemed executed by both parties when any one or more counterparts hereof or thereof, individually or taken together, bears the original facsimile or scanned signatures of each of the parties.

 

12.18 Publicity . Except to the extent required by applicable Law, neither the Administrator nor the Trust shall issue or initiate any press release arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the Services rendered hereunder; provided , however , that if no special prominence is given or particular reference made to the Trust over other clients, nothing herein shall prevent the Administrator from (i) placing the Trust on the Administrator’s client list(s) (and sharing such list(s) with current or potential clients of the Administrator); (ii) using the Trust as reference; or (iii) otherwise orally disclosing that the Trust is a client of the Administrator at presentations, conferences or other similar meetings. If the Administrator desires to engage in any type of publicity other than as set forth in subsections (i) through (iii) above or if the Trust desires to engage in any type of publicity, the party desiring to engage in such publicity shall obtain the prior written consent of the other party hereto, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.

 

12.19 Insurance . The Trust hereby represents that it maintains adequate insurance coverage with respect to its responsibilities pursuant to this Agreement, including commercially reasonable fidelity bond(s), errors and omissions, directors and officers, professional liability insurance; provided, however, that the amount of insurance coverage shall in no way affect a party’s obligations or liability as otherwise set forth in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event that the Administrator makes an employee of the Administrator available to the Trust to serve as an officer of the Trust, the Trust shall maintain professional liability (directors’ & officers’ and errors and omissions) insurance with limits of not less than $1 million per occurrence as of the Live Date, and adjusted upwards thereafter as reasonably determined by the Trust based on the aggregate net assets of the Trust (“ Officer Insurance Minimum ”)All of the foregoing policies shall be issued by insurance companies having an "A minus" rating or better by A.M. Best Company or an equivalent Standard & Poor’s rating. The Trust shall furnish Certificates of Insurance evidencing all of the foregoing insurance coverages upon execution of this Agreement, and annually upon the written request of the Administrator. The Trust shall promptly inform the Administrator of any material changes to its policies, endorsements or coverages, including the fact that the professional liability coverage required above has fallen below the Officer Insurance Minimum, if applicable.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

SEI INVESTMENTS GLOBAL FUNDS SERVICES   KRANESHARES TRUST
         
By: /s/ Stephen G. Meyer   By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
Name:  Stephen G. Meyer   Name: Jonathan Krane
Title:   Executive Vice President   Title: CEO

 

  KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC,
  Solely with respect to payment of compensation as detailed in Section 8
     
  By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
  Name: Jonathan Krane
  Title: CEO

 

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SCHEDULE I

 

Funds

 

KraneShares Dow Jones Global Luxury Consumer ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Alternative Energy ETF

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

KraneShares CSI China Consumer Staples ETF

KraneShares CSI Consumer Discretionary ETF

KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF

KraneShares CSI China Urbanization ETF

 

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Schedule II

 

Services

 

1) Maintain the Trust’s accounting books and records;

 

2) Obtain underlying security valuations from appropriate sources consistent with the Trust’s pricing and valuation policies, and calculate net asset value of each Fund;

 

3) Receive PLF files from Adviser and, subject to final approval of such file by Adviser, send PLF files to custodian in appropriate format;

 

4) Compute yields, total return, expense ratios, portfolio turnover rate and average dollar-weighted portfolio maturity, as appropriate;

 

5) Track and validate income and expense accruals, analyze and modify expense accrual changes periodically, and process expense disbursements to vendors and service providers;

 

6) Perform cash processing such as recording paid-in capital activity, perform necessary reconciliations with the transfer agent and the custodian, and provide cash availability data to the adviser, if requested;

 

7) Calculate required ordinary income and capital gains distributions, coordinate estimated cash payments, and perform necessary reconciliations with the transfer agent;

 

8) Provide standardized performance reporting data to the Trust and its Adviser;

 

9) Provide performance, financial and expense information for registration statements and proxies;

 

10) Communicate net asset value, yield, total return or other financial data to appropriate third party reporting agencies, and assist in resolution of errors reported by such third party agencies;

 

11) Update accounting system to reflect rate changes, as received from a Fund's investment adviser, sub-adviser or respective designee, on variable interest rate instruments;

 

12) Accrue expenses of each Fund according to instructions received from the Trust's treasurer or other authorized representative (including officers of the Trust’s investment adviser);

 

13) Determine the outstanding receivables and payables for all (1) security trades, (2) portfolio share transactions and (3) income and expense accounts in accordance with the budgets provided by the Trust or its investment adviser;

 

14) Prepare the Trust’s financial statements for review by fund management and independent auditors, manage annual and semi-annual report preparation process, prepare Forms N-SAR, N-Q, N-CSR, N-PX and 24f-2, provide fund performance data for annual report, coordinate printing and delivery of annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, and file Forms N-SAR, N-Q, N-CSR and 24f-2 and annual/semi-annual reports via EDGAR;

 

15) Monitor each Fund’s compliance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to status as a regulated investment company;

 

16) Prepare and file federal and state tax returns for the Trust other than those required to be prepared and filed by the Trust’s transfer agent or custodian.

 

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17) Provide data for year-end 1099’s and supplemental tax letters;

 

18) Provide such fund accounting and financial reports in connection with quarterly meetings of the Board as the Board may reasonably request;

 

19) Manage the Trust’s proxy solicitation process, including evaluating proxy distribution channels, coordinating with outside service provider to distribute proxies, track shareholder responses and tabulate voting results, and managing the proxy solicitation vendor if necessary;

 

20) Provide individuals to serve as ministerial officers of the Trust, as requested;

 

21) Provide principal accounting officer for purposes of Sarbanes-Oxley (if requested);

 

22) Coordinate with the Trust’s counsel on filing of the Trust’s registration statements and proxy statements, and coordinate printing and delivery of the Trust’s prospectuses and proxy statements;

 

23) Provide consultation to the Trust on regulatory matters relating to the operation of the Trust as requested and coordinate with the Trust’s legal counsel regarding such matters;

 

24) Assist legal counsel to the Trust in the development of policies and procedures relating to the operation of the Trust;

 

25) Act as liaison to legal counsel to the Trust and, where applicable, to legal counsel to the Trust’s independent trustees;

 

26) Coordinate with the Trust counsel in the preparation, review and execution of contracts between the Trust and third parties, such as the Trust’s investment adviser, transfer agent, and custodian, and record-keepers or shareholder service providers;

 

27) Assist the Trust in handling and responding to routine regulatory examinations with respect to records retained or services provided by the Administrator, and coordinate with the Trust’s legal counsel in responding to any non-routine regulatory matters with respect to such matters;

 

28) Provide consulting with respect to the ongoing design, development and operation of the Trust, including new Funds and/or load structures and financing, as well as changes to investment objectives and polices for existing Funds;

 

29) Coordinate as necessary the registration or qualification of Creation Units with appropriate state securities authorities;

 

30) Manage the preparation for and conducting of Board meetings by (i) coordinating Board book production and distribution process, (ii) subject to review and approval by the Trust and its counsel, preparing meeting agendas, (iii) preparing the relevant sections of the Board materials required to be prepared by the Administrator, (iv) assisting to gather and coordinate special materials related to annual contract renewals and approval of rule 12b-1 for and as directed by the trustees or the Trust counsel, (v) attending Board meetings, and (vi) performing such other Board meeting functions as shall be agreed by the parties in writing (in this regard, the Trust shall provide the Administrator with notice of regular meetings at least six (6) weeks before such meeting and as soon as practicable before any special meeting of the Board);

 

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31) Cooperate with, and take all reasonable actions in the performance of its duties under this Agreement to ensure that all necessary information is made available to the Trust's independent public accountants in connection with the preparation of any audit or report requested by the Trust, including the provision of a conference room at the Administrator’s location if necessary (in this regard, the Trust’s independent auditors shall provide the Administrator with reasonable notice of any such audit so that (i) the audit will be completed in a timely fashion and (ii) the Administrator will be able to promptly respond to such information requests without undue disruption of its business); and

 

32) On a T+2 post-trade basis and based on the information available to the Administrator, periodically monitor the Funds for compliance with applicable limitations as set forth in the Trust's or any Fund’s then current Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information (this provision shall not relieve the Trust’s investment adviser and sub-advisers, if any, of their primary day-to-day responsibility for assuring such compliance, including on a pre-trade basis).

 

33) Additional Reports and Services.

 

· Upon reasonable notice and as mutually agreed upon, the Administrator may provide additional reports upon the request of the Trust or its investment adviser, which may result in additional charges, the amount of which shall be agreed upon between the parties prior to the provision of such report.
· Upon reasonable notice and as mutually agreed upon, the Administrator may provide such additional services with respect to a Fund, which may result in an additional charge, the amount of which shall be agreed upon between the parties prior to the provision of such service.

 

***

 

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Schedule III

 

Notice Instruction Form

 

TO WHOM NOTICES SHOULD BE SENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12.08 OF THE AGREEMENT:

 

Name of Party or Parties:    
     
Name of Contact:    
     
Address:    
     
Telephone No.:    
     
Facsimile No.:    
     
Email Address:    

 

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COMPLIANCE SERVICES AGREEMENT

 

AGREEMENT dated as of October 1, 2012 (the “Effective Date”) by and between the KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, and Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC (“CCS”), a Pennsylvania limited liability company.

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);

 

WHEREAS, shares of beneficial interest in the Trust are divided into separate series (each, along with any series which may in the future be established, a “Fund,” collectively, the “Funds”);

 

WHEREAS, each Fund is managed and/or advised by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and, in certain cases, a sub-adviser (each, a “Sub-Adviser”; together, the “Sub-Advisers”), each of whom is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) is required to implement a compliance program pursuant to Rule 38a-1 (“Rule 38a-1”) of the 1940 Act, including the designation of a chief compliance officer (the “CCO”);

 

WHEREAS, the Trust wishes to engage CCS to provide certain compliance services on behalf of the Trust;

 

WHEREAS, CCS wishes to provide such services to the Trust under the conditions set forth below;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, the Trust and CCS agree as follows:

 

I.        APPOINTMENT

 

A.      The Trust hereby appoints CCS to perform the compliance services described in Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Base Services”). CCS accepts such appointment and agrees to render the Base Services for the compensation herein provided, subject to the direction and control of the Trust and its management. The duties of CCS shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against CCS hereunder. CCS will perform such additional services (the “Additional Services”; together with the Base Services, the “Services”) that (a) are required, in CCS’s reasonable determination and upon prior notice to the Board, to adequately implement and maintain the compliance program in accordance with Rule 38a-1 (hereinafter, “Required Additional Services”) or (b) are directed by the Board or directed by a Service Provider and approved by the Board.

 

 
 

 

B.       The Trust shall cause the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers and the Trust’s administrator, distributor, custodian, legal counsel, independent accountants, transfer agent and other service providers and agents (each, a “Service Provider”; together, the “Service Providers”) to cooperate with CCS and to provide CCS with such information, documents and advice relating as necessary and/or appropriate or as requested by CCS, in order to enable CCS to perform its duties hereunder. In connection with its duties hereunder, CCS shall (without investigation or verification) be entitled and is hereby instructed to, rely upon any and all instructions, advice, information or documents provided to CCS by an officer or authorized representative of the Trust or any Fund (or their authorized designees). CCS shall be entitled to rely on any document that it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party. CCS shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any officer, agent, representative or employee of the Trust or any Service Provider until receipt of written notice thereof. At the request of CCS, each of the Trust and each of its Service Providers will certify periodically that it is in compliance with applicable federal securities laws. The Trust agrees that successful completion of the Services described in this Agreement by CCS will require the active participation and timely response by the Trust and the Service Providers to requests of CCS.

 

C.       Notwithstanding the appointment described herein, the Trust has and retains responsibility for all compliance matters relating to the Trust, including but not limited to compliance with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, including Rule 38a-1 thereunder. Additionally, the Trust acknowledges and agrees that each Service Provider has and retains responsibility for its own compliance obligations under applicable law.

 

II.       COMPENSATION

 

A.      For performing the Base Services, the Trust shall pay CCS a monthly fee in accordance with Exhibit B attached hereto. Such fee shall be payable on a monthly basis in arrears. CCS shall commence charging such fee in the month a fund is declared effective; provided, however, that in the event a fund is not declared effective within 120 days following the performance of any services hereunder in connection with the launch of a fund occurring before such fund is declared effective, the Trust shall pay CCS on a time and materials basis for all such services on a time and materials basis at CCS’s hourly rates described in Exhibit B, which amount shall be credited against future fees payable with respect to such fund in the event such fund is ultimately declared effective.

 

B.       For Additional Services, the Trust shall pay CCS on a time and materials basis at CCS’s hourly rates described in Exhibit B. Such fees shall be payable within 30 days of receiving an invoice.

 

C.       In the event that the Trust materially changes its operations or changes to applicable law would have a material effect on the Trust’s compliance program, CCS shall have the option of increasing the fees described herein upon 30 days written notice to the Trust. In such event, the Trust shall have the option to terminate this Agreement upon 60 days’ notice. In the event that the Trust does not terminate this Agreement within 30 days of receiving a notice of an increase in fees, this Agreement shall continue as described in paragraph V.A.

 

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D.       The Trust agrees to pay any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the Services to be provided under this Agreement, including, without limitation, travel expenses (other than local travel), delivery charges, fax, copying and telephone charges. In certain instances, the Trust will be asked to pay the vendor directly.

 

E.        Amounts payable hereunder that are more than 30 days overdue shall be subject to a service charge of 1% per month.

 

III.      LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION

 

A.       CCS shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except for a loss resulting from CCS’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Furthermore, CCS shall not be liable for (i) any action taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with or in reliance upon written or oral instructions, advice, data, documents or information (without investigation or verification) received by CCS from or on behalf of the Trust or (ii) any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Trust or any past or current Service Provider. CCS may apply to the Board of Trustees or an officer or authorized representative of the Trust (or their authorized designees) at any time for instructions and may consult counsel for the Trust, or its own counsel, and with accountants and other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection with its duties hereunder, and CCS shall not be liable or accountable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such instruction, or with the opinion of such counsel, accountants, or other experts.

 

B.        The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless CCS, its employees, agents, officers, members, affiliates and nominees (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all claims, demands, actions and suits, and from and against any and all judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (a “Claim”) which may be asserted against or incurred by any Indemnified Party or for which any Indemnified Party may be held liable arising out of, are based on, or in any way relate to (i) CCS’s actions or omissions except to the extent a Claim resulted from CCS’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties hereunder; (ii) CCS’s reliance on, implementation of or use of (without investigation or verification) advice, instructions, requests, directions, information, data, records and documents received by CCS from the Adviser, Board of Trustees or any Service Provider or an officer or representative thereof, (iii) any breach of any of the Trust’s obligations, representations or warranties hereunder, or (iv) any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Trust or any past or current Service Provider.

 

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C.        CCS agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, its employees, agents, officers, directors, affiliates and nominees (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses which may be asserted against or incurred by any Indemnified Party or for which any Indemnified Party may be held liable as a result of third party claims, demands, actions, or suits (a “Claim”) that arise out of, are based on, or in any way relate to (i) CCS’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties hereunder; or (ii) any breach of any of CCS’s obligations, representations or warranties hereunder.

 

D.        The Trust shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify the natural person designated as Chief Compliance Officer to the extent named as a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (whether or not such action, suit or proceeding arises or arose by or in the right of the Trust or other entity) by reason of the fact that such person serves or served as Chief Compliance Officer hereunder, against expenses (including, but not limited to, attorneys fees and costs), judgments, fines (including excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding; provided, however, no indemnification shall be provided if a final unappealable judgment or award establishes that such person engaged in intentional misconduct or a transaction from which such person derived an improper personal benefit. Expenses incurred by the CCO in defending a threatened, pending or completed civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Trust.

 

E.         In no event and under no circumstances shall CCS, its affiliates or any of its or their officers, members, agents or employees, be liable to anyone, including, without limitation, the other party, under any theory of tort, contract, strict liability or other legal or equitable theory for lost profits, exemplary, punitive, special, indirect or consequential damages for any act or failure to act under any provision of this Agreement regardless of whether such damages were foreseeable and even if advised of the possibility thereof. The indemnity and defense provisions set forth in this Section shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement.         

 

F.         Notwithstanding any other provision of this agreement, CCS’s liabilities under this Agreement, whether under contract law, tort law, warranty or otherwise shall be limited to direct damages not to exceed the amounts actually received by CCS under this agreement during the 12 months prior to the date of the action giving rise to the claim.

 

G.         Any person, even though also a Trustee, officer, employee, shareholder or agent of CCS, who may be or become an officer, Trustee, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Trust or acting on any business of the Trust and as such shall be indemnified as an officer of the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

4
 

 

IV.      INSURANCE

 

The Trust hereby represents that it maintains insurance coverage for the Trust, including commercially reasonable fidelity bond(s) and errors and omissions, Trustees and officers, and professional liability insurance. The Trust agrees that the designated Chief Compliance Officer provided by CCS will be named as an additional insured person under all such insurance policies and bonds. The Trust further agrees to furnish details of such coverage to CCS upon its request, including a copy of the policy, the identity of the carrier, coverage levels and deductible amounts. The Trust will notify CCS of any modification, reduction or cancellation of such coverage or of any material claims made against such coverage. CCS hereby represents that it maintains errors and omissions insurance.

 

V.       TERMINATION

 

A.        The provisions of this Agreement shall be effective on the Effective Date, shall continue in effect for a period of thirty-six (36) months (“Initial Term”) and shall continue in force for successive one year terms (each, a “Renewal Term”; each of the Initial Term and each Renewal Term shall be referred to as the “Term”), unless otherwise terminated as provided herein. Either party may terminate this Agreement at the end of the Initial Term, or at the end of any subsequent Renewal Term, by giving the other party at least sixty (60) days' prior written notice of such termination specifying the date fixed therefore. This Agreement shall also terminate with in the event of the Trust’s termination, dissolution, or deregistration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may terminate this Agreement at any time upon payment to CCS of the amount that would have been payable for the remainder of the then current term. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may terminate this Agreement by giving CCS ninety (90) days’ prior written notice upon the acquisition of more than 25% of the equity interest in the Adviser by any non-affiliate and such non-affiliate determines to in-source the compliance services described herein.

 

B.         CCS may immediately terminate this Agreement in the event that the Board does not approve the performance of Required Additional Services or in the event that CCS reasonably determines that (a) a Service Provider appointed after the Effective Date hereof would have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s compliance program or (b) the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, the Trust, or any Service Provider takes action or fails to take action that would have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s compliance program. CCS shall cooperate with the Trust to ensure an effective transition to a successor service provider to minimize disruption to the Trust.

 

5
 

 

C.         If a party materially fails to perform its duties and obligations hereunder (a “Defaulting Party”) resulting in a material loss to another party or parties, such other party or parties (the “Non-Defaulting Party”) may give written notice thereof to the Defaulting Party, which such notice shall set forth with sufficient detail the nature of the breach. The Defaulting Party shall have forty-five (45) days from its receipt of notice to cure the breach. If such material breach shall not have been remedied to commercially reasonable operating standards, the Non-Defaulting Party may terminate this Agreement by giving thirty (30) days’ written notice of such termination to the Defaulting Party. If CCS is the Non-Defaulting Party, its termination of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any rights or remedies with respect to services it performed prior to such termination, or the right of CCS to receive such compensation as may be due as of the date of termination or to be reimbursed for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses. In all cases, termination by the Non-Defaulting Party shall not constitute a waiver by the Non-Defaulting Party of any other rights it might have under this Agreement or otherwise against a Defaulting Party.

 

D.         In the event that the Board, in the exercise of its fiduciary responsibility, determines to dismiss the CCO, CCS determines to replace the CCO, or the CCO voluntarily resigns, CCS shall have the opportunity to present a replacement CCO for Board consideration and approval. In the event that CCS is unable or unwilling to present a replacement CCO that is competent and knowledgeable regarding the federal securities laws, the Trust may either appoint its own CCO candidate and continue this Agreement or terminate this Agreement. If the Board approves the new CCO, this Agreement would continue.

 

E.          The Trust shall reimburse CCS, as applicable, for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements incurred by CCS in connection with the Services provided under this Agreement within 30 days of notification to the Trust of such out-of-pocket expenses regardless of whether such out-of-pocket expenses were incurred before or after the termination of this Agreement.

 

F.          No breach of any obligation of a party to this Agreement (other than obligations to pay amounts owed) will constitute an event of default or breach to the extent it arises out of a cause, existing or future, that is beyond the control and without negligence of the party otherwise chargeable with breach or default, including without limitation: war, act of terrorism, earthquake or natural disaster. Either party desiring to rely upon any of the foregoing as an excuse for default or breach will, when the cause arises, give to the other party prompt notice of the facts which constitute such cause; and, when the cause ceases to exist, give prompt notice thereof to the other party. If a force majeure prevents CCS’s performance hereunder for more than thirty (30) days, the Trust may terminate this Agreement on written notice to CCS.

 

VI.      CONFIDENTIALITY

 

A.         All Confidential Information (as defined below) of one party ("Disclosing Party") in the possession of the other ("Receiving Party"), whether or not authorized, shall be held in strict confidence, and the Receiving Party shall take all steps reasonably necessary to preserve the confidentiality thereof. One party's Confidential Information shall not be used or disclosed by the other party for any purpose except as otherwise described herein or as necessary to implement or perform this Agreement, or except as required by law (provided that the other party is given a reasonable opportunity to obtain a protective order). The Receiving Party shall limit its use of and access to the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information to only those of its employees and agents whose responsibilities require such use or access. The Receiving Party shall advise all such employees and agents, before they receive access to or possession of any of the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information, of the confidential nature of the Confidential Information and require them to abide by the terms of this Agreement. The Receiving Party shall be liable for any breach of this Agreement by any of its employees or agents or any other person who obtains access to or possession of any of the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information from or through the Receiving Party.

 

6
 

 

B.          For the purpose of this Section, "Confidential Information" shall mean all business information disclosed by one party to the other in connection with this Agreement unless it is or later becomes publicly available through no fault of the other party or it was or later is rightfully developed or obtained by the other party from independent sources free from any duty of confidentiality. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Confidential Information shall include CCS’s ideas, methods, algorithms, business processes, formulae and concepts used in connection with performing the Services.

 

VII.    NON-EXCLUSIVITY; INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

 

The services of CCS hereunder are not deemed to be exclusive. CCS may render such services and any other services to others. CCS and the CCO shall perform the services hereunder as independent contractors and not as employees of the Adviser. As independent contractors, neither CCS nor the CCO is, and neither shall represent itself or himself to third parties as being, the agent or representative of the Adviser, except as specifically set forth herein. Neither CCS nor the CCO has, and shall not represent itself or himself to third parties as having, actual or apparent power or authority to do or take any action for or on behalf of the Adviser, as its agent, representative or otherwise, except as specifically set forth herein.

 

VIII.   SUBCONTRACTING; STAFF RECRUITMENT

 

A. CCS may, at its expense, subcontract and delegate its responsibilities hereunder to third parties, subject to the prior approval by the Board of Trustees, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, and provided that CCS shall not be relieved of any of its obligations under this Agreement by the appointment of such subcontractor and provided further, that CCS, as applicable, shall be responsible for all acts of such subcontractor as if such acts were its own. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit CCS’s right and ability to utilize independent contractors that are natural persons.

 

B. In the event that any CCS employee or contractor accepts a position with the Trust or any of its affiliates (including the Adviser) at any time during the term of this Agreement and for a period of one year following its termination, the Trust shall pay to CCS a placement fee equal to such person’s annual compensation in effect on the date such person accepts such position. Such fee shall be payable upon commencement of service with the Trust or its affiliate. The terms of this paragraph shall continue notwithstanding termination of this Agreement.

 

7
 

 

IX.     REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Each party represents and warrants to the other party that:

 

1.       It is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, and has full capacity and authority to enter into this agreement and to carry out its obligations hereunder;

 

2.       It has all necessary authorizations, licenses and permits to carry out its business as currently conducted;

 

3.       It has been in, and shall continue to be in compliance in all material respects with all laws and regulations applicable to its business and operations; and

 

4.       This Agreement has been duly authorized and, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties.

 

X.      RECORDS

 

The books and records pertaining to the Trust which are in the possession or under the control of CCS shall be the property of the Trust. The Trust, its Board of Trustees, the officers of the Trust, and their designated representatives shall have access to such books and records at all times during CCS’s normal business hours. Upon reasonable request of the Trust, copies of any such books and records shall be provided by CCS. CCS shall preserve and maintain all books and records relating to its duties hereunder and all other books and records as CCS is required to maintain pursuant to the applicable federal securities laws.

 

XI.     MISCELLANEOUS

 

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case, the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent with the original intent of the parties. The section headings in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning of any provision of this Agreement. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, as follows: Notice to CCS shall be sent to Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC, 500 E. Swedesford Road, Suite 104, Wayne, PA 19087, and notice to the Trust shall be sent to KraneShares Trust, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10019. This Agreement, together with the Exhibits attached hereto, constitutes the entire Agreement of the parties hereto. No waiver, amendment or modification of this Agreement shall be valid unless it is in writing and signed by each party hereto. The waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by such other party. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original agreement but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The facsimile signature of any party to this Agreement shall constitute the valid and binding execution hereof by such party. Each party agrees to perform such further acts and execute such further documents as are necessary to effectuate the purposes hereof.

 

8
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

KRANESHARES TRUST
 
By: /s/ Jonathan Krane
Name:   Jonathan Krane
Title:   CEO

 

CIPPERMAN COMPLIANCE SERVICES, LLC
 
By: /s/ Todd Cipperman
Name:   Todd Cipperman
Title:   Managing Member

 

9
 

 

Exhibit A

 

Services

 

· Provide a designated Chief Compliance Officer;
· Draft, maintain, and implement the Compliance Manual and related policies and procedures;
· Quarterly Board reporting of material compliance issues;
· Attend 4 Board meetings per year including one in person;
· At least annually, meet separately with the Trust’s independent Trustees;
· Distribute the compliance manual and obtain applicable certifications;
· Conduct the annual compliance review as required by Rule 38a-1;
· Maintain a regulatory compliance calendar;
· Manage delivery of privacy notices;
· Assist the Code of Ethics process;
· Review marketing materials for compliance with applicable SEC and FINRA rules;
· Provide real-time advice and guidance to management or the Board with respect compliance and regulatory inquiries;
· Conduct an onsite due diligence review of the operations of each Adviser and Sub-Adviser at least once every 24 months;
· Review the compliance of service providers;
· Inform personnel of compliance responsibilities;
· Conduct two training sessions (up to 3 hours each) per year on topics (and to personnel) designated by Management or the Board; and
· 30 consulting hours per year for any other compliance service not described above, including the following:
- Assisting operational oversight of such areas as proxy voting, anti -money laundering, portfolio compliance, record retention, trading, brokerage, fair valuation, trade errors, correspondence, and client complaints;
- Providing regulatory advice and responding to regulatory inquiries and examinations requiring research and/or writing;
- Responding to regulatory exams conducted by the SEC or FINRA;
- A compliance review required within six months of the Effective Date;
- Assisting with licensing requirements for individuals;
- Providing compliance services to affiliates;
- Conducting initial reviews (each, an “Initial Review”) of the Adviser or Sub-Advisers to assist the Board in determining whether such person's policies and procedures are reasonably designed to prevent violation of the Federal Securities Laws as described in Rule 38a-1(a)(2); and
- Providing other compliance services as reasonably requested.

 

10
 

 

Exhibit B

 

Fees

 

· Per Adviser or Sub-Adviser: $10,000/year (includes first fund managed by Adviser or Sub-Adviser)

 

· Per Portfolio: $5000/year for every additional fund managed by the same Sub-Adviser (assumes Adviser is serves as the adviser) and the Adviser (assuming no Sub-Adviser)

 

· Minimum:

 

- Year 1: $30,000/year
- Year 2: $36,000/year
- Year 3: $42,000/year
- Thereafter: $36,000/year

 

· Fee for Initial Review: $5,000. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge that the fee for Initial Review is in addition to the Trust minimum.

 

Hourly Rate for Additional Services: $350

 

11

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 18, 2013

 

KraneShares Trust

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

 

Re: KraneShares Trust

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to KraneShares Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), in connection with Pre-Effective Amendment Number 2 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about January 18, 2013 (the “Registration Statement”), with respect to the issuance of shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) of the Trust.  You have requested that we deliver this opinion to you in connection with the Trust’s filing of the Registration Statement.

 

In connection with the furnishing of this opinion, we have examined the following documents:

 

(a)  A certificate of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, dated as of a recent date, as to the existence of the Trust;

 

(b)  A copy, certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust dated February 3, 2012 filed with the Secretary of State (the “Certificate of Trust”);

 

(c)  A certificate executed by the Secretary of the Trust, certifying as to, and attaching copies of, the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”), the Trust’s By-Laws, and the resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust authorizing the issuance of the Shares (the “Resolutions”); and

 

(d)  A proof, received January 18, 2013, of the Registration Statement.

 

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to the originals of all of the documents reviewed by us as copies, including conformed copies, the authenticity and completeness of all original documents reviewed by us in original or copy form and the legal competence of each individual executing any document.  We have assumed that the Registration Statement as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission will be in substantially the form of the proof referred to in paragraph (d) above.  We have also assumed for the purposes of this opinion that the Declaration, the Certificate of Trust and the Resolutions will not have been amended, modified or withdrawn and will be in full force and effect on the date of issuance of such Shares.

 

 
 

 

January 18, 2013

Page 2

 

 

This opinion is based entirely on our review of the documents listed above and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion and such investigation of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate.  We have made no other review or investigation of any kind whatsoever, and we have assumed, without independent inquiry, the accuracy of the information set forth in such documents.

 

This opinion is limited solely to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act to the extent that the same may apply to or govern the transaction referred to herein, and we express no opinion with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction or to any other laws of the State of Delaware.  Further, we express no opinion as to any state or federal securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Delaware.  No opinion is given herein as to the choice of law or internal substantive rules of law which any tribunal may apply to such transaction.  In addition, to the extent that the Declaration or the By-Laws refer to, incorporate or require compliance with, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or any other law or regulation applicable to the Trust, except for the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, we have assumed compliance by the Trust with the 1940 Act and such other laws and regulations.

 

We understand that all of the foregoing assumptions and limitations are acceptable to you.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the Declaration and the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable by the Trust.

 

This opinion is given as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update this opinion to reflect any changes in law or any other facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention.  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not concede that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

 

Very truly yours,

 

/s/ Bingham McCutchen LLP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A/A of our report dated January 16, 2013 , relating to the financial statement of KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (a portfolio of KraneShares Trust), which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the references to us under the headings "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "Financial Statements" in such Registration Statement.

 

 

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

January 16, 2013

 

 

 

  

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

 

January 2, 2013

 

 

KraneShares Trust

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

Re:        Subscription for the Purchase of Shares of Beneficial Interest of the KraneShares Trust

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (hereinafter, “we”) hereby subscribes to purchase shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) of the following series of KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”) in the aggregate amount of $100,000 as the initial capital of the Trust, as follows:

 

Fund Number of
Shares
Price per
Share
Aggregate
Price
KraneShares Dow Jones China
Select Dividend ETF
5,000 $20.00 $100,000

 

We will purchase the Shares in a private offering prior to the effective date of the Form N-1A registration statement filed by the Trust under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. We will purchase the Shares for investment purposes and not with the intent of redeeming or reselling. We will purchase the Shares pursuant to Section 14 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 in order to provide the seed capital for the Trust prior to the commencement of the public offering of its Shares.

 

We consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Form N-1A registration statement of the Trust.

 

 
 

 

KraneShares Trust

January 2, 2013

Page 2

 

 

If you agree to these terms, please acknowledge your agreement and acceptance below.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

/s/ Jonathan Krane

Name: Jonathan Krane

Title: Chief Executive Officer,

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

 

 

Agreed and accepted as of January 2, 2013:

 

KraneShares Trust

 

 

/s/ Jonathan Krane

By: Jonathan Krane

Title: Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees

 

 
 

KRANESHARES TRUST

 

DISTRIBUTION PLAN

 

WHEREAS , KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”) is engaged in business as an open-end investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”); and

 

WHEREAS , the Trustees of the Trust have determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that this Distribution Plan will benefit the Funds of the Trust and shareholders (“Shareholders”) who from time to time beneficially own the shares (the “Shares”) of any series of the Trust (the “Funds”) listed on Exhibit A hereto; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Trustees of the Trust adopt this Distribution Plan under which Services Providers will provide, pursuant to a Distribution Agreement, the distribution services stated in Section 2 herein;

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Trustees of the Trust hereby adopt this Distribution Plan.

 

Section 1 . The Trust has adopted this Distribution Plan to enable the Trust to directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of the Shares of the Trust.

 

Section 2 . The Trust will pay Service Providers a fee at the annual rate specified on Exhibit A for distribution services. The Distributor may retain all or a part of this fee as compensation for distribution or shareholder services it provides or it may use such fee to compensate or reimburse other service providers, including financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets, that provide distribution or shareholder services as specified by the Distributor. The actual fee to be paid by the Distributor to such service providers will be negotiated based on the extent and quality of services provided.

 

Section 3 . This Plan shall not take effect with respect to any Fund until it has been approved (a) by a vote of at least a majority of the outstanding Shares of a Fund, if adopted after any public offering of Shares; and (b) together with any related agreements, by votes of the majority of both (i) the Trustees of the Trust and (ii) the Qualified Trustees (as defined herein), cast in person at a Board of Trustees meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan or such agreement.

 

Section 4 . This Plan shall continue in effect for a period of more than one year after it takes effect only for so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in the manner provided in clause (b) of Section 3 herein for the approval of this Plan.

 

Section 5 . Any person authorized to direct the disposition of monies paid or payable by the Trust pursuant to this Plan or any related agreement shall provide to the Trustees of the Trust, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts so expended and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

 

 
 

 

Section 6 . This Plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Shares of the Funds.

 

Section 7 . All agreements with any person relating to implementation of this Plan shall be in writing, and any agreement related to this Plan shall provide (a) that such agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Shares of the Funds, on not more than 60 days’ written notice to any other party to the agreement; and (b) that such agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

Section 8 . This Plan may be amended in the manner provided in clause (b) of Section 3 herein for the approval of this Distribution Plan; provided, however, that the Distribution Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of distribution expenses permitted pursuant to Section 2 with respect to any Fund without the approval of Shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Shares of such Fund.

 

Section 9 . As used in this Plan, (a) the term “Qualified Trustees” shall mean those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Trust, and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or any agreements related to it, and (b) the terms “assignment” and “interested person” shall have the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Section 10 . While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act shall be committed to the discretion of the Trustees then in office who are not interested persons of the Trust.

 

Section 11 . This Plan shall not obligate the Trust or any other party to enter into an agreement with any particular person.

 

Adopted: November 8, 2012

 

 
 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Dated November 8, 2012

 

Distribution Fees

Distribution Services……………………………………………twenty-five basis points (.25%)

 

Calculation of Fees

Distribution fees are based on a percentage of the Funds’ average daily net assets attributable to Shares of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Adopted Pursuant to Rule 17j-1

 

While affirming its confidence in the integrity and good faith of all of its officers and trustees, KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”), recognizes that the knowledge of present or future portfolio transactions and, in certain instances, the power to influence portfolio transactions which may be possessed by certain of its officers, employees and trustees could place such individuals, if they engage in personal transactions in securities which are eligible for investment by the Trust, in a position where their personal interest may conflict with that of the Trust.

 

In view of the foregoing and the prohibitions of Rule 17j-1(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Trust has determined to adopt this Code of Ethics (the “Code”) to specify and prohibit certain types of transactions deemed to create conflicts of interest (or at least the potential for or the appearance of such conflicts), and to establish reporting requirements and enforcement procedures.

 

I. Statement of General Principles.

 

In recognition of the Trust and confidence placed in the Trust by its shareholders, and to give effect to the Trust’s belief that its operations should be directed to the benefit of its shareholders, the Trust hereby adopts the following general principles to guide the actions of its trustees, officers and employees.

 

(1) The interests of the Trust’s shareholders are paramount, and all of the Trust’s personnel must conduct themselves and their operations to give maximum effect to this tenet by assiduously placing the interests of the shareholders before their own.

 

(2) All personal transactions in securities by the Trust’s personnel must be accomplished so as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of such personnel with the interests of the Trust and its shareholders.

 

(3) All of the Trust’s personnel must avoid actions or activities that allow (or appear to allow) a person to profit or benefit from his or her position with respect to the Trust, or that otherwise bring into question the person’s independence or judgment.

 

 
 

 

II. Definitions.

 

(1) “Access Person” shall mean (i) each trustee or officer of the Trust or its investment adviser or sub-advisers, (ii) each employee of the Trust or its investment adviser or sub-advisers (or of any company in a control relationship to the Trust) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of a security by the Trust or any series thereof (each a “Fund”), or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales, (iii) any natural person in a control relationship to the Trust or its investment adviser or sub-advisers who obtains information concerning recommendations made to or by the Trust with respect to the purchase or sale of a security by any Fund, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; (iv) each director, officer or general partner of any principal underwriter for the Trust, but only where such person in the ordinary course either makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund(s), or whose functions relate to the making of recommendations regarding securities to the Fund(s); and (v) any natural person in a control relationship with a Fund or any of the Funds’ advisers or sub-advisers who obtain information concerning recommendations made to the Funds with regard to the purchase or sale of a security.

 

(2) “Beneficial ownership” of a security is to be determined in the same manner as it is for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This means that a person should generally consider himself the beneficial owner of any securities in which he has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest. In addition, a person should consider himself the beneficial owner of securities held by his spouse, his minor children, a relative who shares his home, or other persons by reason of any contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship that provides him with sole or shared voting or investment power.

 

(3) “Control” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. Section 2(a)(9) provides that “control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company. Ownership of 25% or more of a company’s outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder thereof control over the company. Such presumption may be countered by the facts and circumstances of a given situation.

 

(4) “Independent Trustee” means a trustee of the Trust who is not an “interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

 

(5) “Initial Public Offering” (“IPO”) means an offering of Securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) the issuer of which, immediately before registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

(6) “Portfolio Manager” means an individual who is involved in making the purchase or sale decisions of securities for a Fund.

 

(7) “Private Placement” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) of the Securities Act of 1933 or pursuant to Rules 504, 505 or 506 under the 1933 Act.

 

(8) “Special Purpose Investment Personnel” means each Access Person who, in connection with his or her regular functions (including, where appropriate, attendance at meetings of the Board of Trustees (the “Board” or “Trustees”) of the Trust and other meetings at which the official business of the Trust or any Fund thereof is discussed or carried on), obtains contemporaneous information regarding the purchase or sale of a security by a Fund. Special Purpose Investment Personnel shall occupy this status only with respect to those securities as to which he or she obtains such contemporaneous information.

 

 
 

 

(9) “Purchase or sale of a security” includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security.

 

(10) “Review Officer” means the officer of the Trust or the adviser designated from time to time to receive and review reports of purchases and sales by Access Persons. It is recognized that a different Review Officer may be designated with respect to the Trust and the adviser and sub-adviser.

 

(11) “Security” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act, except that it shall not include direct obligations of the Government of the United States, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, shares issued by registered, open-end mutual funds (other than Exchange-Traded Funds) and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements.

 

(12) A Security “held or to be acquired” by the Trust or any Fund means (A) any Security which, within the most recent fifteen days, (i) is or has been held by the Trust or any Fund thereof, or (ii) is being or has been considered by a Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser for purchase by a Fund; (B) and any option to purchase or sell and any Security convertible into or exchangeable for any Security described in (A) above.

 

(13) A Security is “being purchased or sold” by the Trust from the time when a purchase or sale program has been communicated to the person who places the buy and sell orders for the Trust until the time when such program has been fully completed or terminated.

 

III. Prohibited Purchases and Sales of Securities.

 

(1) No Access Person shall, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by such person of a Security held or to be acquired by any Fund of the Trust:

 

(A) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud such Fund;

 

(B) make to such Fund any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to such Fund a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

(C) engage in any act, practice or course of business which would operate as a fraud or deceit upon such Fund; or

 

(D) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to Fund.

 

(2) No Portfolio Manager may purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Security as to which such person is a Portfolio Manager in which he had (or by reason of such transaction acquires) any Beneficial Ownership at any time within 7 calendar days before or after the time that the same (or a related) Security is being purchased or sold by any Fund.

 

 
 

 

(3) No Special Purpose Investment Personnel may profit in the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase of a Security as to which he or she is a Special Purpose Investment Personnel within 60 days of acquiring Beneficial Ownership of that Security.

 

IV. Additional Restrictions and Requirements

 

(1) Pre-approval of Private Placements – Investment Personnel must obtain approval from the Review Officer before acquiring beneficial ownership of any securities offered in connection with an IPO or a Private Placement.

 

(2) Investment Personnel may not purchase Initial Public Offerings (IPO’s)

 

(3) No Access Person shall accept or receive any gift of more than de minimis value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of the Trust.

 

(4) Each Access Person (other than the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act, the “Independent Trustees” and those Trustees and officers who are not currently affiliated with or employed by the Trust’s investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter) who is not required to provide such information under the terms of a code of ethics described in Section VII hereof must provide to the Review Officer a complete listing of all securities owned by such person as of the end of a calendar quarter. The initial listing must be submitted no later than 10 days of the date upon which such person first becomes an Access Person of the Trust, and each update thereafter must be provided no later than 30 days after the start of the subsequent year.

 

V. Reporting Obligations.

 

(1) Each Access Person (other than the Trust’s Independent Trustees) shall report all transactions in Securities in which the person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. Reports shall be filed with the Review Officer quarterly. The Review Officer shall submit confidential quarterly reports with respect to his or her own personal securities transactions to an officer designated to receive his or her reports (“Alternate Review Officer”), who shall act in all respects in the manner prescribed herein for the Review Officer.

 

(2) Every report shall be made not later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected, and shall contain the following information:

 

(A) The date of the transaction, the title and the number of shares or the principal amount of each security involved;

 

(B) The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

 
 

 

(C) The price at which the transaction was effected;

 

(D) The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

(E) The date the report was submitted by the Access Person.

 

(3) In the event no reportable transactions occurred during the quarter, the report should be so noted and returned signed and dated.

 

(4) An Access Person who would otherwise be required to report his or her transactions under this Code shall not be required to file reports pursuant to this Section V where such person is required to file reports pursuant to a code of ethics described in Section VII, hereof.

 

(5) An Independent Trustee shall report transactions in Securities only if such Independent Trustee knew at the time of the transaction or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a trustee, should have known, that during the 15 day period immediately preceding or following the date of the transaction, such security was purchased or sold, or was being considered for purchase or sale, by the Trust. (The “should have known” standard implies no duty of inquiry, does not presume there should have been any deduction or extrapolation from discussions or memoranda dealing with tactics to be employed meeting a Fund’s investment objectives, or that any knowledge is to be imputed because of prior knowledge of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, market considerations, or the Fund’s investment policies, objectives and restrictions.)

 

(6) Any such report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

(7) Each Independent Trustee shall report the name of any publicly-owned company (or any company anticipating a public offering of its equity securities) and the total number of its shares beneficially owned by him or her if such total ownership is more than 1/2 of 1% of the company’s outstanding shares. Such report shall be made promptly after the date on which the Trustee’s ownership interest equaled or exceeded 1/2 of 1%.

 

VI. Review and Enforcement.

 

(1) The Review Officer shall compare all reported personal securities transactions with completed portfolio transactions of the Trust and a list of securities being considered for purchase or sale by the Trust’s investment adviserand sub-adviserto determine whether a violation of this Code may have occurred. Before making any determination that a violation has been committed by any person, the Review Officer shall give such person an opportunity to supply additional explanatory material.

 

 
 

 

(2) If the Review Officer determines that a violation of this Code may have occurred, he shall submit his written determination, together with the confidential monthly report and any additional explanatory material provided by the individual, to the President of the Trust and outside counsel, who shall make an independent determination as to whether a violation has occurred.

 

(3) If the President and outside counsel find that a violation has occurred, the President shall impose upon the individual such sanctions as he or she deems appropriate and shall report the violation and the sanction imposed to the Board of the Trust.

 

(4) No person shall participate in a determination of whether he has committed a violation of the Code or of the imposition of any sanction against himself. If a securities transaction of the President is under consideration, any Vice President shall act in all respects in the manner prescribed herein for the President.

 

VII. Codes of Ethics of Investment Advisers and Principal Underwriters.

 

Each investment adviser to the Trust (including, any sub-adviser), and principal underwriter (where applicable) of the Trust shall:

 

(1) Submit to the Board of the Trust a copy of its code of ethics adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act;

 

(2) Promptly report to the Review Officer of the Trust in writing any material amendments to such code of ethics;

 

(3) Promptly furnish to the Review Officer of the Trust, upon request, copies of any reports made pursuant to such code of ethics by any person who is an Access Person as to the Trust; and

 

(4) Shall immediately furnish to the Trust, without request, all material information regarding any violation of such code of ethics by any person who is an Access Person as to the Trust.

 

VIII. Annual Written Report to the Board.

 

At least once a year, the Review Officer will provide the Board a written report that includes:

 

(1) Issues Arising Under the Codes of Ethics - the Report will describe any issue(s) that arose during the previous year under the Trust’s Code or the codes of ethics of the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter, including any material violations, and any resulting sanction(s).

 

(2) Certification - the Report will certify to the Board that the Trust has adopted measures reasonably necessary to prevent its personnel from violating the Code currently and in the future. The report will also include certifications from the Trust’s investment adviser, sub-adviser and principal underwriter.

 

 
 

 

IX. Records.

 

The Trust shall maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below, which records may be maintained under the conditions described in Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act and shall be available for examination by representatives of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(1) A copy of this Code and any other code which is, or at any time within the past five years has been, in effect shall be preserved in an easily accessible place;

 

(2) A record of any violation of this Code and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;

 

(3) A copy of each report made by an Access Person pursuant to this Code shall be preserved for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; and

 

(4) A list of all persons who are, or within the past five years have been, required to make reports pursuant to this Code shall be maintained in an easily accessible place.

 

(5) A copy of each annual report to the Board will be maintained for at least five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; and

 

(6) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of Securities in an IPO or a Private Placement, shall be preserved for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.

 

X. Miscellaneous

 

(1) Confidentiality. All reports of securities transactions and any other information filed with the Trust pursuant to this Code shall be treated as confidential.

 

(2) Interpretation of Provisions. The Board may from time to time adopt such interpretations of this Code as it deems appropriate.

 

(3) Periodic Review and Reporting. The President of the Trust shall report to the Board at least annually as to the operation of this Code and shall address in any such report the need (if any) for further changes or modifications to this Code.

 

 

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Code of Ethics

 

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (“ Krane ” or the “ Advise r”) is confident that its directors, officers and employees act with integrity and good faith. Krane recognizes, however, that personal interests may conflict with the interests of advisory clients, when officers, directors and employees of Krane know about or have the power to influence current or future client transactions and engage in securities transactions for their personal accounts. To prevent any conflicts of interest and in accordance with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Advisers Act ”), Krane has adopted this Code of Ethics (the “ Code ”) to address transactions that may create conflicts of interest, and to establish reporting requirements and enforcement procedures.

 

This Code applies to all Krane personnel.

 

This Code is based on the principle that the directors, officers and employees of Krane have a fiduciary duty to place the interests of advisory clients first and to conduct all personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere with client transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of the relationship of the director, officer or employee to Krane’s clients. Krane personnel must adhere to this general principle as well as comply with the specific provisions of this Code. Technical compliance with this Code will not insulate from scrutiny trades that indicate an abuse of an individual’s fiduciary duty. In addition, Krane personnel are required to comply with applicable federal securities laws.

 

A. Statement of General Principles

 

In recognition of the trust and confidence our advisory clients have placed in us, Krane hereby adopts the following general principles to guide the actions of its directors, officers and employees:

 

(1) The interests of our clients are paramount. In conducting themselves and the operations of Krane, all Krane personnel must place the interests of our clients before their own.

 

(2) Krane personnel must conduct their personal securities transactions in such a way as to avoid a conflict between their personal interests and the interests of our clients.

 

(3) Krane personnel must avoid actions or activities that allow them, or a member of their family, to profit or benefit from his or her position with Krane, or that otherwise call into question the person’s independent judgment.

 

(4) In conducting themselves and the operations of Krane, Krane personnel must comply with applicable federal securities laws.

 

B. Definitions

 

(1) “ Access Person ” means any director, officer, employee or representative of Krane who:

 

· has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable Fund; or

 

 
 

 

 

· is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to recommendations that are nonpublic.

 

Note : Because Krane’s primary business is to provide investment advice, all of its directors, officers and partners are presumed to be Access Persons.

 

(2) Alternate Review Officer ” is any other person appointed by Krane to review holdings and transaction reports or to perform other duties as may be required to assist the Chief Compliance Officer in fulfilling his or her obligations under this Code.

 

(3) Beneficial Ownership ” of a security is to be interpreted in the same manner as it is for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 16a-1(a)(2) thereunder. This means that a person will generally be considered to have “beneficial ownership” of any security in which he or she has direct or indirect pecuniary (monetary) interest. In addition, a person will be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of securities held by his or her spouse, minor children, a relative who shares the same home, or other persons by reason of any contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship that provides him or her with sole or shared investment power.

 

(4) “Chief Compliance Officer ” means the person(s) appointed by Krane to administer the provisions of this Code. Where this Code requires the Chief Compliance Officer to act, he or she will consult with Krane legal, compliance or management personnel as may be appropriate under the circumstances.

 

(5) Control ” has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 provides that “control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless that power is solely the result of an official position with the company. Ownership of 25% or more of a company’s outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder thereof control over the company; however, this presumption may be countered by the facts and circumstances of a given situation.

 

(6) Initial Public Offering ” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

(7) Limited Offering ” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Section 4(2), Section 4(6), Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 ( i.e. , a private placement).

 

(8) Material ” means that there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider the information important in deciding whether to buy or sell the securities in question or that a reasonable investor could view the information, if disclosed, as having significantly altered the “total mix” of information available.

 

(9) Nonpublic ” means information that has not been made available to investors generally. In this respect, one must be able to point to some fact to show that the information is generally public.

 

 
 

 

 

(10) Purchase or sale of a Reportable Security ” includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Reportable Security and any securities convertible into a Reportable Security.

 

(11) Reportable Fund ” means any registered fund for which Krane or a Krane affiliate (any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with Krane) serves as investment adviser (as defined in Section 2(a)(20) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) or principal underwriter (i.e., Krane China Luxury Fund, Krane China Alternative Energy Fund, Krane China Internet Fund, Krane China Consumer Staples Fund, Krane China Consumer Discretionary Fund, Krane China Five Year Plan Fund and Krane China Urbanization Fund).

 

(12) Reportable Security ” has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, and includes stocks, bonds, investment contracts, profit-sharing agreements, transferable shares, options on securities, limited partnership interests, or in general any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security.” However, in the case of an interest in a limited partnership that invests in securities, the Reportable Security will be the interest in the limited partnership, and not the underlying securities in which the partnership invests, provided that the partnership receives investment advice based on its investment objectives rather than on the individual investment objectives of its limited partners.

 

Reportable Security does not include:

 

· direct obligations of the Government of the United States;
· bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
· shares issued by money market funds;
· shares issued by registered open-end investment companies other than the KraneShares ETFs ;
· shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, none of which are Reportable Funds; and
· any instrument that is not a security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act. These instruments include, but are not limited to:

- futures contracts;

- options on futures contracts;

- general partnership interests, provided generally that the general partnership interest entitles the owner to exercise management control over the partnership; and

- direct interests in real estate.

 

C. Restrictions on Personal Securities Transactions

 

(1) Prohibition Against Fraud, Deceit and Manipulation. No Access Person will, in connection with his or her purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, of a Reportable Security:

 

· employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client;
· make any untrue statement of a material fact to a client or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to a client, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
 
 

 

 

· engage in any act, practice or course of business that would operate as fraud or deceit on a client; or
· engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a client.

 

(2) Pre-Clearance of Initial Public Offerings and Certain Limited Offerings. No Access Person may directly or indirectly acquire beneficial ownership of any security in an Initial Public Offering or in Limited Offerings without prior approval and clearance from the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternative Review Officer. Clearance may be granted if the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer believes that, due to the nature of the investment, the possibility of conflicts is very unlikely to arise and the risk of abuse is minimal or non-existent.

 

(3) Pre-Clearance of Transactions in Securities, Other Than Exempt Securitie s. Access Persons may not buy or sell Securities, other than Exempt Securities, for any account in which he or she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, unless such person obtains, in advance of the transaction, clearance for that transaction from the CCO. The general standards for granting or denying pre-clearance are discussed below, although the CCO retains authority to grant pre-clearance in exceptional circumstances for good cause.

 

A. When and how pre-clearance must be obtained

Access persons must obtain pre-clearance prior to acquiring or disposing of a direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership interest in any Security, other than Exempt Securities. In order to obtain pre-clearance, an Access Person must complete and submit to the CCO a PTR. If the transaction is approved by the CCO, that approval is valid for the day on which it is granted and the immediately following business day. The CCO may revoke a pre-clearance any time after it is granted and before the transaction is executed.

 

B. When will pre-clearance be denied

Pre-clearance will be denied in instances when Adviser is reallocating or rebalancing a strategy and the Security at issue is included within that reallocation or rebalance. Additionally, pre-clearance may be denied for a Security contained within a Restricted or Watch List or during routine daily trading on individual accounts if, in the judgment of the CCO, the level of client activity is sufficient to create the potential for market movement in that Security. The CCO retains the right to deny pre-clearance for any reason whatsoever, without disclosure of the basis for the denial to the Access Person.

 

(4) Blackout Period

 

No Access Person may buy or sell any Security on a day during which it is included within Adviser’s reallocation or rebalancing of a strategy.

 

(5) Restricted or Watch List

 

Adviser may maintain a Restricted or Watch list containing the names of Securities which are determined to be at risk for potential conflicts of interest. The contents of the Restricted or Watch List are to be maintained exclusively by the CCO or their delegate. The basis for denials related to a Security’s presence on the Restricted or Watch Lists are not required to be disclosed to the Access Person seeking pre-clearance.

 

 

D. Application of Pre-Clearance Requirement

 

 
 

 

 

(1) Special Considerations for Limited Offerings. In determining whether to approve a request for the purchase or sale of securities in a Limited Offering, the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer will consider, among other things, the following:

 

· Possibility of Future Impact on Clients . The Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer will consider whether there is any reasonable likelihood that the company making the Limited Offering, or any companies it owns or controls, might in the foreseeable future make an Initial Public Offering of securities that might be appropriate investments for clients. Among other things, the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer will, as appropriate, consult with persons with the authority to make investment decisions for clients to determine whether, based on a reasonable judgment and the facts known at the time of the pre-clearance request, the securities would reasonably be expected to be appropriate investments for clients.

 

· Size of Investment . The Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer will consider the size of the potential investment ( i.e. , the percent of outstanding securities of the issuing entity of which the Access Person will be deemed to have Beneficial Ownership).

 

(2) Discretion of Chief Compliance Officer. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 of this section, the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer may refuse to grant clearance for any transaction if he or she deems the transaction to involve a conflict of interest, possible diversion of a corporate opportunity, or any appearance of impropriety.

 

(3) Pre-Clearance of the Chief Compliance Officer’s Personal Securities Transactions. The Chief Compliance Officer will clear his or her own personal securities transactions in advance through an Alternate Review Officer.

 

(4) Effectiveness of Pre-Clearance. Clearance is effective, unless earlier revoked, until the earlier of: (i) the close of business on the trading day that clearance was granted, or (ii) the time the Access Person learns that the information provided to the Chief Compliance Officer in the Access Person’s request for clearance is not accurate. The Chief Compliance Officer or the Alternate Review Officer may revoke clearance at any time.

 

(1) Gifts. All Access Persons are prohibited from receiving any gift or other thing of more than de minimus value (e.g. $300) from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of any client of Krane, or seeks to do business with or on behalf of a client. Gifts in excess of this value must either bet returned to the donor or paid for by the recipient. All gifts must be reported in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer no more than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter. The foregoing restrictions do not apply to customary and occasional (i) business meals, (ii) tickets to sports or cultural events, or (iii) business entertainment that is an incidental part of a meeting that has a clear business purpose.

 

(2) Service as Director of Publicly Traded Companies . Krane employees are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization based upon the determination that such board service would not be inconsistent with the interests of any Client.

 

 
 

 

 

(3) Insider Trading--Prevention of Misuse of Material, Non-Public Information. In accordance with Section 204A of the Advisers Act the following procedures are adopted to prevent the misuse of Material, Non-Public Information. All employees (which term includes all Access Persons) are prohibited from, directly or indirectly, buying, selling or otherwise trading on Material, Non-Public Information for their personal accounts or on behalf of any Client. Neither will such person disclose such information to anyone other than legal counsel. The terms “buying,” “selling” and “otherwise trading” are deemed to include the purchase or writing of put and call options and other derivative transactions with similar economic effects. Except as otherwise provided in this Policy, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, the transaction restrictions set forth in this section are deemed to apply even if the proposed transaction would, in fact, be based upon information or circumstances independent of the Material, Non-Public Information. “ Material, Non-Public Information ” is any information: (i) about a company, or (ii) the market for the company's securities, (iii) which has come directly or indirectly from the company or from an outsider to the company in a position to influence the market for the securities of the company, (iv) which has not been disclosed generally to the marketplace, (v) the dissemination of which is likely to affect the market price of any of the company's securities or is likely to be considered important by a reasonable investor in determining whether to trade in such securities. An Access Person should consider material information to be non-public unless he or she can identify the manner in which the information has been made public; for example, it’s being announced on the broad tape, contained in a report filed with the SEC, or published in a trade journal or a widely circulated newspaper. “ Material Information ” is generally defined as information which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider is important in making his or her investment decisions, or information which is reasonably certain to have an effect on the price of a company's securities. All employees should assume that information is “material” if it relates to such matters as dividend increases or decreases, earnings estimates, significant expansion or curtailment of operations, significant increase or decline in orders for products of the company, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, significant new products or discoveries, extraordinary management changes or the purchase or sale of substantial assets. Material information can, of course, come directly from the company or its affiliates, professional advisers or others associated with the company who may be considered “insiders” (“ inside information ”). However, it can also come from a complete outsider to the company who is in a position to affect the market price of the securities of the company. For example, in Carpenter v. U.S., 108 U.S. 316 (1987), the Supreme Court considered as material certain information about the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that was expected to affect the market price of a security. In that case, a Wall Street Journal reporter was found criminally liable for disclosing to others the dates when reports on various companies would appear in the Wall Street Journal and whether those reports would be favorable or not.

 

(4) Dissemination of Information. All employees are prohibited from revealing information relating to current or anticipated investment intentions, portfolio transactions or activities of Clients except to persons whose responsibilities require knowledge of the information.

 

(5) Payments and Gifts to Government Officials. Krane requires all of its employees to comply strictly with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “ FCPA ”) and applicable foreign (non-U.S.) anti-bribery laws regarding foreign officials in each jurisdiction in which we do business. Generally, these laws and regulations prohibit offering or giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments, foreign political candidates, or their family members in order to obtain or retain business, to unduly influence an official action, or to gain an unfair advantage. These payments are illegal and expose Krane and individuals personally to severe criminal, civil and regulatory penalties. “ Anything of value ” includes direct or indirect promises, payments, and offers of money or gifts to foreign officials whether in the form of profit, fee, charitable or political contribution, or in any other form. Paying for a foreign official’s travel expenses, meals and entertainment may also violate anti-bribery laws. Anti-bribery laws and regulations apply to all dealings that Krane officers, employees, consultants, contractors, intermediaries, agents, and any other third-party representatives of the company have with foreign officials. The term “ foreign official ” includes any employee of a government or state-owned or state-controlled entity (even if the person or entity is performing what might be considered commercial functions) and may include political party officials. If there is any question as to what constitutes “anything of value” or to whether a person or entity is a foreign official, you must seek guidance from the compliance department or the general counsel department. In addition to its anti-bribery provisions, the FCPA prescribes extensive books, records and audit requirements.
 
 

 

E. Reporting Obligations

 

(1) Initial Holdings Report. Each Access Person must submit a list of all Reportable Securities for which he or she had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, as well as a list of any broker, dealer or bank account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, as of the date he or she first becomes subject to this Code’s reporting requirements. The Initial Holdings Report must be submitted to the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer within ten (10) days of the date the Access Person becomes subject to this Code’s reporting requirements. An Initial Holdings Report Form is attached as Exhibit B .

 

(2) Annual Holdings Report. On an annual basis, each Access Person must submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer a list of all Reportable Securities for which he or she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, as well as a list of any broker, dealer or bank account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person. The list of Reportable Securities and accounts contained in the Annual Holdings Report must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the submission of the Annual Holdings Report. An Annual Holdings Report Form is attached as Exhibit C .

 

(3) Quarterly Transaction Reports.

 

(a) On a quarterly basis, each Access Person must report any transaction during a quarter in a Reportable Security in which he or she has (or by virtue of the transaction acquires) any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, as well as any broker, dealer or bank account established during the quarter in which securities are held for his or her direct or indirect benefit. Each Access Person must submit the Quarterly Transaction Report to the Alternative Review Officer no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter. A Quarterly Transaction Report Form is included as Exhibit A .
 
 

 

 

 

(b) In the event that no reportable transactions occurred during the quarter and no securities accounts were opened, the Access Person is still required to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report. The Access Person should note on the report that there were no reportable items during the quarter, and return it, signed and dated.

 

(c) As an alternative to listing security transactions on a Quarterly Transaction Report, an Access Person may arrange for the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer to receive duplicate copies of trade confirmations and periodic account statements directly from the broker-dealer. The trade confirmations and periodic account statements must contain all required information and the Quarterly Transaction Report must be received by the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the calendar quarter.

 

(4) Exemptions from Reporting. An Access Person is not subject to the reporting requirements in (1), (2), and (3) above for purchases or sales effected for any account over which he or she does not have any direct or indirect influence or control.

 

(5) Alternate Review Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer will submit his or her own reports required by this section to an Alternate Review Officer for review.

 

(6) Disclaimer of Beneficial Ownership. Any report required by this section may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission by the person making the report that he or she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Reportable Security to which the report relates.

 

G. Review and Enforcement

 

(1) The Chief Compliance Officer will notify each person who becomes an Access Person of the Adviser and who is required to report under this Code of their reporting requirements no later than ten (10) days before the first quarter in which the person is required to begin reporting.

 

(2) The Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officers will, on a quarterly basis, compare reported personal securities transactions with completed transactions of Krane’ advisory clients during the period to determine whether a violation of this Code may have occurred. In determining whether a violation occurred, the Chief Compliance Officer or Alternate Review Officer will consult with appropriate Krane personnel and they will consider the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence along with any explanation and discussion by interested and/or involved parties and their supervisors.

 

(3) If a violation is found to have occurred, the Chief Compliance Officer and appropriate Krane personnel will impose, after consultation with outside counsel (as appropriate), corrective action as they deem appropriate under the circumstances.

 

(4) Krane will impose sanctions that range from oral warnings for the first violation, to written warnings, consideration of Code violations in determining bonuses, suspension, and termination.

 

H. Records

 
 

 

 

 

The Adviser will maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below. These records will be available for examination by representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(1) A copy of this Code and any other code of ethics adopted by Krane that is, or at any time within the past five years has been, in effect (maintained in an easily accessible place).

 

(2) A record of any violation of this Code and of any action taken or sanction imposed as a result of any violation (maintained in an easily accessible place for a period of at least five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs).

 

(3) A copy of each report submitted under this Code, including any information provided in lieu of any reports made under the Code (maintained for a period of at least five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place).

 

(4) A record of all persons, currently or within the past five years, who are or were required to submit reports under this Code, and those persons who are or were responsible for reviewing the reports (maintained in an easily accessible place).

 

(5) A copy of all written acknowledgements as required by paragraph 3 of section I of this Code for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a supervised person of the Adviser.

 

(6) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities acquired in a Limited Offering (maintained for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted).

 

I. Miscellaneous

 

(1) Confidentiality. All reports of securities transactions and any other information filed with Krane pursuant to this Code will be treated as confidential. However, we may disclose copies of reports and information to the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise required by law.

 

(2) Interpretation of Provisions. Krane may from time to time adopt interpretations of this Code as it deems appropriate.

 

(3) Distribution of Code, Acknowledgement of Receipt and Annual Certification of Compliance. All Krane personnel will receive a copy of this Code and any amendments. Within 10 days of receiving any initial or amended copy of this Code, and each year thereafter, each person will sign and return the compliance certification attached as Exhibit D .

 

(4) Reporting Violations. Any violation of this Code must be promptly reported to Krane’s Chief Compliance Officer, an Alternate Review Officer, or other member of Krane’s Compliance Department.

 

 
 

 

Exhibit A

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

Quarterly Personal Securities Transaction Report

 
Name of Reporting Person:

 

_________________________

Calendar Quarter Ended:

 

__________________________

 

Date Report Due:

 

__________________________

 

Date Submitted:

 

___________________________

 

Securities Transactions* (Note: Transactions in both Public and Private ( i.e. , limited offerings) Reportable Securities are required to be reported, unless otherwise exempted under the Code.)

 

Date of Transaction Title of Reportable Security and ticker or CUSIP No. of Shares or Principal Amount Maturity Date and Interest Rate (if applicable) Type of Transaction (buy, sell or other - describe) Price Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank Effecting Transaction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
____ I had no transactions involving Reportable Securities during the preceding calendar quarter that were required to be reported.
____ I had transactions involving Reportable Securities during the preceding calendar quarter for non-Krane accounts and I have either supplied all of the required information on this form or have arranged for the Chief Compliance Officer to receive duplicate copies of trade confirmations and periodic account statements that contain all of the information listed above.
____ I had transactions involving Reportable Securities during the preceding calendar quarter for Krane accounts and the information listed above is located on the trading report, which will be attached to this form.

 

* The report or recording of any transaction noted above will not be construed as an admission that I have beneficial ownership of one or more of the Reportable Securities reported above.

 

Securities Accounts

 

If you established a securities account during the quarter, please provide the following information:

 

 

Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank

 

 

Date Account was Established

 

 

Name(s) on and Type of Account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____       I did not establish a securities account during the preceding calendar quarter.

 

 
 

I certify that I have included on this report all transactions in Reportable Securities and accounts required to be reported pursuant to the Code of Ethics.

 

________________________________________ ________________________________
(Signature)  (Date)

 

 
 

 

 

Exhibit B

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

Initial Holdings Report

 

 

Name of Reporting Person:

 

_____________________________

Date Person Became Subject to the Code:

 

_____________________________

 

Date Report Due:

 

_____________________________

 

Date Submitted:

 

_____________________________

 

Information Provide as of:

 

 

_____________________________

 

[ Note : Date person became subject to Code and as of date should be the same.]

 

Securities Holdings* (Note: Holdings in both Public and Private ( i.e. , limited offerings) Reportable Securities are required to be reported, unless otherwise exempted under the Code.)

 

Title of Reportable Security Ticker or CUSIP Type of security (Common, preferred, bond, etc.) No. of Shares or Principal Amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____ I have no holdings in Reportable Securities to report.
____ I have holdings in Reportable Securities to report and I have either supplied all of the required information on this form or have attached a copy of my most recent account statement that contains all of the information listed above.
   
* The report or recording of any holding in Reportable Securities noted above will not be construed as an admission that I have beneficial ownership of one or more of the Reportable Securities reported above.

 

Securities Accounts

 

 

Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank

 

 

Name(s) on and Type of Account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____ I have no securities accounts to report.

 

I certify that I have included on this report all holdings in Reportable Securities and accounts required to be reported pursuant to the Code of Ethics.

 

 

 
(Signature)  (Date)
 
 

Exhibit C

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

Annual Holdings Report

 

 

Name of Reporting Person:

 

_____________________________

Calendar Year Ended:

 

_____________________________

 

Date Report Due:

 

_____________________________

 

Date Submitted:

 

_____________________________

 

Information Provided as of:

 

 

_____________________________

 

[ Note : Information should be current as of a date no more than 30 days before this report is submitted.]

 

Securities Holdings* (Note: Holdings in both Public and Private ( i.e. , limited offerings) Reportable Securities are required to be reported, unless otherwise exempted under the Code.)

 

Title of Reportable Security Ticker or CUSIP Type of security (Common, preferred, bond, etc.) No. of Shares or Principal Amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____ I have no holdings in Reportable Securities to report for the year.
____ I have holdings in Reportable Securities in non-Krane accounts to report and I have either supplied all of the required information on this form or have attached a copy of my most recent account statement that contains all of the information listed above.
____ I have holdings in Reportable Securities in Krane accounts to report and the information listed above is located on the trading report, which will be attached to this form.
   
* The report or recording of any holdings in Reportable Securities noted above will not be construed as an admission that I have beneficial ownership of one or more of the Reportable Securities reported above.

 

Securities Accounts

 

 

Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank

 

 

Date Account Was Established

 

 

Name(s) on and Type of Account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
____ I have no securities accounts to report for the year.

 

I certify that I have included on this report all holdings in Reportable Securities and accounts required to be reported pursuant to the Code of Ethics.

 

 
(Signature)  (Date)

 

 
 

Exhibit D

 

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

Compliance Certification

 

 

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Initial / Modified Code

 

I acknowledge that I:

* have received, read and reviewed the Krane Code of Ethics;

* understand the policies and procedures in the Krane Code of Ethics;

* recognize that I am subject to these policies and procedures;

* understand the penalties for non-compliance;

* will fully comply with the Krane Code of Ethics

* have fully and accurately completed this Certification.

 

Signature:

_________________________

 

Date Submitted: _________________________
Name:

_________________________

(please print)

Due Date:

 

_________________________
 

 

Annual Certification

 

I certify that I:

* have received, read and reviewed the Krane Code of Ethics;

* understand the policies and procedures in the Krane Code of Ethics;

* recognize that I am subject to these policies and procedures;

* understand the penalties for non-compliance;

* have complied with the Krane Code of Ethics and any applicable reporting requirements during this past year;

* have fully disclosed any exceptions to my compliance with the Krane Code of Ethics below;

* will fully comply with the Krane Code of Ethics

* have fully and accurately completed this Certification.

 

Exceptions: 

 

 

Signature:

________________________

 

Date Submitted: ________________________
Name:

________________________

(please print)

Due Date:

 

________________________

 

 

 

 

VTL ASSOCIATES, LLC

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the

Investment Advisers Act of 1940

 

 

STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

 

The responsibility of an investment adviser is to render professional, unbiased advice to clients regarding investment advisory and securities selections and asset allocation decisions. VTL Associates, LLC (the “Adviser”) devotes itself primarily to the performance of these advisory functions and services incidental thereto.

 

Neither the Adviser nor any of the Adviser’s affiliates, principals, members or employees should, directly or indirectly, engage in any activity that jeopardizes the Adviser’s ability to render unbiased investment advice to the Adviser’s clients.

 

The Adviser provides professional guidance and advice for exchange-traded funds, municipal pension plans, corporations, institutions and trusts in the form of discretionary and non-discretionary investment adviser selection, the development of investment policy, the creation of asset allocation objectives, securities selections in an alternative weight equity index program and other analyses. Standards of the profession require that the Adviser’s employees devote themselves primarily to these functions and that every effort be made to eliminate bias and potential conflicts of interest from the employees’ advice. Principals, members and employees of the Adviser should avoid security transactions and activities for their own or for other non-client accounts that might conflict with or be detrimental to the interest of clients.

 

Each employee is expected to review these Standards of Professional Conduct (“Standards”), the Adviser’s Code of Ethics (the “Code”) and Insider Trading Policy, and the Code of Ethics of the RevenueShares ETF Trust (“Trust Code”) on at least an annual basis, and to comply, as applicable, with the requirements of each document. A copy of the Adviser’s Insider Trading Policy is attached as Appendix A. The Trust Code is included in the Trust’s Compliance Manual. Each employee is required to file with the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) an Annual Compliance Certification, certifying compliance with the Standards, the Code and the Insider Trading Policy. A copy of the Annual Compliance Certification is attached as Appendix B. Each employee is also required to file with the CCO a Quarterly Compliance Certification, a copy of which is attached as Appendix C.

 

Information concerning the investment program and financial circumstances of clients is confidential. The confidentiality of clients should be scrupulously observed and respected by all Adviser personnel during the investment counsel-client relationship and thereafter. Principals and employees of the Adviser are prohibited from disclosing the identity, investment program or affairs of any client without the client’s proper authorization, and shall certify their compliance with such disclosure restrictions in the Employee Confidentiality Agreement, which is attached as Appendix D.

 

Adopted as of January 3, 2005; Amended as of January 3, 2006 and February 5, 2008.

 

 
 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

General

 

This Code of Ethics (the “Code”) is adopted by VTL Associates, LLC (the “Adviser”) pursuant to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). Rule 204A-1 was enacted to prevent persons who are actively engaged in investment advisory services or portfolio selection for clients from participating in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts, practices or courses of conduct in connection with the purchase or sale of securities held or to be acquired by such clients.

 

In particular, this Code is intended to establish certain standards of business conduct to which the Access Persons (as defined below) of the Adviser are expected to adhere. This Code is designed to uphold the following principles: (1) that the Adviser’s duty at all times is to place the interests of the Adviser’s clients first; (2) that all personal securities transactions conducted by an officer, member or employee of the Adviser shall be conducted consistently with the provisions of this Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of that individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and (3) that the Adviser’s officers, members and employees shall not take inappropriate advantage of their positions with the Adviser.

 

1. Definitions

 

(a) “Adviser” means VTL Associates, LLC.

 

(b) “Access Person” means: any Supervised Person of the Adviser who (A) has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchases or sales of securities, or (B) is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic.

 

(c) “Automatic Investment Plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

(d) A person is considered to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if he/she has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in such a security. In addition, a person is considered to be a beneficial owner of securities held by the following:

 

1) his/her spouse or minor children;

 

2) a relative who shares his/her household; or

 

3) other persons by reason of any contract, arrangement, understanding or other relationship that provides him/her with sole or shared voting or investment power over the securities held by such person.

 

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(e) “Chief Compliance Officer” means Janaya Moscony, SEC Compliance Consultants, Inc., or any other individual designated by the Adviser, or his/her designee, with the authority and responsibilities set forth in this Code. Ms. Moscony can be contacted at 610.455.9261 x114 or at janaya@seccc.com.

 

(f) “Client” means any person or entity that has entered into an investment management agreement with the Adviser.

 

(g) “Control” is presumed if any person beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of an issuer.

 

(h) “Covered Security” means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security,” or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. “Covered Security” includes Initial Public Offerings, Limited Offerings ( i.e. , private transactions), and interests in limited partnerships or hedge funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Covered Security” does not include:

 

(1) direct obligations of the Government of the United States;

 

(2) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 

(3) shares issued by open-end money market investment companies; and

 

(4) shares issued by open-end investment companies for which the Adviser does not serve as investment adviser.

 

(i) “Federal Securities Laws” mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and any rules adopted by the SEC under those statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to investment companies and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

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(j) “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the 1933 Act, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

(k) “Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under sections 4(2) or 4(6) of the 1933 Act, or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505, or Rule 506 under the 1934 Act.

 

(l) “Purchase or sale of a security” includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security.

 

(m) “Supervised Person” means any employee of the Adviser who: (A) provides investment advice on behalf of the Adviser, and (B) is subject to the supervision and control of the Adviser with respect to its activities that are subject to the Advisers Act. 1

 

(n) “Trust” refers to RevenueShares ETF Trust, and its series shall be referred to as “Funds.”

 

2. EXEMPTED TRANSACTIONS

 

The prohibitions of Section 3 of this Code shall not apply to:

 

(a) Transactions effected for, and Covered Securities held in, any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

(b) Purchases or sales of securities that are not eligible for purchase or sale for Clients by the Adviser;

 

(c) Purchases or sales that are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or the Adviser;

 

(d) Purchases that are part of an Automatic Investment Plan; and

 

(e) Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired.

 

3. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS AND CONDUCT IN ANY ACCOUNT IN WHICH AN ACCESS PERSON HAS A BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

(a) Fraudulent Purchase or Sale . Access Persons may not, directly or indirectly, in connection with the purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired for a Client by the Adviser:

 


1 For example, independent solicitors or consultants who do not provide investment advice to clients on behalf of the Adviser are not Supervised Persons.

 

 

4
 
1) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Client or the Adviser;

 

2) make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Client or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Client, in light of the circumstances under which the statements are made, not misleading;

 

3) engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on the Client; or

 

4) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Client.

 

(b) Initial Public Offerings and Limited Offerings . Access Persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering or a Limited Offering without obtaining the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer. A writing establishing the facts relating to this exemption must be filed with the Chief Compliance Officer no later than the next Quarterly Transactions Report described under Section 5(b) below.

 

(c) Gifts . Gifts are covered by the Adviser’s Policy on Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions .

 

(d) Service as a Director . Other than with respect to the Trust, an Access Person may not serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company without prior written authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

(e) Confidentiality . Access Persons are prohibited from revealing to any other person, except in the normal course of business of performing the Access Persons’ duties for the Adviser, any information regarding the investment program for Clients by the Adviser. The Adviser’s employees annually shall certify their compliance with these requirements on the Adviser’s Employee Confidentiality Agreement, which is attached as Appendix D.

 

(f) Compliance with Federal Securities Laws . Each Access Person shall comply with the applicable Federal Securities Laws.

 

4. SECTION 204A

 

Employees of the Adviser are subject to section 204A of the Advisers Act. Section 204A requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. (Attached to this Code as Appendix A is a copy of the Adviser’s Insider Trading Policy.)

 

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5. REPORTING

 

(a) Initial Holdings Report . Every Access Person shall, within ten days of the earlier of: (a) becoming an Access Person, or (b) the effective date of this Code, promptly direct every broker, dealer or bank maintaining an account with Covered Securities that the Access Person directly or indirectly beneficially owns, to provide duplicate confirmations of all transactions in securities and account statements, and provide the Chief Compliance Officer with an Initial Holdings Report, listing the following information (which information must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days prior to the date the person became an Access Person):

 

1) the title and type of security and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of all Covered Securities directly or indirectly beneficially owned by the Access Person as of the date when he/she became an Access Person;

 

2) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintained an account in which any Covered Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the date he/she became an Access Person; and

 

3) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

(b) Quarterly Transactions Report . No later than thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall submit a Quarterly Transactions Report, listing the following information:

 

1) the date and nature of each Covered Security transaction effected during the previous quarter (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition) in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest;

 

2) the title and type of security and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, as applicable, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security, and the price at which the transaction was effected;

 

3) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected;

 

4) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person established an account in which any Covered Securities were held during the preceding quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, and the date on which such account was established; and

 

5) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

6
 

 

(c) Annual Holdings Report . No later than thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year, each Access Person shall submit an Annual Holdings Report, listing the following information:

 

1) the title and type of security and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of all Covered Securities directly or indirectly beneficially owned by the Access Person as of the end of the calendar year;

 

2) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintained an account in which any Covered Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the end of the calendar year; and

 

3) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

(d) Exceptions from Reporting Requirements . The reporting requirements contained in this Section 5 of the Code:

 

1) Shall not apply to transactions effected for, and Covered Securities held in, any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

2) Shall be deemed to have been satisfied, with respect to Quarterly Transactions Reports by an Access Person, if the report would duplicate information contained in broker trade confirmations or account statements received by the Adviser with respect to the Access Person no later than thirty days following the end of each calendar quarter; and

 

3) Shall not apply with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

 

Any Initial Holdings, Quarterly Transaction or Annual Holdings Report may contain a statement that the Report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he/she has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Covered Securities to which the Report relates.

 

6. ADMINISTRATION

 

(a) Sanctions . Upon discovering a violation of this Code or the Standards of Professional Conduct, the President of the Adviser, in consultation with the Chief Compliance Officer, may impose such sanctions as he deems appropriate including, among other things, a letter of censure, suspension or termination of the employment of the violator and/or disgorgement of any ill-gotten gains or avoidance of losses.

 

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(b) Annual Compliance Certification . Each Access Person shall receive a copy of this Code at the time of his/her appointment, employment or other engagement, and a copy of any amendment made to the Code at any time, and shall certify annually that:

 

1) he/she has received, read and understands the Code, any amendments thereto, and recognizes that he/she is subject thereto;

 

2) he/she has complied with the requirements of the Code;

 

3) he/she has reported all personal securities transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code;

 

4) he/she has reported the names of each broker, dealer and/or bank with whom the employee has a securities account (or where there is located any employee-related account or any beneficial ownership account); and

 

5) other than as disclosed in the Annual Certification, the Access Person has no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest that may involve Client accounts.

 

The Annual Compliance Certification, confirming compliance by Access Persons with the Standards of Professional Conduct, Code and Insider Trading Policy, is attached as Appendix B to this Code.

 

(c) Quarterly Compliance Certification . Each Access Person shall certify quarterly (other than for the quarter covered by the Annual Compliance Certification) that:

 

1) he/she has complied with the requirements of the Code;

 

2) he/she has reported all personal securities transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code; and

 

3) he/she has reported the names of each broker, dealer and/or bank with whom the employee has a securities account (or where there is located any employee-related account or any beneficial ownership account).

 

The Quarterly Compliance Certification is attached as Appendix C to this Code.

 

(d) Amendments . The Chief Compliance Officer shall periodically review the Code, and evaluate the effectiveness of the Code’s implementation and the operation of its provisions. Based on this review, the Code may be amended by the Adviser as it deems necessary, desirable or appropriate from time to time.

 

(e) Reporting of Violations . All Supervised Persons are required to report any violations of the Code to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

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(f) Disclosure . The Adviser shall include appropriate summary disclosures regarding the Code in Part II of its Form ADV.

 

7. RECORDS

 

The following records shall be maintained by the Adviser for a period of not less than five years:

 

(a) A copy of the Code;

 

(b) Records of any violations of the Code and actions taken by the Adviser in response to such violations;

 

(c) Copies of Access Person reports and broker-dealer confirmations and account statements;

 

(d) Lists of Access Persons; and

 

(e) Records of any decisions, and the reasons supporting such decisions, to approve the acquisition by Access Persons of Covered Securities in an Initial Public Offering or Limited Offering.

 

 

 

 

 

* * * * * *

 

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APPENDIX A

 

VTL ASSOCIATES, LLC

 

INSIDER TRADING POLICY

 

 

Under the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 (“ITSFEA”), VTL Associates, LLC (the “Adviser”) must establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information. This Insider Trading Policy is designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by the Adviser and its officers, members and employees. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Insider Trading Policy shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Adviser’s Code of Ethics & Standards of Professional Conduct (the “Code”).

 

An employee should contact the Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser if the employee becomes aware of an actual or potential insider trading violation or a violation of this Insider Trading Policy.

 

GENERAL

 

The Adviser expressly forbids any officer, member or employee from either trading (whether personally, or on behalf of the Adviser’s account or other accounts managed by the Adviser) on material nonpublic information, or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of federal law. This conduct is generally referred to as “insider trading.”

 

1. DEFINITIONS

 

(a) The concept of “insider” is broad. It includes officers, members and employees of a limited liability company. In addition, a person can be a “temporary insider” if he/she enters into a special confidential relationship in the conduct of a company’s affairs and, as a result, is given access to information solely for the company’s purposes. A temporary insider can include, among others, a company’s attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers and the employees of such organizations. In addition, the Adviser may become a temporary insider of a company it advises or for which it performs other services.

 

(b) “Material information” generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his/her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. Information that employees should consider material includes, but is not limited to: dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems and extraordinary management developments. Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material.

 

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(c) Information is “nonpublic” until it has been effectively communicated to the marketplace. One must be able to point to some fact to show that the information is generally public ( i.e. , it is published in an SEC report or in a publication of general circulation).

 

2. PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT THE ADVISER’S PROHIBITIONS AGAINST INSIDER TRADING

 

(a) Code of Ethics . Each Access Person must comply with the Code governing personal trading, including the reporting of personal securities trades and security holdings, and restrictions on personal securities trades under certain circumstances.

 

(b) Oversight by Chief Compliance Officer . The Chief Compliance Officer periodically will review the personal securities transactions of Access Persons to verify compliance with the Code and to detect insider trading (e.g., by comparing such trades and securities listed on “restricted” and “watch” lists). In particular, to detect insider trading, the Chief Compliance Officer may, if applicable:

 

1) review the Initial Holdings, Quarterly Transaction and Annual Holdings Reports filed by each Access Person;

 

2) promptly investigate all reports of any possible violations of the Insider Trading Policy; and

 

3) coordinate the review of such reports with other appropriate officers, members or employees of the Adviser.

 

(c) Information Blocking Devices .

 

1) When one or more employees (“Inside Employees”) receive material, nonpublic information about a company while serving on a creditors' committee or in any other capacity that, in the opinion of the Chief Compliance Officer, necessitates information blocking devices (such as so-called “Ethical Walls”), no employee or Client account may trade in securities issued by such company until information blocking devices designed to block the flow of such information between the Inside Employees and other employees of the Adviser are in place.

 

2) Information blocking devices shall prohibit:

 

a) the Inside Employee(s) from discussing the material, nonpublic information with other employees unless those employees are also Inside Employees; and

 

b) access by non-Inside Employees to any files, including computer files, containing the material, nonpublic information, and systems will be implemented to prevent such access.

 

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(d) Restricted Lists and Watch Lists .

 

1) At his or her discretion, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will place certain securities on a “restricted list.” Employees are prohibited from personally, or on behalf of a Client, purchasing or selling such securities during any period the securities are included on a restricted list. Securities issued by companies about which employees are expected regularly to have material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the restricted list. The Chief Compliance Officer shall take steps to immediately inform all employees of the securities listed on the restricted list.

 

2) At his or her discretion, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will place certain securities on a “watch list.” Securities issued by companies about which a limited number of employees possess material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the watch list. The watch list will be disclosed only to the Chief Compliance Officer and a limited number of other persons who are deemed to be appropriate by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

(e) Private Placement Memoranda . Any private placement memorandum received by the Adviser shall be delivered promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee, who shall:

 

1) log in the name of the issuer, the date the memorandum was received by the Adviser, and the names of the addressee and sender of the memorandum;

 

2) file the memorandum in a locked file cabinet;

 

3) notify the addressee of the arrival of the memorandum;

 

4) place the name of the issuer of the securities on a watch list;

 

5) require any Adviser personnel desiring to review the memorandum to log out the memorandum and instruct that person to not make copies of it; and

 

6) continue the above procedures until three days after the next public earnings release by the issuer.

 

(f) Contacts with Corporate Officers . When an employee of the Adviser contacts an officer of any corporation regarding matters that may relate to any Client of the Adviser, he/she shall:

 

1) maintain a log of all meetings with or calls to the corporation's insiders; and

 

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2) if uncertain whether he/she may trade or recommend trading based on information obtained in the course of the conversation, contact the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

(g) Employee Training/Education .

 

1) All employees of the Adviser shall be provided with a copy of the Insider Trading Policy.

 

2) Periodically, the Adviser may provide employees written materials discussing the Insider Trading Policy and insider trading in general.

 

3. ADMINISTRATION

 

(a) Records . All documents and other records generated in connection with the Insider Trading Policy shall be maintained for a minimum of six years.

 

(b) Reporting . Periodically, the Chief Compliance Officer shall prepare a report reviewing the Insider Trading Policy in effect during the period covered and any actual or potential violations of the Insider Trading Policy.

 

(c) Annual Compliance Certification . Each employee shall review and read the Insider Trading Policy, sign the accompanying Annual Compliance Certification and retain a copy of the Insider Trading Policy in a readily accessible place for reference. The Annual Compliance Certification, attached as Appendix B, certifies compliance with the Adviser’s Standards of Professional Conduct, the Code, and the Insider Trading Policy. The Chief Compliance Officer shall keep a record of each Annual Compliance Certification. The Annual Compliance Certification should be re-certified whenever the Insider Trading Policy is updated or reviewed with the employee.

 

Adopted as of January 3, 2005; Amended as of January 3, 2006 and February 5, 2008.

 

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APPENDIX B

 

VTL ASSOCIATES, LLC

 

ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION

 

 

1. I hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the Code of Ethics, Standards of Professional Conduct, Insider Trading Policy and Policy With Respect to Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions, and recognize that I am subject to them.

 

2. I hereby declare that I have complied with the requirements of the Code of Ethics, the Standards of Professional Conduct, the Insider Trading Policy and Policy With Respect to Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions.

 

3. I hereby declare that I have reported all personal securities transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy.

 

4. I hereby declare that I have reported the names of each broker, dealer and/or bank where I have a securities account.

 

5. I hereby declare that, other than as disclosed in this Annual Compliance Certification, I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest that may involve Client accounts, such as any economic relationship between my personal securities transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Client accounts.

 

6. I hereby declare that I have reported all political contributions I have made pursuant to the requirements of the Policy With Respect to Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions.

 

 

 

  Signature:
   
  Date:
   
  Received by:
   
   
  (Chief Compliance Officer)
   
  Date:

 

 

B- 1
 

APPENDIX C

 

VTL ASSOCIATES, LLC

 

QUARTERLY COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION

 

 

1. I hereby declare that I have complied with the requirements of the Code of Ethics, the Standards of Professional Conduct, the Policy With Respect to Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions and the Insider Trading Policy.

 

2. I hereby declare that I have reported all personal securities transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy.

 

3. I hereby declare that I have reported the names of each broker, dealer and/or bank where I have a securities account.

 

4. I hereby declare that I have reported all political contributions I have made pursuant to the requirements of the Policy With Respect to Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions.

 

 

  Signature:
   
  Date:
   
  Received by:
   
   
  (Chief Compliance Officer)
   
  Date:

 

 

 

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APPENDIX D

 

VTL ASSOCIATES, LLC

 

EMPLOYEE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

 

 

As an employee of VTL Associates, LLC (the “Adviser”), I recognize that I may, from time to time, learn certain confidential information regarding the Adviser’s clients, the Adviser’s proprietary systems and investment strategies and methodologies, the investments made by the Adviser on behalf of clients, and other sensitive and confidential information.

 

I agree, as part of my duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Adviser, to maintain the confidentiality of all client information, including, but not limited to, the identity of clients, the clients’ investments and other sensitive and confidential information that may be disclosed to me. I recognize that communicating such information to any third party, unless specifically authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser, may seriously harm the Adviser and/or the Adviser’s clients.

 

I further recognize that I may be subject to legal action in the event confidential information regarding the Adviser or the Adviser’s clients is improperly disclosed to third parties. This could include injunctive relief as well as monetary damages.

 

Read and agreed to:

 

  /s/
   
DATE:  

 

D- 1

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan Krane his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power and authority of substitution and resubstitution, to do any and all acts and things and to (i) execute any and all instruments which said attorney-in-fact and agent may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to enable KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”) to comply with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, the “Acts”), and any rules, regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of any and all amendments (including pre- and post-effective amendments) to the Trust’s Registration Statements on Forms N-1A and N-14, including specifically, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the power and authority to sign in the name and on behalf of the undersigned as a Trustee and/or officer of the Trust, any and all such amendments and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under said Acts, and any other instruments or documents related thereto, and (ii) to execute any and all federal regulatory or other required filings, including all applications for exemptive relief and no-action assurances from regulatory authorities and listing applications from applicable exchanges, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, the Trust, and the undersigned does hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

All past acts of such attorneys-in-fact and agents in furtherance of the foregoing are hereby ratified and confirmed.

 

This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.

 

As to each of the undersigned, this Power of Attorney shall be valid from the date hereof until revoked by such individual.

 

WITNESS our hands on the date set forth below.

 

 
 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Power of Attorney has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and as of the dates indicated.

 

/s/ Matthew Stroyman   Trustee   November 8, 2012
Matthew Stroyman        
         
/s/ Chris Ruppenstein   Trustee   November 8, 2012
Chris Ruppenstein        
         
/s Anita Rausch   Trustee   November 8, 2012
Anita Rausch        
         
/s/ John Ferguson   Trustee   November 8, 2012
John Ferguson