As filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 28, 2018
File Nos. 333-215165/811-23222
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
690 Lee Road
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (610) 386-4068
Thomas R. Phillips, Esquire
Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC
690 Lee Road
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
John V. O’Hanlon, Esquire
Dechert LLP
One International Place, 40th Floor
100 Oliver Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-2605
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
x | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 |
¨ | on (Date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 |
¨ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485 |
¨ | on (Date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485 |
¨ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
¨ | on (Date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
If appropriate, check the following box:
¨ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
| | | |
Ticker
|
| |
Exchange
|
|
| Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF | | |
HMOP
|
| |
NYSE Arca
|
|
| Hartford Short Duration ETF | | |
HSRT
|
| |
Cboe BZX
|
|
| Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF | | |
HTAB
|
| |
NYSE Arca
|
|
| Hartford Total Return Bond ETF | | |
HTRB
|
| |
NYSE Arca
|
|
| | | |
|
| | ||
| | | |
|
| | ||
| | | | | 10 | | | |
| | | |
|
| | ||
| | | | | 22 | | | |
| | | | | 23 | | | |
| | | | | 44 | | | |
| | | |
|
| | ||
| | | | | 48 | | | |
| | | | | 51 | | | |
| | | | | 52 | | | |
| | | | | 55 | | | |
| | | |
|
| | ||
| | | | | 63 | | | |
| | | |
|
| |
| Management fees (1) | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | | | | | None | | | |
| Other expenses | | | | | 0.00 | % | | |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses | | | | | 0.01 | % | | |
| Total annual fund operating expenses (2) | | | | | 0.30 | % | | |
|
Year 1
|
| |
Year 3
|
| |
Year 5
|
| |
Year 10
|
|
|
$31
|
| |
$97
|
| |
$169
|
| |
$381
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
| |
Title
|
| |
Involved with
Fund Since |
|
| Timothy D. Haney, CFA | | | Senior Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Brad W. Libby | | | Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager/Credit Analyst | | |
2017
|
|
| Management fees | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | | | | | None | | | |
| Other expenses | | | | | 0.00 | % | | |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses (1) | | | | | 0.03 | % | | |
| Total annual fund operating expenses (2) | | | | | 0.32 | % | | |
|
Year 1
|
| |
Year 3
|
|
|
$33
|
| |
$103
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
| |
Title
|
| |
Involved with
Fund Since |
|
| Timothy E. Smith | | | Senior Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager | | |
2018
|
|
| Management fees | | | | | 0.39 | % | | |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | | | | | None | | | |
| Other expenses | | | | | 0.00 | % | | |
| Total annual fund operating expenses | | | | | 0.39 | % | | |
|
Year 1
|
| |
Year 3
|
|
|
$40
|
| |
$125
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
| |
Title
|
| |
Involved with
Fund Since |
|
| Andrew B.J. Chorlton, CFA | | | Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Edward H. Jewett | | | Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Richard A. Rezek Jr., CFA | | | Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Neil G. Sutherland, CFA | | | Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Julio C. Bonilla, CFA | | | Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Management fees (1) | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | | | | | None | | | |
| Other expenses | | | | | 0.00 | % | | |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses | | | | | 0.01 | % | | |
| Total annual fund operating expenses (2) | | | | | 0.30 | % | | |
|
Year 1
|
| |
Year 3
|
| |
Year 5
|
| |
Year 10
|
|
|
$31
|
| |
$97
|
| |
$169
|
| |
$381
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
| |
Title
|
| |
Involved with
Fund Since |
|
| Joseph F. Marvan, CFA | | | Senior Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Campe Goodman, CFA | | | Senior Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
| Robert D. Burn, CFA | | | Managing Director and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager | | |
2017
|
|
|
✓Principal Risk
X Additional Risk |
| |
Municipal
Opportunities ETF |
| |
Short
Duration ETF |
| |
Tax-Aware
Bond ETF |
| |
Total Return
Bond ETF |
|
| Active Investment Management Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Active Trading Risk | | | | | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| ||
| Asset Allocation Risk | | | | | | | | | | | |
✓
|
|
| Authorized Participant Concentration Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Bond Forwards Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Call Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
X
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Cash Transactions Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Convertible Securities Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | | | |
| Counterparty Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
X
|
|
| Credit Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Credit Risk Transfer Securities Risk | | | | | | | | | | | |
X
|
|
| Currency Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
✓
|
|
| Derivatives Risk | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Forward Currency Contracts Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Forward Rate Agreements Risk | | |
X
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| Futures and Options Risk | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Hedging Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Swaps Risk | | | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
| Dollar Rolls Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Exchange Traded Funds and Exchange Traded Notes Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Event Risk | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| | | | |
✓
|
|
| Foreign Investments Risk | | | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
| Sovereign Debt Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Emerging Markets Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
✓
|
|
| High Yield Investments Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| | | | |
✓
|
|
| Illiquid Investments Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Inflation-Protected Securities Risk | | | | | | | | | | |
X
|
| |
| Interest Rate Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Inverse Floater Risk | | |
X
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| Large Shareholder Transaction Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Leverage Risk | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Liquidity Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Loans and Loan Participations Risk | | | | | |
✓
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Market Price Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Market Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk | | | | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Municipal Securities Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| | | |
| New Fund Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Other Investment Companies Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Repurchase Agreements Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| | | | | | |
|
✓Principal Risk
X Additional Risk |
| |
Municipal
Opportunities ETF |
| |
Short
Duration ETF |
| |
Tax-Aware
Bond ETF |
| |
Total Return
Bond ETF |
|
| Restricted Securities Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk | | |
X
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| Rule 144A Securities Risk | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| | | | |
✓
|
|
| Secondary Trading Market Issues | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Securities Lending Risk | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| State-Specific Risk | | |
X
|
| | | | |
✓
|
| | | |
| Taxable Income Risk | | |
X
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| To Be Announced (TBA) Transactions Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
|
| Short Sales of To Be Announced (TBA) Securities Risk | | | | | | | | | | |
X
|
| |
| Use as an Underlying Fund Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| U.S. Government Securities Risk | | | | |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
✓
|
| |
| Valuation Risk | | |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
| |
X
|
|
| Volatility Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | |
X
|
|
| Warrants Risk | | | | | | | | | | | |
X
|
|
| Zero Coupon Securities Risk | | | | | |
X
|
| | | | | | |
|
Fund
|
| |
Annual Rate
|
| ||||
| Municipal Opportunities ETF* | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| Short Duration ETF | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| Tax-Aware Bond ETF | | | | | 0.39 | % | | |
| Total Return Bond ETF* | | | | | 0.29 | % | | |
| | | |
1 Year
|
| |
5 Years
|
| |
Since
Inception (2) |
| ||||||||||||
| Intermediate Municipal Bond Composite (Net) | | | | | 5.45 | % | | | | | | 3.25 | % | | | | | | 3.44 | % | | |
| Intermediate Municipal Bond Composite (Gross) | | | | | 5.87 | % | | | | | | 3.67 | % | | | | | | 3.86 | % | | |
|
Municipal Opportunities Mutual Fund (Net of Class F
expenses) ( 3) |
| | |
|
5.54
|
%
|
| | | |
|
2.91
|
%
|
| | | |
|
2.97
|
%
(4)
|
| |
| Municipal Opportunities Mutual Fund (Gross) | | | | | 5.96 | % | | | | | | 3.44 | % | | | | | | 3.50 | % (4) | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond 1-15 Year Blend (1-17)
Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 4.33 | % | | | | | | 2.46 | % | | | | | | 4.12 | % | | |
| | | |
2008
|
| |
2009
|
| |
2010
|
| |
2011
|
| |
2012
(2)
|
| |
2013
|
| |
2014
|
| |
2015
|
| |
2016
|
| |
2017
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Intermediate Municipal Bond
Composite (Net) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 2.68 | % | | | | | | -0.70 | % | | | | | | 8.32 | % | | | | | | 3.43 | % | | | | | | 0.03 | % | | | | | | 5.45 | % | | | ||||
|
Intermediate Municipal Bond
Composite (Gross) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 2.85 | % | | | | | | -0.30 | % | | | | | | 8.75 | % | | | | | | 3.85 | % | | | | | | 0.43 | % | | | | | | 5.87 | % | | | ||||
|
Municipal Opportunities
Mutual Fund (Net of Class F expenses) ( 3) |
| | | | -22.25 | % | | | | | | 29.19 | % | | | | | | 4.46 | % | | | | | | 9.33 | % | | | | | | 10.69 | % | | | | | | -2.44 | % | | | | | | 8.14 | % | | | | | | 3.60 | % | | | | | | 0.08 | % | | | | | | 5.54 | % | | |
|
Municipal Opportunities
Mutual Fund (Gross) |
| | | | -22.06 | % | | | | | | 29.99 | % | | | | | | 5.17 | % | | | | | | 10.07 | % | | | | | | 11.42 | % | | | | | | -1.81 | % | | | | | | 8.80 | % | | | | | | 4.09 | % | | | | | | 0.53 | % | | | | | | 5.96 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal
Bond 1-15 Year Blend (1-17) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 2.48 | % | | | | | | 8.88 | % | | | | | | 2.97 | % | | | | | | 8.80 | % | | | | | | 4.74 | % | | | | | | -1.05 | % | | | | | | 6.36 | % | | | | | | 2.83 | % | | | | | | 0.01 | % | | | | | | 4.33 | % | | |
| | | |
1 Year
|
| |
5 Years
|
| |
Since
Inception (2), (3) |
| ||||||||||||
| Short Duration Bond Plus Composite (Net) | | | | | 2.34 | % | | | | | | 1.84 | % | | | | | | 2.19 | % | | |
| Short Duration Bond Plus Composite (Gross) | | | | | 2.84 | % | | | | | | 2.34 | % | | | | | | 2.69 | % | | |
| Short Duration Mutual Fund (Net of Class F expenses) (4) | | | | | 2.33 | % | | | | | | 1.78 | % | | | | | | 2.80 | % | | |
| Short Duration Mutual Fund (Gross) | | | | | 2.84 | % | | | | | | 2.34 | % | | | | | | 3.54 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Year U.S. Government/Credit Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 0.84 | % | | | | | | 0.84 | % | | | | | | 2.41 | % | | |
| | | |
2008
|
| |
2009
|
| |
2010
|
| |
2011
|
| |
2012
|
| |
2013
|
| |
2014
|
| |
2015
|
| |
2016
|
| |
2017
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Short Duration Bond Plus
Composite (Net) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 3.00 | % | | | | | | 1.44 | % | | | | | | 1.17 | % | | | | | | 0.89 | % | | | | | | 3.39 | % | | | | | | 2.34 | % | | | ||||
|
Short Duration Bond Plus
Composite (Gross) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 3.29 | % | | | | | | 1.94 | % | | | | | | 1.67 | % | | | | | | 1.38 | % | | | | | | 3.90 | % | | | | | | 2.84 | % | | | ||||
|
Short Duration Mutual Fund (Net of
Class F expenses) (4) |
| | | | -3.46 | % | | | | | | 10.11 | % | | | | | | 4.73 | % | | | | | | 2.26 | % | | | | | | 5.00 | % | | | | | | 1.36 | % | | | | | | 1.11 | % | | | | | | 0.83 | % | | | | | | 3.31 | % | | | | | | 2.33 | % | | |
|
Short Duration Mutual Fund (Gross)
|
| | | | -2.58 | % | | | | | | 11.09 | % | | | | | | 5.19 | % | | | | | | 2.93 | % | | | | | | 5.51 | % | | | | | | 1.94 | % | | | | | | 1.67 | % | | | | | | 1.38 | % | | | | | | 3.90 | % | | | | | | 2.84 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Year U.S.
Government/Credit Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 4.97 | % | | | | | | 3.82 | % | | | | | | 2.80 | % | | | | | | 1.59 | % | | | | | | 1.26 | % | | | | | | 0.64 | % | | | | | | 0.77 | % | | | | | | 0.65 | % | | | | | | 1.28 | % | | | | | | 0.84 | % | | |
| | | |
1 Year
|
| |
5 Years
|
| |
Since
Inception (2), (3) |
| ||||||||||||
|
Schroder Value Tax-Aware Opportunistic Bond Composite (Net of
Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund Class F expenses) |
| | | | 4.17 | % | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 3.01 | % | | | |
|
Schroder Value Tax-Aware Opportunistic Bond Composite
(Gross) |
| | | | 4.71 | % | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 3.55 | % | | | |
| Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund (Net of Class F expenses) (4) | | | | | 4.11 | % | | | | | | 3.65 | % | | | | | | 5.25 | % | | |
| Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund (Gross) (5) | | | | | 4.19 | % | | | | | | 4.04 | % | | | | | | 5.66 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 5.45 | % | | | | | | 3.02 | % | | | | | | 3.84 | % | | |
| | | |
2011
|
| |
2012
|
| |
2013
|
| |
2014
|
| |
2015
|
| |
2016
|
| |
2017
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Schroder Value Tax-Aware Opportunistic Bond Composite
(Net of Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund Class F expenses) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 0.55 | % | | | | | | 2.49 | % | | | | | | 2.34 | % | | | | | | 4.17 | % | | | |||
|
Schroder Value Tax-Aware Opportunistic Bond Composite
(Gross) |
| | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | N/A | | | | | | 0.64 | % | | | | | | 3.02 | % | | | | | | 2.87 | % | | | | | | 4.71 | % | | | |||
|
Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund (Net of Class F expenses)
(4)
|
| | | | 2.61 | % | | | | | | 12.11 | % | | | | | | -5.36 | % | | | | | | 15.40 | % | | | | | | 2.58 | % | | | | | | 2.56 | % | | | | | | 4.11 | % | | |
| Tax-Aware Bond Mutual Fund (Gross) (5) | | | | | 2.69 | % | | | | | | 12.63 | % | | | | | | -4.92 | % | | | | | | 15.93 | % | | | | | | 3.05 | % | | | | | | 3.02 | % | | | | | | 4.19 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index (reflects no
deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 2.11 | % | | | | | | 6.78 | % | | | | | | -2.55 | % | | | | | | 9.05 | % | | | | | | 3.30 | % | | | | | | 0.25 | % | | | | | | 5.45 | % | | |
| | | |
1 Year
|
| |
5 Years
|
| |
10 Years
|
| ||||||||||||
| Core Bond Plus Composite (Net) | | | | | 4.94 | % | | | | | | 2.55 | % | | | | | | 4.99 | % | | |
| Core Bond Plus Composite (Gross) | | | | | 5.42 | % | | | | | | 3.02 | % | | | | | | 5.48 | % | | |
| Total Return Bond Mutual Fund (Net of Class F expenses) (2) | | | | | 5.04 | % | | | | | | 2.44 | % | | | | | | 3.99 | % | | |
| Total Return Bond Mutual Fund (Gross) | | | | | 5.54 | % | | | | | | 3.04 | % | | | | | | 4.65 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no
deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 3.54 | % | | | | | | 2.10 | % | | | | | | 4.01 | % | | |
| | | |
2008
|
| |
2009
|
| |
2010
|
| |
2011
|
| |
2012
|
| |
2013
|
| |
2014
|
| |
2015
|
| |
2016
|
| |
2017
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Core Bond Plus Composite (Net) | | | | | -6.17 | % | | | | | | 21.17 | % | | | | | | 8.62 | % | | | | | | 7.21 | % | | | | | | 8.40 | % | | | | | | -1.50 | % | | | | | | 5.68 | % | | | | | | -0.53 | % | | | | | | 4.37 | % | | | | | | 4.94 | % | | |
|
Core Bond Plus Composite (Gross)
|
| | | | -5.74 | % | | | | | | 21.73 | % | | | | | | 9.12 | % | | | | | | 7.71 | % | | | | | | 8.90 | % | | | | | | -1.04 | % | | | | | | 6.17 | % | | | | | | -0.07 | % | | | | | | 4.85 | % | | | | | | 5.42 | % | | |
|
Total Return Bond Mutual Fund
(Net of Class F expenses) (2) |
| | | | -5.48 | % | | | | | | 13.20 | % | | | | | | 6.94 | % | | | | | | 6.66 | % | | | | | | 7.38 | % | | | | | | -1.61 | % | | | | | | 5.74 | % | | | | | | -0.71 | % | | | | | | 3.98 | % | | | | | | 5.04 | % | | |
|
Total Return Bond Mutual Fund
(Gross) |
| | | | -4.83 | % | | | | | | 14.04 | % | | | | | | 7.71 | % | | | | | | 7.37 | % | | | | | | 8.05 | % | | | | | | -0.94 | % | | | | | | 6.39 | % | | | | | | -0.16 | % | | | | | | 4.59 | % | | | | | | 5.54 | % | | |
|
Bloomberg Barclays U.S.
Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| | | | 5.24 | % | | | | | | 5.93 | % | | | | | | 6.56 | % | | | | | | 7.84 | % | | | | | | 4.21 | % | | | | | | -2.02 | % | | | | | | 5.97 | % | | | | | | 0.55 | % | | | | | | 2.65 | % | | | | | | 3.54 | % | | |
|
Hartford Funds
101 Montgomery Street, 27th Floor San Francisco, California 94104 101 |
| |
(For overnight mail)
Hartford Funds Montgomery Street, 27th Floor San Francisco, California 94104 |
|
COMBINED STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR HARTFORD EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
This Combined Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF (the “Municipal Opportunities ETF”), Hartford Short Duration ETF (the “Short Duration ETF”), Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF (the “Tax-Aware Bond ETF”), and Hartford Total Return Bond ETF (the “Total Return Bond ETF”) (each a “Fund,” and collectively the “Funds”), each a series of Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust (the “Trust”), as described below and as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time. The Trust is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of four series. This SAI relates only to the series of the Trust listed below.
Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust
Exchange | Ticker | |
Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF | NYSE Arca | HMOP |
Hartford Short Duration ETF | Cboe BZX | HSRT |
Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF | NYSE Arca | HTAB |
Hartford Total Return Bond ETF | NYSE Arca | HTRB |
Each Fund operates as an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). As identified and described in more detail within the Prospectus and this Combined Statement of Additional Information, each Fund is an actively managed ETF that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
Each Fund’s audited financial statements as of July 31, 2018 are incorporated by reference into this SAI. The Funds’ prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI, and this SAI has been incorporated by reference into the Funds’ prospectus. A free copy of each Annual/Semi-Annual Report, if available, and the Funds’ prospectus are available on the Funds’ website at www.hartfordfunds.com, upon request by writing to: Hartford Funds, 101 Montgomery Street, 27th Floor, San Francisco, California 94104 or by calling 1-415-315-6600.
Date of Prospectus: November 28, 2018, as may be amended, restated or supplemented from time to time
Date of Statement of Additional Information: November 28, 2018
Table of Contents
This SAI relates to the Funds listed on the front cover page.
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust established under a Certificate of Trust dated September 20, 2010. The Trust operates pursuant to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated December 8, 2016. Each Fund operates as an exchange traded fund and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) 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 “1933 Act”).
Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (“Creation Units”), generally in exchange for a basket of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) together with a deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Alternatively, each Fund may issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for a specified all-cash payment. Shares are redeemable by a Fund only in Creation Units, and, generally, in exchange for securities and/or cash. Shares trade in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below NAV. Creation Units typically are comprised of a specified number of shares, generally 50,000 and multiples thereof.
Each Fund may charge creation/redemption transaction fees for each creation and redemption. In all cases, redemption transaction fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities (currently, no more than 2% of the value of the shares redeemed). See the “Creations and Redemptions” section below.
The Funds are not index funds. Each Fund is an actively managed ETF that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
Each Fund is a diversified fund.
Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (“HFMC” or the “Investment Manager”) is the investment manager to the Funds. HFMC is an indirect subsidiary of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (“The Hartford”), a Connecticut-based financial services company. The Hartford may be deemed to control HFMC through the indirect ownership of such entity. In addition, Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington Management”) is the sub-adviser to Municipal Opportunities ETF, Short Duration ETF and Total Return Bond ETF. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA”) is the sub-adviser to Tax-Aware Bond ETF. Wellington Management and SIMNA (together, the “sub-advisers”) perform the daily investment of the assets for each Fund for which they act as sub-adviser. ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ALPS” or the “Distributor”) is the principal underwriter to the Funds.
HFMC also serves as the investment manager to The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc., The Hartford Mutual Funds II, Inc., Hartford Funds Master Fund and Hartford Funds NextShares Trust, as well as to Hartford Series Fund, Inc. and Hartford HLS Series Fund II, Inc.
Investments in the Funds are not:
· | Deposits or obligations of any bank; |
· | Guaranteed or endorsed by any bank; or |
· | Federally insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other federal agency. |
The prospectus and SAI do not purport to create any contractual obligations between the Trust or any Fund and its shareholders. Further, shareholders are not intended third-party beneficiaries of any contracts entered into by (or on behalf of) the Funds, including contracts with the investment manager or other parties who provide services to the Funds.
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Funds is contained in the “Summary Information About the Exchange-Traded Funds” and “How To Buy And Sell Shares” sections of the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus. Shares of Municipal Opportunities ETF, Tax-Aware Bond ETF and Total Return Bond ETF are listed and trade throughout the day on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) and shares of Short Duration ETF are listed and trade on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX”). Shares of each Fund may also trade on other secondary markets. Shares of each Fund may also be listed on certain foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the NYSE Arca or Cboe BZX, as applicable, necessary to maintain the listing of shares of a Fund will continue to be met. Each listing exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund shares, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of shares of the Fund; (ii) the intra-day portfolio indicative value (“iNAV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; (iii) the Fund fails to make any filings required by the SEC or is out of compliance with the conditions of any SEC exemptive order or no-action relief granted; (iv) if certain continued listing standards relating to portfolio holdings set forth in the rules of the exchange are not continuously maintained; or (v) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the applicable exchange, makes further dealings on that exchange inadvisable. The NYSE Arca or Cboe BZX will delist the shares of a Fund upon termination of the Fund. In the event a Fund ceases to be listed on an exchange, the Fund may cease operating as an “exchange-traded” fund and operate as a mutual fund, provided that shareholders are given advance notice.
1 |
As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares through a financial intermediary you will incur a brokerage commission determined by that financial intermediary.
In order to provide additional information regarding the intra-day value of shares of a Fund, the NYSE Arca, Cboe BZX or a market data vendor will disseminate every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated iNAV for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust will not be involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the iNAV and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the iNAV. An iNAV is based on the current market value of a Fund’s portfolio holdings that will form the basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day (as defined below), as disclosed on the Fund’s website prior to that Business Day’s commencement of trading (the “iNAV Basket”).
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share prices of a Fund 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 a Fund.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The investment objectives and principal investment strategies of each Fund are described in the Funds’ prospectus. Additional information concerning certain of each Fund’s investments, strategies and risks is set forth below.
A. FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund has adopted the fundamental investment restrictions set forth below. Fundamental investment restrictions may not be changed without the approval of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding voting securities as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act and as used in the prospectus and this SAI, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the lesser of (1) the holders of 67% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund represented at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy or (2) the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
Unless otherwise provided below, all references below to the assets of each Fund are in terms of current market value.
Each Fund:
1. will not borrow money or issue any class of senior securities, except to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or as may otherwise be permitted from time to time by regulatory authority;
2. will not “concentrate” its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder as such may be interpreted or modified from time to time by regulatory authorities having appropriate jurisdiction;
3. will not make loans, except to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or as may otherwise be permitted from time to time by regulatory authority;
4. will not act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under applicable laws;
5. will not purchase or sell real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, as such may be interpreted or modified from time to time by regulatory authorities having appropriate jurisdiction; and
6. will not invest in physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time and as set forth in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI.
In addition, under normal circumstances, Municipal Opportunities ETF will invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax.
B. NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE FUNDS
The following restrictions are non-fundamental restrictions and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval.
Each Fund may not:
1. Pledge its assets other than to secure permitted borrowings or to secure investments permitted by the Fund’s investment policies as set forth in its prospectus and this SAI, as they may be amended from time to time, and applicable law.
2. Purchase securities on margin except to the extent permitted by applicable law.
3. Purchase securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets, except where the borrowing is for temporary or emergency purposes. Reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, securities lending, borrowing securities in connection with short sales (where permitted in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI), and other investments or transactions described in
2 |
the Fund’s prospectus and this SAI, as they may be amended from time to time, are not deemed to be borrowings for purposes of this restriction.
4. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except to the extent permitted by the Fund’s prospectus and SAI, as amended from time to time, and applicable law.
5. Invest more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets in illiquid securities.
C. NON-FUNDAMENTAL TAX RESTRICTIONS OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund must:
1. Maintain its assets so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year,
(a) at least 50% of the fair market value of its total assets is comprised of cash, cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities (including bank loans), limited in respect of any one issuer to no more than 5% of the fair market value of the Fund’s total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and
(b) no more than 25% of the fair market value of its total assets is invested in the securities (including bank loans) of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), or of two or more issuers controlled by the Fund and engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
These tax-related limitations are subject to cure provisions under applicable tax laws and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval to the extent appropriate in light of changes to applicable tax law requirements.
D. CLASSIFICATION
Each Fund has elected to be classified as a diversified series of an open-end management investment company. As a diversified fund, at least 75% of the value of the Fund’s total assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. Government securities, securities of other investment companies, and other securities for the purposes of this calculation limited in respect of any one issuer (i) to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund and (ii) to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.
Each Fund may not change its classification status from diversified to non-diversified without the prior approval of shareholders.
E. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Except with respect to the asset coverage requirements included in the limitation on borrowing set forth in Section A.1 above, if the percentage restrictions on investments described in this SAI and the Prospectus are adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in the values of securities or loans, a change in a Fund’s net assets or a change in security characteristics is not a violation of any of such restrictions.
The information below is not considered to be part of each Fund’s fundamental policies and is provided for informational purposes only.
With respect to investment restriction A.2, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. However, the SEC has taken the position that an investment in excess of 25% of a Fund’s total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry generally constitutes concentration. The Funds do not apply this restriction to municipal securities, repurchase agreements collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or other investment companies. To the extent an underlying investment company has adopted an 80% policy that indicates investment in a particular industry, a Fund will take such policy into consideration for purposes of the Fund’s industry concentration policy.
With respect to investment restriction A.5, the 1940 Act does not directly restrict a Fund’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every fund have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. A Fund may acquire real estate as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and the Fund may invest in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or real estate investment trusts. Each Fund is limited in the amount of illiquid assets it may purchase, and to the extent that investments in real estate are considered illiquid, the current position of the SEC, which will be codified in Rule 22e-4 effective December 1, 2018, generally limits the Fund’s purchases of illiquid securities to 15% of its net assets.
With respect to investment restriction A.6, although the 1940 Act does not directly limit a Fund’s ability to invest in physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities, the Fund’s investments in physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities may be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a registered investment company, as at least 90% of its gross income must come from certain qualifying sources of income, and income from physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities does not constitute qualifying income for this purpose. In addition, to the extent that any physical commodity or contracts relating to a physical commodity is considered to be an illiquid investment, a Fund’s purchases of such illiquid securities would generally be limited to 15% of the Fund’s net assets. Other restrictions that could also limit a Fund’s investment in physical
3 |
commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities include where that investment implicates the Fund’s diversification, concentration, or securities-related issuer policies, and where the Fund would need to take certain steps as set forth in its policies to avoid being considered to issue any class of senior securities.
F. CERTAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The investment objective and principal investment strategies for each Fund are discussed in the Funds’ prospectus. Set forth below are further descriptions of certain types of investments and investment strategies used by one or more of the Funds. Please see the Funds’ prospectus and the “Investment Objectives and Policies” section of this SAI for further information on a Fund’s investment policies and risks.
Certain descriptions in the Funds’ prospectus and this SAI of a particular investment practice or technique in which a Fund may engage or a financial instrument that the Fund may purchase are meant to describe the spectrum of investments that the Fund’s sub-adviser, in its discretion, might, but is not required to, use in managing the Fund’s portfolio assets in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. It is possible that certain types of financial instruments or techniques may not be available, permissible or effective for their intended purposes in all markets.
Investments in a new Fund with limited operating history gives rise to additional risks because there can be no assurance that the new Fund will grow to or be able to maintain an economically viable size. To the extent a Fund fails to grow to and maintain an economically viable size, the Board may decide to liquidate the Fund or reorganize the Fund into another Fund. While shareholder interests will be the paramount consideration, the timing of any liquidation or reorganization may not be favorable to certain individual shareholders.
Each Fund has currently elected not to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a commodity pool. As a result, each Fund will not purchase commodity futures, commodity options contracts, or swaps if, immediately after and as a result of such purchase, (i) the Fund’s aggregate initial margin and premiums posted for its non-bona fide hedging trading in these instruments exceeds 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and losses and excluding the in the-money amount of an option at the time of purchase) or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s positions in such instruments not used solely for bona fide hedging purposes exceeds 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and losses). Each Fund may choose to change its election at any time.
The Board may convert each Fund to a master-feeder structure without shareholder approval and with advance notice to the Fund’s shareholders. Under a master-feeder structure, a Fund (i.e., feeder fund) would seek to achieve its investment objective by, instead of investing in portfolio securities directly, investing all or a portion of its investable assets in another open-end investment management company (i.e., master fund) with substantially the same investment objective, restrictions and policies.
The table and discussion set forth below provides descriptions of some of the types of investments and investment strategies that one or more of the Funds may use, and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please see the Funds’ Prospectus and the “Investment Objectives and Policies” section of this SAI for further information on each Fund’s investment policies and risks. Information contained in this section about the risks and considerations associated with a Fund’s investments and/or investment strategies applies only to those Funds specifically identified in the table below as making each type of investment or using each investment strategy (each, a “Covered Fund”). Information that does not apply to a Covered Fund does not form a part of that Covered Fund’s SAI and should not be relied on by investors in that Covered Fund. Only information that is clearly identified as applicable to a Covered Fund is considered to form a part of the Covered Fund’s SAI.
Municipal
Opportunities ETF |
Short
Duration ETF |
Tax-Aware
Bond ETF |
Total
Return
Bond ETF |
|
Active Investment Management Risk | X | X | X | X |
Asset Allocation Risk | X | X | ||
Asset-Backed Securities | X | X | X | |
Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) | X | X | X | |
Asset Segregation | X | X | X | X |
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X |
Bond Forwards Risk | X | X | ||
Borrowing | X | X | X | X |
Call Risk | X | X | X | X |
Cash Transactions Risk | X | X | X | X |
Commodities Regulatory Risk | X | X | ||
Convertible Securities | X | X | ||
Counterparty Risk | X | X | X | X |
Credit Risk | X | X | X | X |
Credit Risk Transfer Securities Risk | X | X |
4 |
Municipal
Opportunities ETF |
Short
Duration ETF |
Tax-Aware
Bond ETF |
Total
Return
Bond ETF |
|
Currency Risk | X | |||
Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X |
Depositary Receipts | X | X | ||
Derivative Instruments | X | X | X | X |
Options Contracts | X | X | X | |
Futures Contracts | X | X | X | X |
Options on Futures Contracts | X | X | X | |
Swap Agreements | X | X | X | X |
Swaptions | X | X | X | |
Inflation-Linked Instruments | X | X | ||
Hybrid Instruments | X | X | ||
Foreign Currency Transactions | X | X | X | |
Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments | X | X | X | X |
Dollar Rolls | X | X | ||
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) | X | X | X | X |
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) | X | X | X | X |
Event Risk | X | X | X | X |
Fixed Income Market Risks | X | X | X | X |
Fixed Income Securities | X | X | X | X |
Foreign Investments | X | X | X | |
Government Intervention in Financial Markets | X | X | X | X |
High Yield Investments | X | X | X | X |
Distressed Securities | X | X | X | |
Illiquid Investments | X | X | X | X |
Inflation Protected Debt Securities | X | X | X | |
Initial Public Offerings | X | |||
Interest Rate Risk | X | X | X | X |
Interfund Lending Program | X | X | X | X |
Inverse Floating Rate Securities | X | X | X | |
Investment Grade Securities | X | X | X | X |
Investments in Emerging Market Securities | X | X | ||
Liquidation of Funds | X | X | X | X |
Loans and Loan Participations | X | X | ||
LIBOR Risk | X | X | ||
Floating Rate Loans | X | X | ||
Loan Participations | X | X | ||
Senior Loans | X | X | ||
Unsecured Loans | X | X | ||
Market Price Risk | X | X | X | X |
Market Risk | X | X | X | X |
Master Limited Partnership Risk | X | X | ||
Money Market Instruments and Temporary Investment Strategies | X | X | X | X |
Mortgage-Related Securities | X | X | X | |
Municipal Securities | X | X | X | X |
New Fund Risk | X | X | X | X |
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk | X | X | X | X |
Operational Risks | X | X | X | X |
Other Capital Securities | X | X | X | X |
Other Investment Companies | X | X | X | X |
Preferred Stock Risk | X | X | ||
Real Estate Related Securities Risks | X | X | ||
Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements | X | X | X | X |
Restricted Securities | X | X | X | X |
Secondary Trading Market Issues | X | X | X | X |
Securities Lending Risk | X | X | X | X |
Securities Trusts | X | X | ||
Sovereign Debt | X | X | X | |
Stripped Securities Risk | X | |||
Structured Securities | X | X | X | |
Taxable Income Risk | X | X | ||
To Be Announced (TBA) Transactions Risk | X | X | X | |
Short Sales of TBA Investments Risk | X | X | X | |
Use as Underlying Fund Risk | X | X | X | X |
5 |
Municipal
Opportunities ETF |
Short
Duration ETF |
Tax-Aware
Bond ETF |
Total
Return
Bond ETF |
|
U.S. Government Securities Risk | X | X | X | X |
Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities | X | X | X | |
Volatility Risk | X | X | X | X |
Warrants and Rights Risk | X | X | ||
Zero Coupon Securities | X | X | X | X |
ACTIVE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT RISK. The risk that, if a portfolio manager’s investment decisions and strategy do not perform as expected, a Fund could underperform its peers or lose money. A Fund’s performance depends on the portfolio managers’ judgment about a variety of factors, such as markets, interest rates and/or the attractiveness, relative value, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund’s portfolio. The portfolio managers’ investment models may not adequately take into account certain factors, may perform differently than anticipated and may result in a Fund having a lower return than if the portfolio managers used another model or investment strategy. In addition, to the extent a Fund allocates a portion of its assets to specialist portfolio managers, the styles employed by the different portfolio managers may not be complementary, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
ACTIVE TRADING RISK. Active or frequent trading of a Fund’s portfolio securities could increase a Fund’s transaction costs (thus negatively affecting performance) and may increase an investor’s tax liability as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects may adversely affect Fund performance.
ASSET ALLOCATION RISK. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the investment manager’s skill in determining the Fund’s broad asset allocation mix and selecting underlying investments. Asset allocation risk is the risk that, i f the Fund’s strategy for allocating assets among different asset classes and investments does not work as intended, the Fund may not achieve its objective or may underperform other funds with similar investment strategies. Certain Funds may employ a multiple portfolio manager structure and combine different strategies into a single fund. The investment styles employed by the portfolio managers of these Funds may not be complementary, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. Asset-backed securities are securities backed by a pool of some underlying asset, including but not limited to home equity loans, installment sale contracts, credit card receivables or other assets. Asset-backed securities are “pass-through” securities, meaning that principal and interest payments — net of expenses — made by the borrower on the underlying assets (such as credit card receivables) are passed through to a Fund. The value of asset-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, asset-backed securities differ from traditional fixed income securities because of their potential for prepayment. The price paid by a Fund for its asset-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying assets. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying assets more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the asset-backed securities. Moreover, when a Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that a Fund purchases asset-backed securities at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If a Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying assets may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer term security. Since the value of longer-term securities generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of shorter term securities, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of the Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of an asset-backed security with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income securities, and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or retard prepayments and thus affect maturities.
Asset-backed securities do not always have the benefit of a security interest in the underlying asset. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured, and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off amounts owed. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying securities may be limited, and recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. If the Funds purchase asset-backed securities that are “subordinated” to other interests in the same asset-backed pool, a Fund as a holder of those securities may only receive payments after the pool’s obligations to other investors have been satisfied. Tax-exempt structured securities, such as tobacco bonds, are not considered asset-backed securities for purposes of each Fund’s investments.
Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) . A Fund may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust that is typically backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment
6 |
grade fixed income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed income securities such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Other CDOs are trusts backed by other types of assets representing obligations of various parties. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
For CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CBO trust, CLO trust or trust of another CDO typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO, CLO or other CDO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO, CLO or other CDO securities as a class.
The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of collateral held by the special purpose entity (SPE) and the tranche of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Investment risk may also be affected by the performance of a CDO’s collateral manager (the entity responsible for selecting and managing the pool of collateral securities held by the SPE trust), especially during a period of market volatility. CDOs may be deemed to be illiquid securities and subject to a Fund’s restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. The Fund’s investment in CDOs will not receive the same investor protection as an investment in registered securities. In addition, prices of CDO tranches can decline considerably. In addition to the normal risks associated with debt securities and asset backed securities (e.g., interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or quality or go into default or be downgraded; (iii) a Fund may invest in tranches of a CDO that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer, difficulty in valuing the security or unexpected investment results.
ASSET Segregation . To the extent required by the SEC guidelines, if a Fund engages in transactions that expose it to an obligation to another party, the Fund will either (i) hold an offsetting position for the same type of financial asset or (ii) maintain cash or liquid securities, designated on the Fund’s books or held in a segregated account, with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered pursuant to clause (i). Assets used as offsetting positions, designated on the Fund’s books or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position(s) requiring cover is/are open unless replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of assets to be used as offsetting positions or to be designated or segregated in such a manner could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. Each Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the SEC’s positions regarding asset segregation.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk . Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Each Fund has a limited number of intermediaries that act as authorized participants, and none of these authorized participants are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these intermediaries exit the business or are unable to or choose not to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to a Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares may be more likely to trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
BOND FORWARDS RISK. A bond forward is a contractual agreement between a Fund and another party to buy or sell an underlying asset at an agreed-upon future price and date. When a Fund enters into a bond forward, it will also simultaneously enter into a reverse repurchase agreement. In a bond forward transaction, no cash premium is paid when the parties enter into the bond forward. If the transaction is collateralized, an exchange of margin collateral will take place according to an agreed-upon schedule. Otherwise, no asset of any kind changes hands until the bond forward matures (typically in 30 days) or is rolled over for another agreed-upon period. Generally, the value of the bond forward will change based on changes in the value of the underlying asset. Bond forwards are subject to market risk (the risk that the market value of the underlying bond may change), non-correlation risk (the risk that the market value of the bond forward might move independently of the market value of the underlying bond) and counterparty credit risk (the risk that a counterparty will be unable to meet its obligation under the contract). If there is no cash exchanged at the time a Fund enters into the bond forward, counterparty risk may be limited to the loss of any marked-to-market profit on the contract and any delays or limitations on the Fund’s ability to sell or otherwise use the investments used as collateral for the bond forward. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by a Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the securities that a Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price. A Fund could also lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the any collateral held or assets segregated by the Fund to cover the transaction is less than the value of securities. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may increase the possibility of fluctuation in a Fund’s net asset value.
7 |
In order to reduce the risk associated with leveraging, a Fund may “set aside” liquid assets (as described in “Asset Segregation” above), or otherwise “cover” its position in bond forwards in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder.
BORROWING. Each Fund may borrow money to the extent set forth under “Investment Objectives and Policies.” The Funds do not intend to borrow for leverage purposes, except as may be set forth under “Investment Objectives and Policies.” Interest paid on borrowings will decrease the net earnings of a Fund and will not be available for investment.
CALL RISK. Call risk is the risk that an issuer, especially during periods of falling interest rates, may redeem a security by repaying it early. Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity due to a decline in interest rates, a change in credit spreads or changes to or improvements in the issuer’s credit quality. If an issuer calls a security in which a Fund has invested, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest the money it receives in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features. This could potentially lower the Fund’s income, yield and its distributions to shareholders.
Cash Transactions Risk. A Fund may effect creations and redemptions partly or wholly for cash, rather than through in-kind distributions of securities. As a result, an investment in a Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that primarily or wholly effects creations and redemptions in-kind. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and thereby avoid being taxed on gain on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because each Fund may effect redemptions partly or wholly for cash, rather than in-kind, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds, which involves transaction costs. If a Fund realizes a gain on these sales, the Fund generally will be required to recognize a gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. Each Fund generally distributes these gains to shareholders to avoid capital gains taxes at the Fund level and the need to otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to such gains. This strategy may cause shareholders to be required to pay a tax on gains they would not otherwise have to pay or to pay such tax at an earlier date than would be the case if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities markets are relatively illiquid at the time the Fund must sell securities and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if a Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. As a result of these factors, the spreads between the bid and the offered prices of a Fund’s shares may be wider than for shares of ETFs that transact primarily in-kind.
Commodities Regulatory Risk. Commodity-related companies are subject to significant federal, state and local government regulation in virtually every aspect of their operations, including how facilities are constructed, maintained and operated, environmental and safety controls, and the prices they may charge for the products and services they provide. In addition, certain derivatives (for example, interest rate swaps) are considered to be commodities for regulatory purposes. The CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily limits and the suspension of trading. Any of these actions, if taken, could adversely affect the returns of a Fund by limiting or precluding investment decisions the Fund might otherwise make. In addition, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the derivatives markets and the need to regulate such markets. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies, with respect to the derivatives market, could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may adversely affect the operations and financial performance of commodity-related companies. The effect of any future regulatory change on a Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Fund. Also, future regulatory developments may impact a Fund’s ability to invest in commodity-linked derivatives.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The market value of a convertible security typically performs like that of a regular debt security; this means that if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. Convertible securities are also subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risk that apply to the underlying common stock. A convertible security tends to perform more like a stock when the underlying stock price is high relative to the conversion price (because more of the security’s value resides in the option to convert) and more like a debt security when the underlying stock price is low relative to the conversion price (because the option to convert is less valuable).
Contingent Convertibles . Contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) are a form of hybrid debt security that are intended to either convert into equity or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain “triggers.” The triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institution’s continued viability as a going-concern. CoCos’ unique equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuing banking institution and its regulatory requirements. Some additional risks associated with CoCos include, but are not limited to:
• | Loss absorption risk . CoCos have no stated maturity and have fully discretionary coupons. This means coupons can potentially be cancelled at the banking institution’s discretion or at the request of the relevant regulatory authority in order to help the bank absorb losses. |
8 |
• | Subordinated instruments . CoCos will, in the majority of circumstances, be issued in the form of subordinated debt instruments in order to provide the appropriate regulatory capital treatment prior to a conversion. Accordingly, in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of an issuer prior to a conversion having occurred, the rights and claims of the holders of the CoCos, such as the Funds, against the issuer in respect of or arising under the terms of the CoCos shall generally rank junior to the claims of all holders of unsubordinated obligations of the issuer. In addition, if the CoCos are converted into the issuer’s underlying equity securities following a conversion event ( i.e. , a “trigger”), each holder will be subordinated due to their conversion from being the holder of a debt instrument to being the holder of an equity instrument. |
• | Market value will fluctuate based on unpredictable factors . The value of CoCos is unpredictable and will be influenced by many factors including, without limitation: (i) the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in such issuer’s applicable capital ratios; (ii) supply and demand for the CoCos; (iii) general market conditions and available liquidity; and (iv) economic, financial and political events that affect the issuer, its particular market or the financial markets in general. |
Synthetic Convertibles. Synthetic convertible securities involve the combination of separate securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security (i.e., an income-producing component and a right to acquire an equity security). Synthetic convertible securities are often achieved, in part, through investments in warrants or options to buy common stock (or options on a stock index), and therefore are subject to the risks associated with derivatives. The value of a synthetic convertible security will respond differently to market fluctuations than a traditional convertible security because a synthetic convertible is composed of two or more separate securities or instruments, each with its own market value. Because the convertible component is typically achieved by investing in warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index, synthetic convertible securities are subject to the risks associated with derivatives. In addition, if the value of the underlying common stock or the level of the index involved in the convertible component falls below the exercise price of the warrant or option, the warrant or option may lose all value.
COUNTERPARTY Risk. With respect to certain transactions, such as over-the-counter derivatives contracts or repurchase agreements, a Fund will be exposed to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise to honor its obligations. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, a Fund could experience delays in liquidating its positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, the inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period and any fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights. A Fund also bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a derivative transaction in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty.
CREDIT RISK. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security will not be able to make timely principal and interest payments. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength, credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation. Securities issued by the U.S. Treasury historically have presented minimal credit risk. However, in recent years the long-term U.S. credit rating was downgraded by at least one major rating agency as a result of disagreements within the U.S. Government over raising the debt ceiling to repay outstanding obligations and this event introduced greater uncertainty about the future ability of the U.S. to repay its obligations due to political or other developments. A further credit rating downgrade or a U.S. credit default could decrease the value and increase the volatility of a Fund’s investments.
CREDIT RISK TRANSFER SECURITIES RISK. Credit risk transfer (“CRT”) securities are fixed income securities that transfer the credit risk related to certain types of mortgage backed securities (“MBS”) to the owner of the CRT. If the underlying mortgages default, the principal of the CRT securities owners is used to pay back holders of the MBS. As a result, all or part of the mortgage default or credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage pools is transferred to a Fund. Therefore, a Fund could lose all or part of its investments in credit risk transfer securities in the event of default by the underlying mortgages.
Currency Risk. The risk that the value of the Fund’s investments in foreign securities or currencies will be affected by the value of the applicable currency relative to the U.S. dollar. When the Fund sells a foreign currency or foreign currency denominated security, its value may be worth less in U.S. dollars even if the investment increases in value in its local market. U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers may also be affected by currency risk, as the revenue earned by issuers of these securities may also be affected by changes in the issuer’s local currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets. The dollar value of foreign investments may be affected by exchange controls. The Fund may be positively or negatively affected by governmental strategies intended to make the U.S. dollar, or other currencies in which the Fund invests, stronger or weaker. Currency risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in foreign securities or currencies that are economically tied to emerging market countries.
CYBERSECURITY RISK . Cybersecurity breaches are either intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a Fund or Fund service provider to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Intentional cybersecurity incidents include: unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices (such as through “hacking” activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information.
9 |
A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs, any of which could have a substantial impact on the Funds. For example, in a denial of service, Fund shareholders could lose access to their electronic accounts indefinitely, and employees of the investment manager, the sub-adviser, or the Funds’ other service providers may not be able to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Funds, such as trading, NAV calculation, shareholder accounting, or fulfillment of Fund share purchases and redemptions. Cybersecurity incidents could cause the Funds, the investment manager, the sub-adviser, or other service provider to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss. They may also result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which a Fund invests, thereby causing the Fund’s investments to lose value.
The investment manager, the sub-adviser, and their affiliates have established risk management systems that seek to reduce cybersecurity risks, and business continuity plans in the event of a cybersecurity breach. However, there are inherent limitations in such plans, including that certain risks have not been identified, and there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially since none of the investment manager, the sub-adviser, or their affiliates controls the cybersecurity systems of the Funds’ third-party service providers (including the Funds’ custodian), or those of the issuers of securities in which the Funds invest.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS (ADRs, EDRs and GDRs). A Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers in the form of depositary receipts or other securities that are convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. ADRs are traded on U.S. securities exchanges, or in over-the-counter markets, and are denominated in U.S. dollars. EDRs and GDRs are similar instruments that are issued in Europe (EDRs) or globally (GDRs), traded on foreign securities exchanges and denominated in foreign currencies. The value of a depositary receipt will fluctuate with the value of the underlying security, reflect changes in exchange rates and otherwise involve the same risks associated with the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. A Fund may also invest in depositary receipts that are not sponsored by a financial institution (“Unsponsored Depositary Receipts”). Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. The issuers of Unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose information that would be considered material in the United States. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding their issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.
A Fund may also invest in Global Depositary Notes (“GDN”), a form of depositary receipt. A GDN is a debt instrument created by a bank that evidences ownership of a local currency-denominated debt security. An investment in GDNs involves further risks due to certain features of GDNs. GDNs emulate the terms (interest rate, maturity date, credit quality, etc.) of particular local currency-denominated bonds; however, they trade, settle, and pay interest and principal in U.S. dollars, and are Depository Trust Company/Euroclear/Clearstream eligible. Any distributions paid to the holders of GDNs are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Certain investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of GDNs because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert bonds into GDNs and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause bonds of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the GDN. See also “Foreign Investments” below.
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS. Each Fund may use instruments called derivatives or derivative securities. A derivative is a financial instrument the value of which is derived from the value of one or more underlying securities, commodities, currencies, indices, debt instruments, other derivatives or any other agreed upon pricing index or arrangement ( e.g. , the movement over time of the Consumer Price Index or freight rates) (each an “Underlying Instrument”). Derivatives contracts are either physically settled, which means the parties trade the Underlying Instrument itself, or cash settled, which means the parties simply make cash payments based on the value of the Underlying Instrument (and do not actually deliver or receive the Underlying Instrument). Derivatives may allow a Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments.
Many derivative contracts are traded on securities or commodities exchanges, the contract terms are generally standard, and the parties make payments due under the contracts through the exchange. Most exchanges require the parties to post margin against their obligations under the contracts, and the performance of the parties’ obligations under such contracts is usually guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. Other derivative contracts are traded over-the-counter (“OTC”) in transactions negotiated directly between the counterparties. OTC derivative contracts do not have standard terms, so they are generally less liquid and more difficult to value than exchange-traded contracts. OTC derivatives also expose a Fund to additional credit risks to the extent a counterparty defaults on a contract. See “Additional Risk Factors and Considerations of OTC Transactions” below.
Depending on how a Fund uses derivatives and the relationships between the market values of the derivative and the Underlying Instrument, derivatives could increase or decrease a Fund’s exposure to the risks of the Underlying Instrument. Derivative contracts may also expose the Fund to additional liquidity and leverage risks. See “Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” below.
Each Fund may use derivatives for cash flow management or, as part of their overall investment strategy, to seek to replicate the performance of a particular index or to enhance returns. The use of derivatives to enhance returns is considered speculative because a Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains rather than to offset, or hedge, the risks of other positions. When a Fund invests in a
10 |
derivative for speculative purposes, the Fund is fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the cost of the derivative itself. No Fund may use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Hedging Risk. Each Fund may use derivative instruments to offset the risks, or to “hedge” the risks, associated with other Fund holdings. For example, derivatives may be used to hedge against movements in interest rates, currency exchange rates and the equity markets through the use of options, futures transactions and options on futures. Derivatives may also be used to hedge against duration risk in fixed-income investments. Losses on one Fund investment may be substantially reduced by gains on a derivative that reacts to the same market movements in an opposite manner. However, while hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a manner different from that anticipated by the Fund or if the cost of the derivative offsets the advantage of the hedge.
Among other risks, hedging involves correlation risk, which is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match ( i.e. , will not offset) changes in the value of the holdings being hedged as expected by a Fund. In such a case, any losses on the Fund holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may even be increased as a result of the use of the derivative. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on a Fund’s ability effectively to hedge its portfolio.
There can be no assurance that the use of hedging transactions will be effective. No Fund is required to engage in hedging transactions, and each Fund may choose not to do so. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends.
The Funds might not employ any of the derivatives strategies described below, and there can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. A Fund’s success in employing derivatives strategies may depend on the sub-adviser’s correctly forecasting interest rates, market values or other economic factors, and there can be no assurance that the sub-adviser’s forecasts will be accurate. If the sub-adviser’s forecasts are not accurate, the Fund may end up in a worse position than if derivatives strategies had not been employed at all. A Fund’s ability to use certain derivative transactions may be limited by tax considerations and certain other legal considerations. Further, suitable derivative transactions might not be available at all times or in all circumstances. Described below are certain derivative instruments and trading strategies the Funds may use (either separately or in combination) in seeking to achieve their overall investment objectives.
Options Contracts
An options contract, or an “option,” is a type of derivative. An option is an agreement between two parties in which one gives the other the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an Underlying Instrument at a set price (the “exercise price” or “strike price”) for a specified period of time. The buyer of an option pays a premium for the opportunity to decide whether to carry out the transaction (exercise the option) when it is beneficial. The option seller (writer) receives the initial premium and is obligated to carry out the transaction if and when the buyer exercises the option. Options can trade on exchanges or in the OTC market and may be bought or sold on a wide variety of Underlying Instruments. Options that are written on futures contracts, or futures options (discussed below), are subject to margin requirements similar to those applied to futures contracts. A Fund may engage in options transactions on any security or instrument in which it may invest, on any securities index based on securities in which it may invest or on any aggregates of equity and debt securities consisting of securities in which it may invest (aggregates are composites of equity or debt securities that are not tied to a commonly known index). The Funds may also enter into options on foreign currencies. As with futures and swaps (discussed below), the success of any strategy involving options depends on the sub-adviser’s analysis of many economic and mathematical factors, and a Fund’s return may be higher if it does not invest in such instruments at all. A Fund may only write “covered” options. The sections below describe certain types of options and related techniques that the Funds may use.
Call Options. A call option gives the holder the right to purchase the Underlying Instrument at the exercise price for a fixed period of time. A Fund would typically purchase a call option in anticipation of an increase in value of the Underlying Instrument because owning the option allows the Fund to participate in price increases on a more limited risk basis than if the Fund had initially directly purchased the Underlying Instrument. If, during the option period, the market value of the Underlying Instrument exceeds the exercise price, plus the option premium paid by the Fund and any transaction costs the Fund incurs in purchasing the option, the Fund realizes a gain upon exercise of the option. Otherwise, the Fund realizes either no gain or a loss on its purchase of the option.
A Fund is also permitted to write ( i.e., sell) “covered” call options, which obligate a Fund, in return for the option premium, to sell the Underlying Instrument to the option holder for the exercise price if the option is exercised at any time before or on its expiration date. In order for a call option to be covered, a Fund must have at least one of the following in place with respect to the option and for so long as the option is outstanding: (i) the Fund owns the Underlying Instrument subject to the option (or, in the case of an option on an index, owns securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index), (ii) the Fund has an absolute and immediate right to acquire the Underlying Instrument without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration so long as the Fund segregates such additional cash amount) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio, (iii) the Fund enters into an offsetting forward contract and/or purchases an offsetting option or any other option that, by
11 |
virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the Fund’s net exposure on its written option position, or (iv) the Fund segregates assets with an aggregate value equal to the exercise price of the option.
A Fund would typically write a call option to generate income from the option premium and/or in anticipation of a decrease, or only a limited increase ( i.e., an increase that is less than the option premium received by the Fund in writing the option), in the market value of the Underlying Instrument. In writing a call option, however, a Fund would not profit if the market value of the Underlying Instrument increases to an amount that exceeds the sum of the exercise price plus the premium received by the Fund. Also, a Fund cannot sell the Underlying Instrument while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as option writer by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration or exercise of the option it has written.
Put Options. A put option gives the holder the right to sell the Underlying Instrument at the exercise price for a fixed period of time. A Fund would typically purchase a put option in anticipation of a decline in market values of securities. This limits the Fund’s potential for loss in the event that the market value of the Underlying Instrument falls below the exercise price.
A Fund is also permitted to write covered put options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest. In order for a put option to be covered, a Fund must have at least one of the following in place with respect to the option and for so long as the option is outstanding: (i) the Fund enters into an offsetting forward contract and/or purchases an offsetting option or any other option that, by virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the Fund’s net exposure on its written option position or (ii) the Fund segregates assets or cash with an aggregate value equal to the exercise price of the option.
A Fund would typically write a put option on an Underlying Instrument to generate income from premiums and in anticipation of an increase or only a limited decrease in the value of the Underlying Instrument. However, as writer of the put and in return for the option premium, a Fund takes the risk that it may be required to purchase the Underlying Instrument at a price in excess of its market value at the time of purchase. Because the purchaser may exercise its right under the option contract at any time during the option period, a Fund has no control over when it may be required to purchase the Underlying Instrument unless it enters into a closing purchase transaction.
Collars and Straddles. A Fund may employ collars, which are options strategies in which a call with an exercise price greater than the price of the Underlying Instrument (an “out-of-the-money call”) is sold and an in-the-money put (where the exercise price is again above the price of the Underlying Instrument) is purchased, to preserve a certain return within a predetermined range of values. A Fund may also write covered straddles consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same Underlying Instrument. A straddle is covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet a Fund’s immediate obligations. A Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, a Fund will also segregate or designate on their books liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is “in the money.”
Options on Indices. A Fund is permitted to invest in options on any index made up of securities or other instruments in which the Fund itself may invest. Options on indices are similar to options on securities except that index options are always cash settled, which means that upon exercise of the option the holder receives cash equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option times a specified multiple that determines the total monetary value for each point of such difference. As with other written options, all index options written by a Fund must be covered.
Risks Associated with Options. There are several risks associated with options transactions. For example, there are significant differences between the options market and the securities markets that could result in imperfect correlation between the two markets. Such imperfect correlation could then cause a given transaction to fail to achieve its objectives. Options are also subject to the risks of an illiquid secondary market, whether those options are traded over-the-counter or on a national securities exchange. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option at any particular time. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the Underlying Instruments or dispose of the segregated assets used to cover the options until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if a Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the Underlying Instruments. Moreover, a Fund’s ability to engage in options transactions may be limited by tax considerations and other legal considerations.
The presence of a liquid secondary market on an options exchange may dry up for any or all of the following reasons: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) the exchange may impose restrictions on opening or closing transactions or both; (iii) the exchange may halt or suspend trading, or impose other restrictions, on particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal exchange operations; (v) the facilities of the exchange or its related clearing corporation may at times be inadequate to handle trading volume; and/or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or particular classes or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in such classes or series of options) would cease to exist. However, if the
12 |
secondary market on an exchange ceases to exist, it would be expected (though it cannot be guaranteed) that outstanding options on that exchange, if any, that had been issued as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
A Fund’s options transactions will also be subject to limitations, established by exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities, governing the maximum number of options in each class that may be written or purchased by any single investor or a group of investors acting in concert. As such, the number of options any single Fund can write or purchase may be affected by options already written or purchased by other Hartford Funds. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits and/or impose sanctions. Also, the hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the Underlying Instruments are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the Underlying Instruments, significant price movements can take place in the underlying markets that would not be reflected in the options markets.
OTC options implicate additional liquidity and credit risks. Unlike exchange-listed options, where an intermediary or clearing corporation assures that the options transactions are properly executed, the responsibility for performing OTC options transactions rests solely on the writer and holder of those options. See “Additional Risk Factors and Considerations of OTC Transactions” below.
The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The successful use of options depends on the sub-adviser’s ability to predict correctly future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets. See “Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” below.
Additional Risk Associated with Options on Indices. The writer’s payment obligation under an index option (which is a cash-settled option) usually equals a multiple of the difference between the exercise price, which was set at initiation of the option, and the closing index level on the date the option is exercised. As such, index options implicate a “timing risk” that the value of the underlying index will change between the time the option is exercised by the option holder and the time the obligation thereunder is settled in cash by the option writer.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts
A futures contract, which is a type of derivative, is a standardized, exchange-traded contract that obligates the purchaser to take delivery, and the seller to make delivery, of a specified quantity of an Underlying Instrument at a specified price and specified future time. A Fund is generally permitted to invest in futures contracts and options on futures contracts with respect to, but not limited to, equity and debt securities and foreign currencies, aggregates of equity and debt securities (aggregates are composites of equity or debt securities that are not tied to a commonly known index), interest rates, indices, commodities and other financial instruments.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Rather, when a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract it is required to post margin (“initial margin”) with the futures commission merchant (“FCM”) executing the transaction. The margin required for a futures contract is usually less than 10% of the contract value, but it is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may by modified during the term of the contract. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the FCM, will then be made daily as the currency, financial instrument or securities index underlying the futures contract fluctuates (a process known as “marking to market”). If a Fund has insufficient cash available to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous. Futures involve substantial leverage risk.
An option on a futures contract (“futures option”) gives the option holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell its position in the underlying futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified expiration date. As with a futures contract itself, a Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to futures options it writes. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option and other futures positions held by the Fund.
The sale of a futures contract limits a Fund’s risk of loss, prior to the futures contract’s expiration date, from a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract. In the event the market values of the portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract increase rather than decrease, however, a Fund will realize a loss on the futures position and a lower return on the portfolio than would have been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.
Positions taken in the futures markets are usually not held to maturity but instead liquidated through offsetting transactions that may result in a profit or loss. While the Fund’s futures contracts will usually be liquidated in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the Underlying Instrument whenever it appears economically advantageous to do so.
A Fund is permitted to enter into a variety of futures contracts, including interest rate futures, index futures, currency futures and commodity futures, and options on such futures contracts. A Fund may also invest in instruments that have characteristics similar to futures contracts, such as debt securities with interest or principal payments determined by reference to the value of a security,
13 |
an index of securities or a commodity or currency at a future point in time. The risks of such investments reflect the risks of investing in futures and derivatives generally, including volatility and illiquidity.
Risks Associated with Futures and Futures Options. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are: (a) imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by a Fund and the price of the futures contract or option; (b) the possible lack of an active market for a futures contract or option, or the lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures option, and the resulting inability to close the futures contract or option when desired; (c) losses, which are potentially unlimited, caused by unanticipated market movements; (d) the sub-adviser’s failure to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance in its obligations. Futures contracts and futures options also involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in the case of contracts and options obligating a Fund to purchase securities or currencies, require the fund to segregate assets to cover such contracts and options. Moreover, futures are inherently volatile, and a Fund’s ability to engage in futures transactions may be limited by tax considerations and other legal considerations.
U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices which may occur in a single business day (generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits”). The maximum or minimum price of a contract as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” If the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made beyond the limit price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices.
Additional Considerations of Commodity Futures Contracts. In addition to the risks described above, there are several additional risks associated with transactions in commodity futures contracts. In particular, the costs to store underlying physical commodities are reflected in the price of a commodity futures contract. To the extent that storage costs for an underlying commodity change while a Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. Further, the commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments and may be subject to broad price fluctuations.
Other Considerations Related to Options and Futures Options. A Fund will engage in transactions in futures contracts and related options only to the extent such transactions are consistent with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) for maintaining qualification as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Swap Agreements and Swaptions
A swap agreement, or a swap, is a type of derivative instrument. Swap agreements are entered into for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap, two parties exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on an Underlying Instrument. The gross returns to be exchanged (or “swapped”) between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” which is a predetermined dollar principal that represents the hypothetical underlying quantity upon which the parties’ payment obligations are computed. The notional amount may be, among other things, a specific dollar amount invested, for example, at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or in a “basket” of securities or commodities that represents a particular index. The notional amount itself normally is not exchanged between the parties, but rather it serves as a reference amount from which to calculate the parties’ obligations under the swap.
A Fund will usually enter into swap agreements on a “net basis,” which means that the two payment streams are netted out with each party receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the payments. A Fund’s obligations under a swap agreement are generally accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund), and accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a counterparty are covered by segregating liquid assets, marked to market daily, to avoid leveraging the Fund’s portfolio. If a Fund enters into a swap on other than a net basis, the Fund will segregate the full amount of its obligations under such swap. A Fund may enter into swaps, caps, collars, floors and related instruments with member banks of the Federal Reserve System, members of the New York Stock Exchange or other entities determined by the sub-adviser to be creditworthy. If a default occurs by the other party to such transaction, a Fund will have contractual remedies under the transaction documents, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws that could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor.
A Fund may engage in a wide variety of swap transactions, including, but not limited to, credit- and event-linked swaps, interest rate swaps, swaps on specific securities or indices, swaps on rates (such as mortgage prepayment rates) and other types of swaps, such as caps, collars, and floors. In addition, to the extent a Fund is permitted to invest in foreign currency-denominated securities, it may invest in currency swaps. A Fund may also enter into options on swap agreements (“swaptions”). Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund’s investments and its share price and yield. The sections below describe certain swap arrangements and related techniques that the Funds may use.
Interest Rate Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. An interest rate swap is an OTC contract in which the parties exchange interest rate exposures ( e.g. , exchange floating rate payments for fixed rate payments or vice versa). For example, a $10 million LIBOR swap
14 |
requires one party to pay the equivalent of the London Interbank Offered Rate of Interest (which fluctuates) on the $10 million principal amount in exchange for the right to receive from the other party the equivalent of a stated fixed rate of interest on the $10 million principal amount.
Among other techniques, a Fund may use interest rate swaps to hedge interest rate and duration risk on fixed-income securities or portfolios, which can be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes. Duration measures the sensitivity in prices of fixed-income securities to changes in interest rates; the duration of a portfolio or basket of bonds is the weighted average of the individual component durations. Longer maturity bonds typically have a longer duration than shorter maturity bonds and, therefore, higher sensitivity to interest rate changes. In an environment where interest rates are expected to rise, a Fund may use interest rate swaps to hedge interest rate and duration risk across a portfolio at particular duration points (such as two-, five- and 10- year duration points).
A Fund may also purchase or sell interest rate caps or floors. In a typical interest rate cap, the buyer receives payments from the seller to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds a predetermined level. In a typical interest rate floor, the buyer receives payments from the seller to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below a predetermined level. An interest rate collar combines elements of purchasing a cap and selling a floor and is usually employed to preserve a certain return within a predetermined range of values.
Commodity Swaps. A commodity swap agreement is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of a commodity-based Underlying Instrument (such as a specific commodity or commodity index) in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from another commodity-based Underlying Instrument. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund receives the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of a commodity index or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. As with other types of swap agreements, if the commodity swap lasts for a finite period of time, the swap may be structured such that the Fund pays a single fixed fee established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is ongoing, with interim swap payments, the Fund may pay a variable or “floating” fee. Such a variable fee may be pegged to a base rate, such as LIBOR, and is adjusted at specific intervals. As such, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, the Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date. See “LIBOR Risk” below .
Currency Swaps. A currency swap agreement is a contract in which two parties exchange one currency (e.g., U.S. dollars) for another currency (e.g., Japanese yen) on a specified schedule. The currency exchange obligations under currency swaps could be either interest payments calculated on the notional amount or payments of the entire notional amount (or a combination of both). The Funds may engage in currency swap agreements as a tool to protect against uncertainty and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities. However, the use of currency swap agreements does not eliminate, or even always mitigate, potential losses arising from fluctuations in exchange rates. In the case of currency swaps that involve the delivery of the entire notional amount of currency in exchange for another currency, the entire notional principal of the currency swap is subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its contractual delivery obligations.
Credit Default Swaps. A credit default swap (“CDS”) is an agreement between two parties whereby one party (the “protection buyer”) makes an up-front payment or a stream of periodic payments over the term of the CDS to the other party (the “protection seller”), provided generally that no event of default or other credit-related event (a “credit event”) with respect to an Underlying Instrument occurs. In return, the protection seller agrees to make a payment to the protection buyer if a credit event does occur with respect to the Underlying Instrument. The CDS market allows a Fund to manage credit risk through buying and selling credit protection on a specific issuer, asset or basket of assets. Credit default swaps typically last between six months and three years, provided that no credit event occurs. Credit default swaps may be physically settled or cash settled.
A Fund may be either the protection buyer or the protection seller in a CDS. A Fund generally will not buy protection on issuers that are not currently held by the Fund. However, a Fund may engage in credit default swap trades on single names, indices and baskets to manage asset class exposure and to capitalize on spread differentials in instances where there is not complete overlap between the Fund’s holdings or exposures and the reference entities in the credit default swap. If the Fund is the protection buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund loses its entire investment in the CDS ( i.e., an amount equal to the aggregate amount of payments made by the Fund to the protection seller over the term of the CDS). However, if a credit event does occur, the Fund (as protection buyer), will deliver the Underlying Instrument to the protection seller and is entitled to a payment from the protection seller equal to the full notional value of the Underlying Instrument, even though the Underlying Instrument at that time may have little or no value. If the Fund is the protection seller and no credit event occurs, the Fund receives a fixed income throughout the term of the CDS (or an up-front payment at the beginning of the term of the CDS) in the form of payments from the protection buyer. However, if the Fund is the protection seller and a credit event occurs, the Fund is obligated to pay the protection buyer the full notional value of the Underlying Instrument in return for the Underlying Instrument (which may at that time be of little or no value).
A Fund may also invest in the Dow Jones CDX (“CDX”), which is a family of indices that track credit derivative indices in various countries around the world. The CDX provides investors with exposure to specific reference baskets of issuers of bonds or loans in certain segments, such as North American investment grade credit derivatives or emerging markets. CDX reference baskets are
15 |
generally priced daily and rebalanced every six months in conjunction with leading market makers in the credit industry. While investing in CDXs increases the universe of bonds and loans to which a Fund is exposed, such investments entail risks that are not typically associated with investments in other debt instruments (rather, they entail risks more associated with derivative instruments). The liquidity of the market for CDXs is also subject to liquidity in the secured loan and credit derivatives markets.
Total return swaps, asset swaps, inflation swaps and similar instruments. A Fund may enter into total return swaps, asset swaps, inflation swaps and other types of swap agreements. In a total return swap, the parties exchange the total return ( i.e., interest payments plus any capital gains or losses) of an Underlying Instrument (or basket of such instruments) for the proceeds of another Underlying Instrument (or basket of such instruments). Asset swaps combine an interest rate swap with a bond and are generally used to alter the cash flow characteristics of the Underlying Instrument. For example, the parties may exchange a fixed investment, such as a bond with guaranteed coupon payments, for a floating investment like an index. Inflation swaps are generally used to transfer inflation risk. See “Inflation-Linked Instruments” herein.
Swaptions. A Fund may also enter into swap options, or “swaptions.” A swaption is a contract that gives one party the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of the option premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time and on specified terms. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the option premium it paid should it decide not to exercise the option. When a Fund writes a swaption, however, it is obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement if the option holder exercises the option.
Risks Associated with Swaps and Swaptions. Investing in swaps and swaptions, and utilizing these and related techniques in managing a Fund portfolio, are highly specialized activities that involve investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio transactions. These investments involve significant risk of loss. Whether a Fund’s use of swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the sub-adviser’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. If the sub-adviser is incorrect in its forecast of market values, the sub-adviser’s utilization of swap arrangements and related techniques could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The swaps market is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. Also, certain restrictions imposed by the Code may limit a Fund’s ability to use swap agreements.
If the creditworthiness of a Fund’s swap counterparty declines, it becomes more likely that the counterparty will fail to meet its obligations under the contract, and consequently the Fund will suffer losses. Although there can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to do so, a Fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another creditworthy party. However, a Fund may have limited ability to eliminate its exposure under a credit default swap if the credit of the reference entity or underlying asset has declined. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to enter into swap transactions at prices or on terms the sub-adviser believes are advantageous to the Fund. In addition, although the terms of swaps, caps, collars and floors may provide for termination, there can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to terminate a swap or to sell or offset caps, collars or floors that it has purchased. Investing in swaps and related techniques involves the risks associated with investments in derivative instruments. See “Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” and “Additional Risk Factors and Considerations in OTC Transactions” below.
Inflation-Linked Instruments
A Fund is permitted to invest in a variety of inflation-linked instruments, such as inflation-indexed securities and inflation-linked derivatives, to manage inflation risk or to obtain inflation exposure. Inflation – a general rise in the prices of goods and services – is measured by inflation indices like the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Retail Prices Index (RPI), which is calculated by the U.K. Office for National Statistics. The CPI is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy.
Inflation-linked derivatives are derivative instruments that tie payments to an inflation index. Currently, most inflation derivatives are in the form of inflation swaps, such as CPI swaps. A CPI swap is a fixed-maturity, over-the-counter derivative where one party pays a fixed rate in exchange for payments tied to the CPI. The fixed rate, which is set by the parties at the initiation of the swap, is often referred to as the “breakeven inflation” rate and generally represents the current difference between Treasury yields and Treasury inflation protected securities (“TIPS”) yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap agreement. CPI swaps are typically designated as “zero coupon,” where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. The value of a CPI swap is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation, as measured by the CPI. A CPI swap can lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (the breakeven inflation rate) the investor agreed to pay at the initiation of the swap.
16 |
Other types of inflation derivatives include inflation options and futures. There can be no assurance that the CPI, or any foreign inflation index, will accurately measure the rate of inflation in the prices of consumer goods and services. Further, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. Moreover, inflation-linked instruments are subject to the risks inherent in derivative transactions generally. See “Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” herein. The market for inflation-linked instruments is still developing. The sub-adviser reserves the right to use the instruments discussed above and similar instruments that may be available in the future.
Hybrid Instruments
A hybrid instrument is an interest in an issuer that combines the characteristics of an equity security, a debt security, a commodity and/or a derivative. For example, an oil company might issue a commodity-linked bond that pays a fixed level of interest plus additional interest that accrues in correlation with the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. This is a hybrid instrument combining a bond with an option on oil.
Depending on the types and terms of hybrid instruments, they present risks that may be similar to, different from or greater than those associated with more traditional investments with similar characteristics. Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile than more traditional investments and, depending on the structure of the particular hybrid, may expose a Fund to additional leverage and liquidity risks. Moreover, the purchase of hybrids exposes a Fund to the credit risk of the issuers of the hybrids. Described below are certain hybrid instruments a Fund may use in seeking to achieve its investment objective. Each sub-adviser reserves the right to use the instruments mentioned below and similar instruments that may be available in the future.
Credit-Linked Securities. Credit-linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities. Investments in credit-linked securities normally consist of the right to receive periodic payments during the term and payment of principal at the end of the term. However, these payments depend on the issuer’s own investments in derivative instruments and are, accordingly, subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, which include volatility, illiquidity and counterparty risk.
Indexed Securities and Structured Notes. Indexed securities are derivative securities the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator ( e.g., a currency, security, commodity or index). Structured notes are debt indexed securities. Indexed securities implicate a high degree of leverage, which magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss, when they include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specific factor.
Structured notes and indexed securities can be very volatile investments because, depending on how they are structured, their value may either increase or decrease in response to the value of the Underlying Instruments. The terms of these securities may also provide that in some instances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. These instruments also may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities because the investor bears the risk not only of the instrument but also of the unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may involve significant credit risk and liquidity risk and, as with other sophisticated strategies, a Fund’s use of these instruments may not work as intended.
Event-Linked Bonds. A Fund may invest in “event-linked bonds” (or “catastrophe bonds”). The event-linked bond market is a growing sector of the global fixed income market that provides investors with high return potentials in exchange for taking on “event risk,” such as the risk of a major hurricane, earthquake or pandemic. If such trigger event occurs, a Fund may lose a portion or its entire principal invested in the bond. Some event-linked bonds provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims if a trigger has, or possibly has, occurred. Such extension may increase volatility. Event-linked bonds may also expose a Fund to other unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds are subject to the risks inherent in derivative transactions. See “Derivative Instruments – Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” below.
Foreign Currency Transactions
A Fund also may purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and futures options, and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at prevailing currency exchange rates or through forward currency contracts. A Fund may engage in these transactions to hedge, directly or indirectly, against currency fluctuations, for other investment purposes and/or to seek to enhance returns. A Fund may enter into currency transactions only with counterparties that a sub-adviser deems to be creditworthy. Certain of the foreign currency transactions a Fund may use are described below.
Forward Currency Contracts. A Fund may enter into forward currency contracts (“forwards”) in connection with settling purchases or sales of securities, to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s investments or as part of its investment strategy. Forwards are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a set price on a future date. The market value of a forward fluctuates with changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Forwards are marked to market daily based upon foreign currency exchange rates from an independent pricing service, and the change in value is recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation. A Fund will record a realized gain or loss when the forward is closed. Forwards are highly volatile, involve substantial currency risk and may also involve credit and liquidity risks.
17 |
A Fund may use a forward in a “settlement hedge,” or “transaction hedge,” to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of securities denominated in a foreign currency between the time when the security is purchased or sold and the time at which payment is received. Forward contracts on foreign currency may also be used by a Fund in anticipation generally of the Fund’s making investments denominated in a foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected by the sub-adviser.
In a “position hedge,” a Fund uses a forward contract to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in foreign currency. For example, a Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell Japanese yen in return for U.S. dollars in order to hedge against a possible decline in the yen’s value. Position hedges tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations. Alternately, a Fund could hedge its position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the Japanese yen. This is called a “proxy hedge” and may offer advantages in terms of cost, yield or efficiency. However, proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not move in tandem with the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A Fund may also engage in cross-hedging by entering into forward contracts in one currency against a different currency. Cross-hedging may be used to limit or increase exposure to a particular currency or to establish active exposure to the exchange rate between the two currencies.
Options on foreign currencies are affected by the factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally. A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on foreign currency options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market, and there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time.
Forward Rate Agreements. A Fund may also enter into forward rate agreements. Under a forward rate agreement, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. Any such gain received by a Fund would be taxable. These instruments are traded in the OTC market. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk. See “Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments” below.
Currency Swaps, Options and Futures. In order to protect against currency fluctuations and for other investment purposes, the Funds may enter into currency swaps, options and futures. Options on foreign currencies are affected by the factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally. A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on foreign currency options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market, and there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. See “Swap Agreements and Swaptions – Currency Swaps,” “Options Contracts,” and “Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts” herein.
Additional Risks Associated with Foreign Currency Transactions. It is extremely difficult to forecast currency market movements, and whether any hedging or other investment strategy will be successful is highly uncertain. Further, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward. Therefore, a Fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such transaction) if the sub-adviser’s predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate. To the extent a Fund hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur, the Fund may realize losses and reduce its total return as a result of its hedging transactions. It is impossible to hedge fully or perfectly against the effects of currency fluctuations on the value of non-U.S. securities because currency movements impact the value of different securities in differing degrees.
A Fund may buy or sell foreign currency options either on exchanges or in the OTC market. Foreign currency transactions on foreign exchanges may not be regulated to the same extent as similar transactions in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in a Fund’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States and (v) lesser trading volume. Foreign currency transactions are also subject to the risks inherent in investments in foreign markets. See “Foreign Investments” below.
18 |
Risk Factors in Derivative Instruments
Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:
Correlation Risk – the risk that changes in the value of a derivative instrument will not match the changes in the value of the Fund holdings that are being hedged.
Counterparty Risk – the risk that the party on the other side of an OTC derivatives contract or a borrower of a Fund’s securities may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise to honor its obligations.
Credit Risk – the risk that the issuer of a security will not be able to make timely principal and interest payments. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may affect the value of a Fund’s investment in and/or exposure to that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
Currency Risk – the risk that changes in the exchange rate between currencies will adversely affect the value (in U.S. dollar terms) of an investment.
Index Risk – in respect of index-linked derivatives, the risks associated with changes in the underlying indices. If an underlying index changes, a Fund may receive lower interest payments or experience a reduction in the value of the derivative to below what the Fund paid. Certain indexed securities, including inverse securities (which move in an opposite direction from the reference index), may create leverage to the extent that they increase or decrease in value at a rate that is a multiple of the changes in the applicable index.
Interest Rate Risk – the risk that the value of an investment may decrease when interest rates rise because when interest rates rise, the prices of bonds and fixed rate loans fall. Generally, the longer the maturity of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk (interest rate risk is commonly measured by a fixed income investment’s duration). Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in a Fund’s income.
Leverage Risk – the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (for example, borrowing money to increase the amount being invested) that relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that substantially exceed the amount originally invested.
Liquidity Risk – the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the seller would like to sell them or at the price the seller believes the security is currently worth.
Tax Risk – The tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in the underlying asset. The use of derivatives may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments, and could impair the ability of the sub-adviser to use derivatives when it wishes to do so.
Short Position Risk - A Fund may also take a short position in a derivative instrument, such as a future, forward or swap. A short position in a derivative instrument involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument which could cause a Fund to suffer a (potentially unlimited) loss.
The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein. A Fund incurs transaction costs in opening and closing positions in derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that the use of derivative instruments will be advantageous.
Regulatory Aspects of Derivatives and Hedging Instruments .
As a result of amendments to rules under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) by the CFTC, HFMC must either operate within certain guidelines and restrictions with respect to a Fund’s use of futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps, or be subject to registration with the CFTC as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) with respect to the Fund and be required to operate the Fund in compliance with certain disclosure, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements.
Under current CFTC rules, the investment adviser of a registered investment company may claim an exemption from registration as a CPO only if the registered investment company that it advises uses futures contracts, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps solely for “bona fide hedging purposes,” or limits its use of such instruments for non-bona fide hedging purposes to certain de minimis amounts.
Each Fund has filed a notice of eligibility claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term CPO and, therefore, each such Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. Consistent with the investment strategies of certain other funds it manages, HFMC intends to maintain the flexibility to use futures contracts, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps for non-bona fide hedging purposes beyond the de minimis amounts provided under the CFTC rules. For this reason, HFMC is subject to registration and regulation as a CPO under the CEA with respect to its service as investment adviser to these funds. In the event that a Fund not currently registered with or regulated by the CFTC engages in transactions that require registration as a CPO in the future, the Fund will comply with applicable regulations. If a Fund operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
19 |
Additional Risk Factors and Considerations of OTC Transactions. Certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including swaps, OTC options and indexed securities, involve substantial liquidity risk. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress if the trading market for OTC derivatives contracts or otherwise becomes restricted. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult or impossible for a Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments and/or to sell them promptly and at an acceptable price.
Because derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that a Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparty, the Fund is at risk that its counterparty will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations. The counterparty’s failure to honor its obligations would result in the loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction. In addition, closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty or effecting a transaction in the secondary market (if any such market exists). There can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option at any time prior to its expiration, if at all.
DOLLAR ROLLS. A Fund may enter into “dollar rolls” in which a Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. A Fund gives up the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, a Fund would benefit to the extent that the price received for the securities sold is higher than the forward price for the future purchase plus any fee income received. Unless such benefits exceed the income and capital appreciation that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the use of this technique would adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance. The benefits derived from the use of dollar rolls may depend, among other things, upon the ability of a Fund’s sub-adviser to predict interest rates correctly. There can be no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed. In addition, if a Fund uses dollar rolls while remaining substantially fully invested, the amount of a Fund’s assets that are subject to market risk would exceed such Fund’s net asset value, which could result in increased volatility of the price of the Fund’s shares. Further, entering into dollar rolls involves potential risks that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. For example, if the counterparty becomes insolvent, a Fund’s right to purchase from the counterparty may be restricted. Also, the value of the underlying security may change adversely before a Fund is able to purchase it, or a Fund may be required to purchase securities in connection with a dollar roll at a higher price than may be otherwise available on the open market. Further, because the counterparty may deliver a similar, but not identical, security, a Fund may be required to buy a security under the dollar roll that may be of less value than an identical security would have been.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are registered investment companies that trade their shares on stock exchanges (such as the NYSE Arca, Cboe BZX, and the NASDAQ) at market prices (rather than net asset value) and only are redeemable from the fund itself in large increments or in exchange for baskets of securities. As an exchange traded security, an ETF’s shares are priced continuously and trade throughout the day. ETFs may track a securities index, a particular market sector, a particular segment of a securities index or market sector, or they may be actively managed. An investment in an ETF generally implicates the following risks: (i) the same primary risks as an investment in a fund that is not exchange-traded that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies of the ETF; (ii) the risk that the ETF may fail to accurately track the market segment or index that underlies its investment objective; (iii) the risk that, to the extent the ETF does not fully replicate the underlying index, the ETF’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results; (iv) the risk of more frequent price fluctuations due to secondary market trading, which may result in a loss to the Fund; (v) the risk that an ETF may trade at a price that is lower than its net asset value; and (vi) the risk that an active market for the ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained. Also, a Fund will indirectly pay a proportional share of the asset-based fees of the ETFs in which it invests. ETFs are also subject to specific risks depending on the nature of the ETF, such as liquidity risk, sector risk and foreign and emerging market risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities, real estate investments and commodities. An investment in an ETF presents the risk that the ETF may no longer meet the listing requirements of any applicable exchanges on which the ETF is listed. Further, trading in an ETF may be halted if the trading in one or more of the securities held by an ETF is halted.
Generally, the Funds will not purchase securities of an investment company (which would include an ETF) if, as a result: (1) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of other investment companies; (2) such purchase would result in more than 3% of the total outstanding voting securities of any such investment company being held by the Fund; or (3) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in any one such investment company. Many ETFs have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds sponsored by other fund families to invest in the ETF’s shares beyond the above statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing fund. The Funds may rely on these exemptive orders to invest in ETFs.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs). ETNs are a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that have characteristics and risks similar to those of fixed-income securities, including credit risk, and trade on a major exchange similar to shares of ETFs. Unlike other types of fixed income securities, however, the performance of ETNs is based upon that of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses, no coupon payments are made and no principal protection exists. The value of an ETN may be affected by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities or securities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced commodity or security. A Fund’s ability to sell its ETN holdings also may be limited by the availability of a secondary market and a Fund may have to sell such holdings at a discount. ETNs also are subject to counterparty credit risk,
20 |
fixed-income risk and tracking error risk (where the ETN’s performance may not match or correlate to that of its market index). ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index.
EVENT RISK. Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers or similar events financed by the issuer’s taking on additional debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company’s bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
FIXED INCOME MARKET RISKS. The fixed income markets at times have experienced periods of extreme volatility that have negatively impacted a broad range of mortgage- and asset-backed and other fixed income securities, including those rated investment grade, the U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, and a wide range of financial institutions and markets, asset classes and sectors. As a result, fixed income instruments have at times experienced reduced liquidity, increased price volatility, credit downgrades and increased likelihood of default. Domestic and international equity markets have also experienced heightened volatility and turmoil that has particularly affected issuers with exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets. During times of market turmoil, investors tend to look to the safety of securities issued or backed by the U.S. Treasury, causing the prices of these securities to rise, and their yields to decline. These events as well as continuing market upheavals may have an adverse effect on the Funds and may result in increased selling of Fund shares.
In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of FNMA and FHLMC and of any stockholder, officer or director of FNMA and FHLMC with respect to FNMA and FHLMC and the assets of FNMA and FHLMC.
Under the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (the “Reform Act”), which was included as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, FHFA, as conservator or receiver, has broad authority to promote the orderly administration of FNMA’s and FHLMC’s affairs, including the power to repudiate any contract entered into by FNMA or FHLMC prior to FHFA’s appointment as conservator or receiver, as applicable, and the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of FNMA or FHLMC without any approval, assignment or consent. Although FHFA has indicated that it has no present intention to repudiate or to transfer any guaranty obligations, holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would be adversely affected in the event that the FHFA exercised either of these powers granted to it under the Reform Act. In addition, certain rights provided to holders of mortgage-backed securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC under the operative documents related to such securities may not be enforced against FHFA, or enforcement of such rights may be delayed, during the conservatorship or any future receivership. The operative documents for FNMA and FHLMC mortgage-backed securities may provide (or with respect to securities issued prior to the date of the appointment of the conservator may have provided) that upon the occurrence of an event of default on the part of FNMA or FHLMC, in its capacity as guarantor, which includes the appointment of a conservator or receiver, holders of such mortgage-backed securities have the right to replace FNMA or FHLMC as trustee if the requisite percentage of mortgage-backed securities holders consent. The Reform Act prevents mortgage-backed security holders from enforcing such rights if the event of default arises solely because a conservator or receiver has been appointed.
In addition, following the global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve attempted to stabilize the economy and support the economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate (the interest rate at which depository institutions lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight) at or near zero percent. Although interest rates remain near historic lows, the Federal Reserve has taken steps in recent years to raise the federal funds rate and is expected to continue to do so in the near term. In addition, as part of its monetary stimulus program known as quantitative easing, the Federal Reserve purchased on the open market large quantities of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The Federal Reserve discontinued purchasing securities through its quantitative easing program in 2014 and has since focused on reducing its holdings in such securities. As the Federal Reserve continues to reduce its holdings in securities and raises the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the financial industry will rise. A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES. The Funds are permitted to invest in fixed income securities including, but not limited to: (1) securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities; (2) non-convertible debt securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations or other issuers (including foreign issuers); (3) asset-backed securities; (4) mortgage-related securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”); (5) securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by a foreign issuer, including supranational entities such as development banks, non-U.S. corporations, banks or bank holding companies or other foreign issuers; (6) commercial mortgage-backed securities; and (7) other capital securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations or other issuers (including foreign issuers).
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS. A Fund may invest in foreign issuers and borrowers, which include: (1) companies organized outside of the United States, including in emerging market countries; (2) foreign sovereign governments and their agencies, authorities, instrumentalities and political subdivisions, including foreign states, provinces or municipalities; and (3) issuers and borrowers whose economic fortunes and risks are primarily linked with markets outside the United States. These securities may be denominated or quoted in, or pay income in, U.S. dollars or in a foreign currency. Certain companies organized outside the United States may not be deemed to be foreign issuers or borrowers if the issuer’s or borrower’s economic fortunes and risks are primarily linked with U.S. markets.
21 |
Investing in securities of foreign issuers and loans to foreign borrowers involves considerations and potential risks not typically associated with investing in obligations issued by U.S. entities. Less information may be available about foreign entities compared with U.S. entities. For example, foreign issuers and borrowers generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards or to other regulatory practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers and borrowers. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States. Other potential foreign market risks include difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts and political and social conditions, such as diplomatic relations, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, limitation on the removal of funds or assets or imposition of (or change in) exchange control regulations. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries. In addition, changes in government administrations or economic or monetary policies in the United States or abroad could result in appreciation or depreciation of portfolio securities. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair a Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect a Fund’s operations.
Recent geopolitical events in the European Union (particularly in Greece and Italy) and in China may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Such developments could lead to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally. Those events as well as other changes in regional economic and political conditions could adversely affect individual issuers or related groups of issuers, securities markets, interest rates, credit ratings, inflation, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region might adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries.
A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness (which may be located in other countries). These events may have an adverse effect on the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including European Union member countries that do not use the euro and non-European Union member countries. If any member country exits the European Monetary Union, the departing country would face the risks of currency devaluation and its trading partners and banks and others around the world that hold the departing country’s debt would face the risk of significant losses. In addition, the resulting economic instability of Europe and the currency markets in general could have a severe adverse effect on the value of securities held by a Fund.
Certain European countries in which a Fund may invest have recently experienced significant volatility in financial markets and may continue to do so in the future. The impact of the United Kingdom’s intended departure from the European Union, commonly known as “Brexit,” and the potential departure of one or more other countries from the European Union may have significant political and financial consequences for global markets. These consequences include greater market volatility and illiquidity, currency fluctuations, deterioration in economic activity, a decrease in business confidence and an increased likelihood of a recession in such markets. Uncertainty relating to the withdrawal procedures and timeline may have adverse effects on asset valuations and the renegotiation of current trade agreements, as well as an increase in financial regulation in such markets. This may adversely impact Fund performance.
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Because foreign securities generally are denominated and pay dividends or interest in foreign currencies, the value of a Fund that invests in foreign securities as measured in U.S. dollars will be affected by changes in exchange rates. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,” means that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns. Moreover, transaction costs are incurred in connection with conversions between currencies.
Linked Notes. A Fund may invest in debt exchangeable for common stock, debt, currency or equity-linked notes and similar linked securities ( e.g., zero-strike warrants) (“LNs”), which are derivative securities, typically issued by a financial institution or special purpose entity, the performance of which depends on the performance of a corresponding foreign security or index. Upon redemption or maturity, the principal amount or redemption amount is payable based on the price level of the linked security or index at the time of redemption or maturity, or is exchanged for corresponding shares of common stock. LNs are generally subject to the same risks as direct holdings of securities of foreign issuers and non-dollar securities, including currency risk and the risk that the amount payable at maturity or redemption will be less than the principal amount of a note because the price of the linked security or index has declined. LNs are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the company issuing the LN may fail to pay the full amount due at maturity or redemption. A Fund may also have difficulty disposing of LNs because there may be restrictions on redemptions and there may be no market or only a thin trading market in such securities.
Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated in the settlement of U.S. investments. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions being undertaken; these problems may make it difficult for a Fund to carry out transactions. If a Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may remain uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. There may also be the danger that,
22 |
because of uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets, competing claims may arise in respect of securities held by or to be transferred to a Fund. Further, compensation schemes may be non-existent, limited or inadequate to meet a Fund’s claims in any of these events. In connection with any of these events, and other similar circumstances, a Fund may experience losses because of failures of or defects in settlement systems.
There are additional and magnified risks involved with investments in emerging or developing markets, which may exhibit greater price volatility and risk of principal, have less liquidity and have settlement arrangements that are less efficient than in developed markets. In addition, the economies of emerging market countries generally are heavily dependent on international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. Emerging market economies also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. See “Investments in Emerging Market Securities” below.
Government Intervention in Financial Markets. From time to time, governments – including the U.S. Government - may take actions that directly affect the financial markets. During the 2008 global financial crisis, for example, instability in the financial markets led the U.S. Government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility and, in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may in the future take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Funds themselves are regulated. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) provides for widespread regulation of financial institutions, consumer financial products and services, broker-dealers, over-the-counter derivatives, investment advisers, credit rating agencies and mortgage lending, which expands federal oversight in the financial sector and may affect the investment management industry as a whole. The Dodd-Frank Act leaves many issues to be resolved by regulatory studies and rulemakings, and in some cases further remedial legislation, by deferring their resolution to a future date. This legislation, as well as additional legislation and regulatory changes that may be enacted in the future, could change the fund industry as a whole and limit or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such programs may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Funds to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Funds. The Funds have established procedures to assess the liquidity of portfolio holdings and to value instruments for which market prices may not be readily available. HFMC and the sub-adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds in a manner consistent with achieving each Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
HIGH YIELD INVESTMENTS (“JUNK BONDS”) . Any security or loan with a long-term credit rating of “Ba” or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), “BB” or lower by Standard and Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or “BB” or lower by Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”), as well as any security or loan that is unrated but determined by the sub-adviser to be of comparable quality, is below investment grade.
Securities and bank loans rated below investment grade are commonly referred to as “high yield-high risk debt securities,” “junk bonds,” “leveraged loans” or “emerging market debt,” as the case may be. Each rating category has within it different gradations or sub-categories. For instance the “Ba” rating for Moody’s includes “Ba3”, “Ba2” and “Ba1”. Likewise the S&P and Fitch rating category of “BB” includes “BB+”, “BB” and “BB-”. If a Fund is authorized to invest in a certain rating category, the Fund is also permitted to invest in any of the sub-categories or gradations within that rating category. Descriptions of the debt securities and bank loans ratings system, including the speculative characteristics attributable to each ratings category, are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI.
Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, junk bonds are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for a Fund. Junk bonds may be issued by less creditworthy issuers. Issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of junk bond holders, leaving few or no assets available to repay junk bond holders. Junk bonds are also subject to extreme price fluctuations. Adverse changes in an issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed income securities. Further, issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing.
In addition, junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security before it matures. If an issuer redeems junk bonds owned by a Fund, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income. Junk bonds may also be less liquid than higher rated fixed income securities, even under normal economic conditions. Moreover, there are relatively few dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences among these dealers’ price quotes. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing these securities than is the case with securities that trade in a more liquid market.
23 |
A Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer. The credit rating of a junk bond does not necessarily take into account its market value risk. Ratings and market value may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer. These securities and bank loans generally entail greater risk (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuer), involve greater volatility of price and risk to principal and income and may be less liquid than securities and bank loans in higher rating categories. Securities and bank loans in the highest category below investment grade are considered to be of poor standing and predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations. As such, these investments often have reduced values that, in turn, negatively impact the value of a Fund’s shares. If a security or bank loan is downgraded to a rating category that does not qualify for investment, the sub-adviser will use its discretion on whether to hold or sell based upon its opinion on the best method to maximize value for shareholders over the long term.
Distressed Securities. A Fund may invest in debt securities issued by companies that are involved in reorganizations, financial restructurings or bankruptcy. Investments in such distressed securities are speculative and involve substantial risks in addition to the risks of investing in junk bonds. A Fund will generally not receive interest payments on the distressed securities and may incur costs to protect its investment. In addition, distressed securities involve the substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. These securities may present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment. A Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal of or interest on its portfolio holdings. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a portfolio company, a Fund may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities, including equity securities, with a value less than its original investment. Distressed securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale, and sales may be possible only at substantial discounts. Distressed securities and any securities received in exchange for such securities may also be difficult to value and/or liquidate.
ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS. Illiquid investments are investments that may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price used for such investments in the determination of a Fund’s net asset value. A Fund may not be able to sell illiquid securities or other investments when its sub-adviser considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such securities or other investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the securities or other investments were more liquid. Illiquid securities also may be more difficult to value due to the lack of reliable market quotations for such securities or investments, and investments in them may have an adverse impact on a Fund’s net asset value.
Securities and other investments purchased by a Fund that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer of the security, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. Domestic and foreign markets are becoming more and more complex and interrelated such that events in one sector of the market or the economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have negative consequences for other market, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be reasonably foreseen. With respect to over-the-counter (“OTC”) securities, the continued viability of any OTC secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the securities.
If one or more instruments in a Fund’s portfolio become illiquid, the Fund may exceed its limit on illiquid instruments. If this occurs, the Fund must take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the prescribed limitations as soon as reasonably practicable. However, this requirement will not force a Fund to liquidate any portfolio instrument where the Fund would suffer a loss on the sale of that instrument.
Where no clear indication of the value of a particular investment is available, the investment will be valued at its fair value according to the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. These cases include, among others, situations where the secondary markets on which a security has previously been traded are no longer viable for lack of liquidity. The value of illiquid securities may reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a liquid market exists and thus negatively affect a Fund’s net asset value.
Under interpretations of the SEC Staff, the following types of investments in which a Fund may invest are considered illiquid: (i) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days; (ii) certain restricted securities (securities whose public resale is subject to legal or contractual restrictions); (iii) option contracts with respect to specific securities, that are not traded on a national securities exchange and not readily marketable; and (iv) any other securities or investments in which a Fund may invest that are not readily marketable. Effective December 1, 2018, an illiquid investment for each Fund means any investment that the Investment Manager or the Fund’s subadviser reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
In October 2016, the SEC adopted new regulations that may limit a Fund’s ability to invest in illiquid and less liquid investments. Once these limitations fully take effect, they may adversely affect a Fund’s performance and ability to pursue its investment objective.
INFLATION PROTECTED DEBT SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in inflation-protected debt securities, which are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the security. Most other issuers pay out the inflation accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.
24 |
The value of inflation protected securities generally fluctuates in response to changes in real interest rates (stated interest rates adjusted to factor in inflation) . In general, the price of an inflation-indexed security decreases when real interest rates increase, and increases when real interest rates decrease.
Interest payments on inflation protected debt securities will fluctuate as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and can be unpredictable. The U.S. Treasury only began issuing Treasury inflation-protection securities ("TIPS") in 1997, and corporations began issuing corporate inflation protected securities (“CIPS”) even more recently. As a result, the market for such securities may be less developed or liquid, and more volatile, than certain other securities markets. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used in these securities ( i.e. , the CPI) will accurately measure the real rate of inflation. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income for the amount of the increase in the calendar year, even though a Fund will not receive its principal until maturity. Although corporate inflation protected securities with different maturities may be issued in the future, the U.S. Treasury currently issues TIPS in five-year, ten-year and twenty-year maturities, and CIPS are currently issued in five-year, seven-year and ten-year maturities. Repayment of the original security principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is generally guaranteed in the case of TIPS, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the securities is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Other inflation related securities, such as CIPS, may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the security repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to declines in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security’s inflation measure.
The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-protected debt securities is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is an index of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-protected debt securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.
Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-protected debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. The prices of securities purchased in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) can be very volatile and/or decline shortly after the IPO. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the issuing companies may be available for only very limited periods. Some of the companies involved in new industries may be regarded as developmental stage companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospects of them. Many IPOs are by small- or micro-cap companies that are undercapitalized. The effect of IPOs on a Fund’s performance depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the Fund invests in relative to the size of the Fund and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates and depreciates in value. Although investments in IPOs have the potential to produce substantial gains in a short period of time, there is no assurance that a Fund will have access to profitable IPOs, that any particular IPO will be successful, or that any gains will be sustainable. Investors should not rely on past gains attributable to IPOs as an indication of future performance.
INTEREST RATE RISK. Interest rate risk is the risk that an investment held by a Fund may go down in value when interest rates rise because when interest rates rise, the prices of bonds and fixed rate loans fall. Generally, the longer the maturity of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. For this reason, the longer a Fund’s average weighted portfolio maturity, the greater the impact a change in interest rates will have on its share price. A variety of factors can cause interest rates to rise, including central bank monetary policies and inflation rates. Falling interest rates may also lead to a decline in a Fund’s income. Interest rates in the United States are near historic lows. This may increase a Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising rates, which may be particularly relevant for a Fund under current economic conditions in which interest rates remain near historic lows and the Federal Reserve Board (the “Fed”) has begun, and may continue, to raise interest rates. To the extent the Fed continues to raise interest rates, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise . Moreover, rising interest rates may lead to decreased liquidity in the bond markets, making it more difficult for a Fund to value or sell some or all of its bond holdings at any given time. A rise in interest rates could also cause investors to rapidly move out of fixed-income securities, which may increase redemptions in a Fund and subject the Fund to increased liquidity risk. A substantial increase in interest rates may also have an adverse impact on the liquidity of one or more portfolio securities, especially those with longer maturities.
INTERFUND LENDING PROGRAM. Hartford Funds has received exemptive relief from the SEC, which permits the Funds to participate in an interfund lending program. The interfund lending program allows the participating Funds to borrow money from and loan money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. All interfund loans would consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the lending Fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments. A Fund may participate in the interfund lending program only to the extent that such participation is consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, restrictions, policies, and limitations.
The program is subject to a number of conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating Funds, including the following: (1) no Fund may borrow money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than a rate approximating the lowest interest rate at which bank loans would be available to any of the participating Funds under a loan
25 |
agreement; and (2) no Fund may lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable return than that available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings have a maximum duration of seven days, and loans may be called on one business day’s notice. If a Fund has outstanding bank borrowings, any interfund loan to the Fund would: (a) be at an interest rate equal to or lower than that of any outstanding bank loan, (b) be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, (c) have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days), and (d) provide that, if an event of default occurs under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the Fund, that event of default will automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the interfund lending agreement, entitling the lending Fund to call the interfund loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral), and cause such call to be made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing Fund.
A Fund may borrow on an unsecured basis through the interfund lending program only if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets, provided that if the Fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Fund, the Fund’s borrowing will be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral. If a borrowing Fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund loan under the interfund lending program exceed 10% of its total assets, the Fund may borrow through the interfund lending program on a secured basis only. A Fund may not borrow under the interfund lending program or from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the borrowing would be more than 33 1/3% of its total assets or any lower threshold provided for by the Fund’s investment restrictions.
No Fund may lend to another Fund through the interfund lending program if the loan would cause the lending Fund’s aggregate outstanding loans through the interfund lending program to exceed 15% of its current net assets at the time of the loan. A Fund’s interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending fund’s net assets.
Funds participating in the interfund lending program are subject to certain risks. A Fund borrowing through the program may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending Fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional costs.
INVERSE FLOATING RATE SECURITIES. Inverse floating rate securities, also called inverse floaters or residual interest bonds, are variable-rate securities whose coupon changes in a direction opposite from that of a specified interest rate. Generally, income on inverse floaters decreases when interest rates rise and increases when interest rates fall. Inverse floaters may be subject to leverage risk and counterparty risk. These risks are greater for inverse floaters that are structured as tender option bonds (“TOBs”). Inverse floaters can have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage because they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes ( e.g., changes in market interest rates) at a rate that is a multiple of the rate at which fixed-rate securities increase or decrease in response to the same changes. Therefore, the market values of such securities are generally more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate securities (especially during periods when interest rates are fluctuating). A Fund could lose money and its net asset value could decline if movements in interest rates are incorrectly anticipated. Moreover, the markets for this type of security may be less developed and less liquid than the markets for traditional municipal securities. Investments in inverse floaters in the form of TOBs are also subject to risks related to the termination of the trust that issues the TOB, which could expose a Fund to losses associated with such termination.
A Fund may invest in municipal inverse floaters, which are a type of inverse floater in which a municipal bond is deposited with a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which issues, in return, the municipal inverse floater (which is comprised of a residual interest in the cash flows and assets of the SPV) plus proceeds from the issuance by the SPV of floating rate certificates to third parties. This type of municipal inverse floater generally includes the right to “unwind” the transaction by (1) causing the holders of the floating rate certificates to tender their certificates at par and (2) returning the municipal inverse floater to the SPV in exchange for the original municipal bond. If the holder of the inverse floater exercises this right, it would pay the par amount due on the floating rate certificates and exchange the municipal inverse floater for the underlying municipal bond. The SPV may also be terminated for other reasons (as defined in its operative documents), such as a downgrade in the credit rating of the underlying municipal bond, a payment failure by or the bankruptcy of the issuer of the underlying municipal bond, the inability to remarket floating rate certificates or the SPV’s failure to obtain renewal of the liquidity agreement relating to the floating rate certificates. In the event of such a termination, an investor, such as a Fund, shall have the option but not the obligation to effect the economic equivalent of an “unwind” of the transaction. The holder of a municipal inverse floater generally bears all of the investment risk associated with the underlying bond.
Inverse floating rate securities are subject to the risks inherent in derivative instruments. See “Derivative Instruments” herein.
INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES. A Fund is permitted to invest in debt securities rated within the four highest rating categories ( e.g., “Aaa”, “Aa”, “A” or “Baa” by Moody’s, “AAA”, “AA”, “A” or “BBB” by S&P or “AAA”, “AA”, “A” or “BBB” by Fitch) (or, if unrated, securities of comparable quality as determined by the sub-adviser) (see Appendix A to this SAI for a description of applicable securities ratings). These investments are generally referred to as “investment grade investments.” Each rating category has within it different gradations or sub-categories. If a Fund is authorized to invest in a certain rating category, the Fund is also permitted to invest in any of the sub-categories or gradations within that rating category. If a security is downgraded to a rating category that does not qualify for investment, the sub-adviser will use its discretion on whether to hold or sell based upon its opinion on the best method to maximize value for shareholders over the long term. Debt securities carrying the fourth highest rating ( e.g., “Baa” by Moody’s, “BBB” by S&P and “BBB” by Fitch) and unrated securities of comparable quality (as determined by the sub-adviser) are considered to have
26 |
speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments, involve a higher degree of risk and are more sensitive to economic change than higher rated securities.
INVESTMENTS IN EMERGING MARKET SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in securities of issuers that conduct their principal business activities in, or whose securities are traded principally on exchanges located in, less developed countries considered to be “emerging markets.” Unless otherwise stated in the Fund’s investment strategy, emerging markets are those markets (1) included in emerging market or equivalent classifications by the United Nations (and its agencies); (2) having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank; or (3) a Fund’s benchmark index provider designates as emerging. Emerging countries are generally located in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern and Central Europe and Central and South America. Investing in emerging market securities involves not only the risks described above with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks that may be more severe and pervasive than those present in foreign countries with more developed markets. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. The value of a Fund’s investments in emerging markets securities may be adversely affected by changes in the political, economic or social conditions, expropriation, nationalization, limitation on the removal of funds or assets, controls, tax regulations and other restrictions in emerging market countries. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such circumstances, it is possible that a Fund could lose the entire amount of its investments in the affected market.
Some countries have pervasive corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets may also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. A Fund’s emerging market investments may introduce exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature than, and to political systems that can be expected to have less stability than, those of developed countries. Other characteristics of emerging markets that may affect investments include national policies that may restrict investment by foreigners in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests and the absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Settlements of trades in emerging markets may be subject to significant delays. The inability to make intended purchases of securities due to settlement problems could cause missed investment opportunities. Losses could also be caused by an inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems. Also, the typically small size of the markets for securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may result in lack of liquidity and price volatility of those securities. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price to earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.
The risks outlined above are often more pronounced in “frontier markets” in which a Fund may invest. Frontier markets are those emerging markets that are considered to be among the smallest, least mature and least liquid, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging markets are magnified in frontier markets. This magnification of risks is the result of a number of factors, including: government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers; exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements; unreliable securities valuation; greater risk associated with custody of securities; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries. In addition, the markets of frontier countries typically have low trading volumes, leading to a greater potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity. This volatility may be further increased by the actions of a few major investors. For example, a substantial increase or decrease in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local securities prices and, therefore, the net asset value of a Fund. All of these factors make investing in frontier market countries significantly riskier than investing in other countries, including more developed and traditional emerging market countries, and any one of them could cause the net asset value of a Fund’s shares to decline.
In addition to the risks of foreign investing and the risks of investing in emerging or frontier markets, investments in certain countries with recently developed markets and structures, such as Nigeria, Croatia and Russia, implicate certain specific risks. Because of the recent formation of these securities markets and the underdeveloped state of these countries’ banking systems, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. Share ownership is often defined and evidenced by extracts from entries in a company’s share register, but such extracts are neither negotiable instruments nor effective evidence of securities ownership. Further, the registrars in these countries are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision or licensed by any governmental entity, there is no central registration system for shareholders and it is possible for a Fund to lose its entire ownership rights through fraud, negligence or mere oversight. In addition, while applicable regulations may impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Fund to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. In Croatia, these risks are limited to investments in securities that are not traded on the national stock exchange. However, in other countries, including Nigeria and Russia, all securities investments are subject to these risks.
Risks of Investments in Russia . A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued by companies located in Russia. Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities markets as well as the underdeveloped state of Russia’s banking system, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. Ownership of shares is defined according to entries
27 |
in the company’s share register and normally evidenced by extracts from the register. These extracts are not negotiable instruments and are not effective evidence of securities ownership. The registrars are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision nor are they licensed with any governmental entity. Also, there is no central registration system for shareholders and it is possible for a Fund to lose its registration through fraud, negligence or mere oversight. While a Fund will endeavor to ensure that its interest continues to be appropriately recorded either itself or through a custodian or other agent inspecting the share register and by obtaining extracts of share registers through regular confirmations, these extracts have no legal enforceability and it is possible that subsequent illegal amendment or other fraudulent act may deprive the Fund of its ownership rights or improperly dilute its interest. In addition, while applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Fund to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. To the extent that a Fund invests in Russian securities, the Fund intends to invest directly in Russian companies that use an independent registrar, there can be no assurance that such investments will not result in a loss to a Fund.
Certain of the companies in which a Fund may invest may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargos imposed by the U.S. government, foreign governments, or the United Nations or other international organizations. In particular, as a result of recent events involving Ukraine and Russia, the United States and other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and a financial institution. The United States or other countries could also institute broader sanctions on Russia. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These sanctions, could also impair a Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. For example, a Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, the sanctions may require a Fund to freeze its existing investments in companies operating in or having dealings with sanctioned countries, prohibiting the Fund from selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. This could impact a Fund’s ability to sell securities or other financial instruments as needed to meet redemptions. A Fund could seek to suspend redemptions in the event that an emergency exists in which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine the value of its net assets.
LIQUIDATION OF FUNDS. The Board may determine to close and liquidate a Fund at any time. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, shareholders will receive a liquidating distribution in cash or in-kind equal to their proportionate interest in the Fund. A liquidating distribution may be a taxable event for shareholders who do not hold their shares in a tax deferred account and, depending on a shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares, may result in the recognition of a gain or loss for tax purposes.
LOANS AND LOAN PARTICIPATIONS. Commercial banks and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or the prime rates of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less exposed to the adverse effects of shifts in market interest rates than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. However, because the trading market for certain corporate loans may be less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, a Fund may experience difficulties in selling its corporate loans. A Fund may make certain corporate loan investments as part of a broader group of lenders (together often referred to as a “syndicate”) that is represented by a leading financial institution (or agent bank). The syndicate’s agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems or is terminated, the Fund may not recover its investment or recovery may be delayed. Corporate loans may be denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars and are subject to the credit risk of nonpayment of principal or interest. Further, substantial increases in interest rates may cause an increase in loan defaults. Although the loans will generally be fully collateralized at the time of acquisition, the collateral may decline in value, be relatively illiquid or lose all or substantially all of its value subsequent to investment. If a borrower files for protection from its creditors under the U.S. bankruptcy laws, these laws may limit the Fund’s rights to the collateral. In addition, the value of collateral may erode during a bankruptcy case. In the event of a bankruptcy, the holder of a corporate loan may not recover its principal, may experience a long delay in recovering its investment and may not receive interest during the delay.
A Fund may also invest in second lien loans (secured loans with a claim on collateral subordinate to a senior lender’s claim on such collateral) and unsecured loans. Holders’ claims under unsecured loans are subordinated to claims of creditors holding secured indebtedness and possibly other classes of creditors holding unsecured debt. Unsecured loans have a greater risk of default than secured loans, particularly during periods of deteriorating economic conditions. Also, since they do not afford the lender recourse to collateral, unsecured loans are subject to greater risk of nonpayment in the event of default than secured loans. Many such loans are relatively illiquid and may be difficult to value.
Some bank loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the bank loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to the holders of the bank loans, including, in certain circumstances, invalidating such bank loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. If interest were required to be refunded, it could negatively affect Fund performance.
Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness or pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the Funds bear a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.
28 |
Investments in bank loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution’s interest with respect to the bank loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a secured bank loan is foreclosed, a Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, a Fund could be held liable as a co-lender.
Bank loans may be structured to include both term loans, which are generally fully funded at the time of investment, and revolving credit facilities, which would require a Fund to make additional investments in the bank loans as required under the terms of the credit facility at the borrower’s demand.
A financial institution’s employment as agent bank may be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent bank would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent bank, and assets held by the agent bank under the loan agreement would remain available to the holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent bank for the benefit of a Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent bank’s general creditors, such Fund may incur certain costs and delays in realizing payments on a bank loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest.
LIBOR Risk. According to various reports, certain financial institutions, commencing as early as 2005 and throughout the global financial crisis, routinely made artificially low submissions in the LIBOR rate setting process. Since the LIBOR scandal came to light, several financial institutions have been fined significant amounts by various financial regulators in connection with allegations of manipulation of LIBOR rates. Other financial institutions in various countries have been or are being investigated for similar actions. These developments may have adversely affected the interest rates on securities whose interest payments were determined by reference to LIBOR. Any future similar developments could, in turn, reduce the value of such securities owned by a Fund.
Floating Rate Loans. A Fund may invest in interests in floating rate loans (often referred to as “floaters”). Senior floating rate loans hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a business entity (the “Borrower”), are typically secured by specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the Borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated debtholders and stockholders of the Borrower. A Fund may also invest in second lien loans (secured loans with a claim on collateral subordinate to a senior lender’s claim on such collateral) and unsecured loans. The Funds may also invest in companies whose financial condition is uncertain and that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings. Floating rate loans typically have rates of interest that are reset or redetermined daily, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually by reference to a base lending rate, plus a spread. The base lending rates are primarily the LIBOR, and secondarily the prime rate offered by one or more major United States banks (the “Prime Rate”) and the certificate of deposit (“CD”) rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. Floating rate loans are typically structured and administered by a financial institution that acts as the agent of the lenders participating in the floating rate loan. Floating rate loans may be acquired directly through the agent, as an assignment from another lender who holds a direct interest in the floating rate loan or as a participation interest in another lender’s portion of the floating rate loan.
The value of the collateral securing a floating rate loan can decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. As a result, a floating rate loan may not be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. The liquidity of floating rate loans, including the volume and frequency of secondary market trading in such loans, varies significantly over time and among individual floating rate loans. For example, if the credit quality of a floating rate loan unexpectedly declines significantly, secondary market trading in that floating rate loan can also decline for a period of time. During periods of infrequent trading, valuing a floating rate loan can be more difficult, and buying and selling a floating rate loan at an acceptable price can be more difficult and delayed. Difficulty in selling a floating rate loan can result in a loss and can hinder a Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests to the extent they are effected on a cash basis.
Many loans in which a Fund may invest may not be rated by a rating agency, and many, if not all, loans will not be registered with the SEC or any state securities commission and will not be listed on any national securities exchange. The amount of public information available with respect to loans will generally be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange-listed securities. In evaluating the creditworthiness of Borrowers, the investment manager and/or sub-adviser considers, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. In the event that loans are not rated, they are likely to be the equivalent of below investment grade quality. Debt securities that are rated below-investment-grade and comparable unrated bonds are viewed by the rating agencies as having speculative characteristics and are commonly known as “junk bonds”. Historically, senior-secured floating rate loans tend to have more favorable loss recovery rates than more junior types of below-investment-grade debt obligations. The sub-adviser does not view ratings as the primary factor in its investment decisions and relies more upon its credit analysis abilities than upon ratings.
Loans and other corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. Floating rate loans are rated below-investment-grade, which means that rating agencies view them as more likely to default in payment than investment-grade loans. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income to a Fund, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. Some floating rate loans are also subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate such floating rate loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the Borrower or take other action detrimental to the holders of floating rate loans including, in certain circumstances, invalidating such floating rate loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the Borrower. If interest were required to be refunded, it could negatively affect the Fund’s performance.
Prepayment Risks. Most floating rate loans and certain debt securities allow for prepayment of principal without penalty. Loans and securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline, and may offer a
29 |
greater potential for loss when interest rates rise. In addition, with respect to fixed-rate investments, rising interest rates may cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected rate, thereby effectively lengthening the maturity of the investment and making the investment more sensitive to interest rate changes. Accordingly, the potential for the value of a floating rate loan or security to increase in response to interest rate declines is limited. Further, loans or debt securities purchased to replace a prepaid loan or debt security may have lower yields than the yield on the prepaid loan or debt security.
Market Risks. Significant events, such as turmoil in the financial and credit markets, terrorist events, and other market disruption events, such as weather or infrastructure disruptions that affect the markets generally, can affect the liquidity of the markets and cause spreads to widen or interest rates to rise, resulting in a reduction in value of a Fund’s assets. Other economic factors (such as a large downward movement in security prices, a disparity in supply of and demand for certain loans and securities or market conditions that reduce liquidity) can also adversely affect the markets for debt obligations. Rating downgrades of holdings or their issuers will generally reduce the value of such holdings. Each Fund is also subject to income risk, which is the potential for a decline in the Fund’s income due to falling interest rates or market reductions in spread.
Terrorist attacks and related events, including wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their aftermath, and the recent rise of the militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, have led to increased short-term market volatility and may have long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets. A similar disruption of the financial markets, such as the problems in the subprime market, could affect interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to investments in floating rate loans. In particular, junk bonds and floating rate loans tend to be more volatile than higher-rated fixed income securities; as such, these circumstances and any actions resulting from them may have a greater effect on the prices and volatility of junk bonds and floating rate loans than on higher-rated fixed income securities. A Fund cannot predict the effects of similar events in the future on the U.S. economy.
Material Non-Public Information . A Fund may be in possession of material non-public information about a Borrower or issuer as a result of its ownership of a loan or security of such Borrower or issuer. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities of issuers while in possession of such information, a Fund may be unable to enter into a transaction in a loan or security of such a Borrower or issuer when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
Regulatory Risk . To the extent that legislation or federal regulators impose additional requirements or restrictions on the ability of financial institutions to make loans, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, floating rate loans for investment may become less available. Any such legislation or regulation could also depress the market values of floating rate loans. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as a Fund, may, therefore, not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
Loan Participations . A participation interest is a fractional interest in a loan, issued by a lender or other financial institution. The lender selling the participation interest remains the legal owner of the loan. Where a Fund is a participant in a loan, it does not have any direct claim on the loan or any rights of set-off against the borrower and may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan. As a result, a Fund is subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, a Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.
The lack of a highly liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the ability to dispose of particular loan participations when necessary to meet redemption of a Fund’s shares to the extent they are effected on a cash basis, to meet a Fund’s liquidity needs or when necessary in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. The lack of a highly liquid secondary market for loan participations also may make it more difficult for a Fund to value these investments for purposes of calculating its net asset value.
Senior Loans. Senior debt (frequently issued in the form of senior notes or referred to as senior loans) is debt that takes priority over other unsecured or otherwise more “junior” debt owed by the issuer. Senior debt has greater seniority in the issuer’s capital structure than subordinated debt. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt theoretically must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment. There is less readily available, reliable information about most senior loans than is the case for many other types of securities. In addition, there is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting a Fund’s investments in senior loans, and thus the sub-adviser relies primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, a Fund that invests in senior loans is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of its sub-adviser.
An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value even before a default occurs. Further, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect a senior loan’s value.
No active trading market may exist for certain senior loans, which may impair a Fund’s ability to realize full value in the event that it needs to sell a senior loan and may make it difficult to value senior loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded senior loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain senior loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Although senior loans in which a Fund may invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or
30 |
that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, a Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a senior loan. If the terms of a senior loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral in the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, a Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrowers’ obligations under the senior loans. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss. Some senior loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the senior loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including a Fund. Such court action could, under certain circumstances, include the invalidation of senior loans.
If a senior loan is acquired through an assignment, a Fund may not be able unilaterally to enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a senior loan is acquired through a participation, the acquiring Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the entity selling the participation.
Senior loans in which a Fund may invest may be rated below investment grade. The risks associated with these senior loans are similar to the risks of below investment grade securities, although senior loans are typically senior and secured in contrast to other below investment grade securities, which are often subordinated and unsecured. This higher standing of senior loans has historically resulted in generally higher recoveries in the event of a corporate reorganization. In addition, because their interest rates are typically adjusted for changes in short-term interest rates, senior loans generally are subject to less interest rate risk than other below investment grade securities (which are typically fixed rate).
Unsecured Loans. The claims of holders of unsecured loans are subordinated to, and thus lower in priority of payment to, claims of creditors holding secured indebtedness and possibly other classes of creditors holding unsecured debt. Unsecured loans have a greater risk of default than secured loans, particularly during periods of deteriorating economic conditions. In addition, since they do not afford the lender recourse to collateral, unsecured loans are subject to greater risk of nonpayment in the event of default than secured loans.
Delayed Settlement . Compared to securities and to certain other types of financial assets, purchases and sales of senior loans take relatively longer to settle, partly due to the fact that senior loans require a written assignment agreement and various ancillary documents for each transfer, and frequently require discretionary consents from both the borrower and the administrative agent. In addition, recent regulatory changes have increasingly caused dealers to insist on matching their purchases and sales, which can lead to delays in a Fund's settlement of a purchase or sale of a senior loan in circumstances where the dealer's corresponding transaction with another party is delayed. Dealers will also sometimes sell senior loans short, and hold their trades open for an indefinite period while waiting for a price movement or looking for inventory to purchase.
This extended settlement process can (i) increase the counterparty credit risk borne by a Fund; (ii) leave a Fund unable to timely vote, or otherwise act with respect to, senior loans it has agreed to purchase; (iii) delay a Fund from realizing the proceeds of a sale of a senior loan; (iv) inhibit a Fund's ability to re-sell a senior loan that it has agreed to purchase if conditions change (leaving the Fund more exposed to price fluctuations); (v) prevent a Fund from timely collecting principal and interest payments; and (vi) expose a Fund to adverse tax or regulatory consequences.
MARKET PRICE RISK. The NAV of a Fund's shares and the value of your investment may fluctuate. The market prices of a Fund's shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, changes in the intraday value of the Fund's holdings, as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on the listing exchange. Although it is expected that each Fund’s shares will remain listed on an exchange, disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of market volatility or lack of an active trading market for the shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in the shares trading significantly above (at a premium to) or below (at a discount to) the Fund’s NAV or the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings. During such periods, you may be unable to sell your shares or may incur significant losses if you sell your shares. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell shares and various orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling shares of the Fund. Neither the investment manager nor the sub-advisers can predict whether a Fund's 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 a Fund's shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund's holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. Authorized participants may be less willing to create or redeem Fund shares if there is a lack of an active market for such shares or a Fund’s underlying investments, which may contribute to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. In addition, unlike other types of ETFs, the Funds are not index funds. Each fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. There can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which a Fund's shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund's holdings.
MARKET RISK. Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which a Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that such markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Securities or other investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or individual issuers. The value of a security or other investment may change in value due to general market conditions that are not related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes
31 |
in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security or other investment may also change in value due to factors that affect an individual issuer or a particular sector or industry. During a general downturn in the securities or other markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that securities or other investments held by a Fund will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance. Any market disruptions, including those arising out of geopolitical events or natural/environmental disasters, could also prevent a Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner.
MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (“MLP”) RISK. Equity securities of MLPs are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges. The value of an MLP equity security fluctuates based predominately on the MLP’s financial performance, as well as changes in overall market conditions. Investments in MLP equity securities involve risks that differ from investments in common stocks, including risks related to the fact that investors have limited control of and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP; dilution risks; and risks related to the general partner’s right to require investors to sell their holdings at an undesirable time or price. Debt securities of MLPs have characteristics similar to debt securities of other types of issuers, and are subject to the risks applicable to debt securities in general, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. Investments in debt securities of MLPs may not offer the tax characteristics of equity securities of MLPs. To the extent a Fund invests in debt securities of MLPs that are rated below investment grade, such investments are also subject to the risks in discussed in “High Yield Investments (‘Junk Bonds’)” above. Investments in MLPs are subject to cash flow risk and risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP’s general partner. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower volumes due to their smaller capitalizations, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and lower market liquidity. MLP securities are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns. MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions, which may reduce the amount of income an MLP pays to its investors. In addition, if the tax treatment of an MLP changes, a Fund’s after-tax return from its MLP investment would be materially reduced.
MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS AND TEMPORARY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES. Each Fund may hold cash and invest in money market instruments at any time. A Fund may invest some or all of its assets in cash, high quality money market instruments and shares of money market investment companies for temporary defensive purposes in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions when its sub-adviser, subject to the overall supervision of HFMC, deems it appropriate.
Money market instruments include, but are not limited to: (1) banker’s acceptances; (2) obligations of governments (whether U.S. or foreign) and their agencies and instrumentalities; (3) short-term corporate obligations, including commercial paper, notes, and bonds; (4) other short-term debt obligations; (5) obligations of U.S. banks, foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars), U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) and foreign branches of foreign banks; (6) asset-backed securities; and (7) repurchase agreements. A Fund may also invest in registered money market funds that invest in money market instruments, as permitted by regulations adopted under the 1940 Act. A Fund’s ability to redeem shares of a money market fund may be affected by recent regulatory changes relating to money market funds that permit the potential imposition of liquidity fees and redemption gates under certain circumstances.
MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES. The mortgage-related securities in which a Fund may invest include interests in pools of mortgage loans made by lenders such as savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, various governmental, government-related and private organizations and others. A Fund may also invest in similar mortgage-related securities that provide funds for multi-family residences or commercial real estate properties.
Mortgage-related securities are subject to certain specific risks. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-backed securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if a Fund holds mortgage-backed securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as “extension risk.” In addition, adjustable and fixed rate mortgage-backed securities are subject to “prepayment risk.” When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of a Fund because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates. Mortgage-related securities are also subject to the risk that the underlying loans may not be repaid. The value of mortgage-related securities can also be significantly affected by the market’s perception of the issuers and the creditworthiness of the parties involved.
The yield characteristics of mortgage securities differ from those of traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage securities, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time. The risks associated with prepayment and the rate at which prepayment may occur are influenced by a variety of economic, geographic, demographic, social and other factors including interest rate levels, changes in housing needs, net equity built by mortgagors in the mortgaged properties, job transfers and unemployment rates.
Mortgage securities differ from conventional bonds in that principal is paid back over the life of the mortgage securities rather than at maturity. As a result, the holder of the mortgage securities ( e.g., a Fund) receives monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest, and may receive unscheduled principal payments representing prepayments on the underlying mortgages. When the holder reinvests the payments and any unscheduled prepayments of principal it receives, it may receive a rate of interest which is lower than the rate on the existing mortgage securities. For this reason, mortgage securities are less effective than other types of U.S. Government securities as a means of “locking in” long-term interest rates.
Mortgage-related securities may be composed of one or more classes and may be structured either as pass-through securities or collateralized debt obligations (which include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)).
32 |
A CBO is ordinarily issued by a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) and is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities) held by such issuer. A CLO is ordinarily issued by a trust or other SPE and is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans, held by such issuer. Multiple-class mortgage-related securities are referred to herein as “CMOs.” Some CMOs are directly supported by other CMOs, which in turn are supported by mortgage pools. Investors typically receive payments out of the interest and principal on the underlying mortgages, which payments and the priority thereof are determined by the specific terms of the CMO class. CMOs may be issued by U.S. or non-U.S. issuers. CMOs involve special risks, and evaluating them requires special knowledge.
CMO classes may be specially structured in a manner that provides any of a wide variety of investment characteristics, such as yield, effective maturity and interest rate sensitivity. As market conditions change, however, and particularly during periods of rapid or unanticipated changes in market interest rates, any given CMO structure may react differently from the way anticipated and thus affect a Fund’s portfolio in different, and possibly negative, ways. Market changes may also result in increased volatility in market values and reduced liquidity. CMO s may lack a readily available secondary market and be difficult to sell at the price at which a Fund values them.
Certain classes of CMOs and other mortgage-related securities are structured in a manner that makes them extremely sensitive to changes in prepayment rates, such as interest-only (“IO”) and principal-only (“PO”) classes. These securities are frequently referred to as “mortgage derivatives” and may be sensitive to changing interest rates and deteriorating credit environments. IOs are entitled to receive all or a portion of the interest, but none (or only a nominal amount) of the principal payments, from the underlying mortgage assets. If the mortgage assets underlying an IO experience greater than anticipated principal prepayments, then the total amount of interest payments allocable to the IO class, and therefore the yield to investors, generally will be reduced. In some instances, an investor in an IO may fail to recoup all of his or her initial investment, even if the security is government issued or guaranteed or rated AAA or the equivalent. Conversely, PO classes are entitled to receive all or a portion of the principal payments, but none of the interest, from the underlying mortgage assets. PO classes are purchased at substantial discounts from par, and the yield to investors will be reduced if principal payments are slower than expected. Inverse floating rate CMOs, which pay interest at a rate that decreases when a specified index of market rates increases (and vice versa), also may be extremely volatile. If a Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities that are “subordinated” to other interests in the same mortgage pool, the Fund may only receive payments after the pool’s obligations to other investors have been satisfied. For example, an unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may limit substantially the pool’s ability to make payments of principal or interest to holders of the securities, which would thus reduce the values of the securities or in some cases render them worthless. A Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by the U.S. Government. See “U.S. Government Securities Risk” below. To the extent a Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities offered by non-governmental issuers, such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers, the Fund may be subject to additional risks. Mortgage-related securities issued by private issuers are subject to the credit risks of the issuers, as well as to interest rate risks. Timely payment of interest and principal of non-governmental issuers are supported by various forms of private insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance purchased by the issuer. There can be no assurance that the private insurers can meet their obligations under the policies. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a Fund. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. Subprime mortgages refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their mortgages.
Issuers of certain CMOs may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements provided to support the securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default. In addition, as a result of its investment in asset-backed securities, a Fund would be subject to the risk that in certain states it may be difficult to perfect the liens securing the collateral backing certain asset-backed securities. Certain asset-backed securities are based on loans that are unsecured, which means that there is no collateral to seize if the underlying borrower defaults.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. Municipal securities primarily include debt obligations that are issued by or on behalf of the District of Columbia, states, territories, commonwealths and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions ( e.g., cities, towns, counties, school districts, authorities and commissions) and agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, which are issued to obtain funds for public purposes, including the construction or improvement of a range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, hospitals, housing, jails, mass transportation, nursing homes, parks, public buildings, recreational facilities, school facilities, streets and water and sewer works. Municipal securities may also be issued for other public purposes such as the refunding of outstanding obligations, the anticipation of taxes or state aids, the payment of judgments, the funding of student loans, community redevelopment, district heating, the purchase of street maintenance and firefighting equipment or any authorized corporate purpose of the issuer, except for the payment of current expenses. Certain types of industrial development (or private activity) bonds may be issued by or on behalf of public corporations to finance privately operated housing facilities, air or water pollution control facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas, electricity or sewage or solid waste disposal. In addition, structured securities, such as tobacco bonds, may be issued by municipal entities to securitize future payment streams. Such obligations are included within the term municipal securities if the interest payable thereon is, in the opinion of bond counsel, exempt from federal income taxation (but, note that municipal securities may include securities that pay interest income subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax).
33 |
The two principal classifications of municipal securities are general obligation bonds and limited obligation (or revenue) bonds. General obligation bonds are obligations payable from the issuer’s general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or revenue source. The characteristics and methods of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the laws applicable to the particular issuer. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a specific revenue source, such as the user of the facility. Industrial development bonds are in most cases limited obligation bonds payable solely from specific revenues, pledged to payment of the bonds, of the project to be financed. The credit quality of industrial development bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facilities (or the credit standing of a third-party guarantor or other credit enhancement participant, if any). There are, of course, variations in the quality of municipal securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, depending on various factors (see Appendix A of this SAI). The yields on municipal securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of the particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. The ratings of the various rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal securities which they undertake to rate. However, the ratings are general, not absolute, standards of quality. Consequently, municipal securities of the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields, while municipal securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield.
Municipal securities risks include the possibility that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or repay principal when due; the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities; and the possibility of future legislative changes that could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Municipal securities are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. Because municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, conditions in those sectors may affect the overall municipal securities market. In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market.
In addition to these risks, investment in municipal securities is also subject to :
General Obligation Bonds Risk – The full faith, credit and taxing power of the municipality that issues a general obligation bond secures payment of interest and repayment of principal. Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.
Revenue (or Limited Obligation) Bonds Risk – Payments of interest and principal on revenue bonds are made only from the revenues generated by a particular facility, class of facilities or the proceeds of a special tax or other revenue source. These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.
Private Activity (or Industrial Development) Bonds Risk – Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment. If the private enterprise defaults on its payments, a Fund may not receive any income or get its money back from the investment.
Moral Obligation Bonds Risk – Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.
Municipal Notes Risk – Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. They may provide interim financing in anticipation of, and are secured by, tax collection, bond sales or revenue receipts. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and a Fund may lose money.
Municipal Bankruptcy Risk – The City of Detroit filed for federal bankruptcy protection on July 18, 2013. The bankruptcy of large cities such as Detroit is relatively rare, making the consequences of such bankruptcy filings difficult to predict. Accordingly, it is unclear what impact a large city’s bankruptcy filing would have on the city's outstanding obligations or on the obligations of other municipal issuers in that state. It is possible that the city could default on, restructure or otherwise avoid some or all of these obligations, which may negatively affect the marketability, liquidity and value of securities issued by the city and other municipalities in that state. If a Fund holds securities that are affected by a city's bankruptcy filing, a Fund's investments in those securities may lose value, which could cause the Fund's performance to decline.
Municipal Lease Obligations Risks – In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. The issuer will generally appropriate municipal funds for that purpose, but is not obligated to do so. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property. However, if the issuer does not fulfill its payment obligation ( i.e. , annually appropriate money to make the lease payments) it may be difficult to sell the property and the proceeds of a sale may not cover a Fund’s loss.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk - Municipal securities are subject to the risk that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may determine that an issuer has not complied with applicable tax requirements and that interest from the municipal security is taxable, which may result in a significant decline in the value of the security.
Investment in Bonds Issued by Puerto Rico - As with state municipal securities, events in any of the territories, such as Puerto Rico, where a Fund may invest may affect the Fund’s investments and its performance. Certain municipal issuers in Puerto Rico have experienced and continue to experience significant financial difficulties. In February 2014, credit rating firms Standard & Poor’s,
34 |
Fitch Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service downgraded their respective ratings of Puerto Rico’s general obligation debt to below investment grade, along with the ratings of certain related Puerto Rico issuers. As of February 4, 2014, S&P rated Puerto Rico’s general obligation debt at BB+, with a negative outlook. As of February 7, 2014, Moody’s rated the island’s general obligation debt Ba2 with a negative outlook and Fitch rated the commonwealth at BB with a negative outlook as of February 11, 2014. Holdings rated below investment grade may fluctuate more in value, be harder to sell and value, and be subject to greater credit risk than investment grade securities. The February 2014 downgrades and any further downgrades could create additional strain on a commonwealth already facing economic stagnation and fiscal imbalances, including budget deficits, underfunded pensions, high unemployment, significant debt service obligations, and liquidity issues, and could potentially lead to less market demand, less liquidity, wider spreads, and lower prices for Puerto Rico municipal securities. Puerto Rico’s continued financial difficulties could reduce its ability to access financial markets, potentially increasing the likelihood of a restructuring or default for Puerto Rico municipal securities that may affect a Fund’s investments and its performance.
For the purpose of diversification under the 1940 Act, identifying the issuer of a municipal security depends on the terms of the security. If a state or a political subdivision of such state pledges its full faith and credit to payment of a security, the state or the political subdivision will be deemed the sole issuer of the security. If the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of an agency, authority or instrumentality of the state or a political subdivision, but not by the state or political subdivision itself, such agency, authority or instrumentality will be deemed to be the sole issuer. Similarly, if the security is backed only by revenues of an enterprise or specific projects of the state, a political subdivision or agency, authority or instrumentality (e.g., utility revenue bonds), and the full faith and credit of the governmental unit is not pledged to the payment thereof, such enterprise or projects will be deemed the sole issuer. In the case of an industrial development bond, if the bond is backed only by certain revenues to be received from the non-governmental user of the project financed by the bond, such non-governmental user will be deemed to be the sole issuer. If, however, in any of the above cases, the state, the political subdivision or some other entity guarantees a security, and the value of all securities issued or guaranteed by the guarantor and owned by a Fund exceeds 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, the guarantee will be considered a separate security and will be treated as an issue of the guarantor.
Municipal bonds are traded in the “over-the-counter” market among dealers and other large institutional investors, which, together with the broader fixed-income markets, began in the latter months of 2008 to experience increased volatility and decreased liquidity in response to challenging economic conditions and credit tightening. If market liquidity decreases, a Fund may not be able to sell bonds readily at prices reflecting the values at which the bonds are carried on the Fund's books. An imbalance in supply and demand in the municipal market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater volatility, less liquidity, widening credit spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market.
NEW FUND RISK. There can be no assurance that a new Fund will grow to an economically viable size, in which case the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their investments at an inopportune time.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk . While each Fund’s shares are listed on a national exchange, there can be no assurance that active trading markets for shares will be maintained by market makers or authorized participants. Decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or “step away” from these activities in times of market stress may inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying value of a Fund’s holdings and the Fund’s NAV. Such reduced effectiveness could result in a Fund’s shares trading at a discount to its NAV and also in greater than normal intraday bid/ask spreads for the Fund’s shares.
OPERATIONAL RISKS . An investment in a Fund, like any fund, can involve operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors, inadequate or failed processes, failure in systems and technology, changes in personnel and errors caused by third-party service providers. Among other things, these errors or failures as well as other technological issues may adversely affect the Funds’ ability to calculate their net asset values in a timely manner, including over a potentially extended period. While the Funds seek to minimize such events through controls and oversight, there may still be failures that could causes losses to a Fund. In addition, as the use of technology increases, a Fund may be more susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cybersecurity. A breach in cybersecurity refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause a Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or operational capacity. As a result, a Fund may incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrected measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cybersecurity breaches of a Fund’s third party service providers or issuers in which a Fund invests may also subject a Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cybersecurity breaches.
In addition, the Funds may rely on various third-party sources to calculate its net asset value. As a result, each Fund is subject to certain operational risks associated with reliance on service providers and service providers’ data sources. In particular, errors or system failures and other technological issues may adversely impact a Fund’s calculation of its net asset value, and such net asset value calculation issues may result in inaccurately calculated net asset values, delays in net asset value calculation, and/or the inability to calculate net asset value over extended periods. The Funds may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures.
35 |
OTHER CAPITAL SECURITIES. Other capital securities encompass a group of instruments referred to in capital markets as “Hybrids,” “Tier I and Tier 2” and “TRUPS.” These securities give issuers flexibility in managing their capital structure. The features associated with these securities are predominately debt like in that they have coupons, pay interest and in most cases have a final stated maturity. There are certain features that give the companies flexibility not commonly found in fixed income securities, which include, but are not limited to, deferral of interest payments under certain conditions and subordination to debt securities in the event of default. The deferral of interest payments, even for an extended period of time, is generally not an event of default, and the ability of the holders of such instruments to accelerate payment is generally more limited than with other debt securities.
OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Funds are permitted to invest in other Hartford Funds and/or investment companies sponsored by other fund families (including investment companies that may not be registered under the 1940 Act) such as holding company depository receipts (“HOLDRs”) and ETFs. Securities in certain countries are currently accessible to the Funds only through such investments. Investment in other investment companies is limited in amount by the 1940 Act, and will involve the indirect payment by a Fund of a portion of the expenses, including advisory fees, of such other investment companies. The success of the Fund’s investment in these securities is directly related, in part, to the ability of the other investment companies or ETFs to meet their investment objective.
These investments are subject to limitations prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder and applicable SEC staff interpretations thereof, or applicable exemptive relief granted by the SEC. Generally, a Fund will not purchase securities of an investment company if, as a result: (1) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of other investment companies; (2) such purchase would result in more than 3% of the total outstanding voting securities of any such investment company being held by the Fund; or (3) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in any one such investment company.
PREFERRED STOCK RISK. The prices and yields of nonconvertible preferred stocks generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuer’s credit quality, similar to debt securities. The value of convertible preferred stocks varies in response to many factors, including, for example, the value of the underlying equity securities, general market and economic conditions and convertible market valuations, as well as changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer.
REAL ESTATE RELATED SECURITIES RISKS. The main risk of real estate related securities is that the value of the underlying real estate may go down. Many factors may affect real estate values, including the general and local economies, vacancy rates, tenant bankruptcies, the ability to re-lease space under expiring leases on attractive terms, the amount of new construction in a particular area, the laws and regulations (including zoning and tax laws) affecting real estate and the costs of owning, maintaining and improving real estate. The availability of mortgages and changes in interest rates , a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management may also affect real estate values. Further, the real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. When economic growth is slow, demand for property decreases and prices may decline. If a Fund’s real estate related investments are concentrated in one geographic area or in one property type, the Fund will be particularly subject to the risks associated with that area or property type.
In addition to the risks facing real estate related securities, such as a decline in property values due to increasing vacancies, a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management, investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) , which pool investor money to invest in real estate and real estate related holdings, involve unique risks. Like registered investment companies such as the Funds, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders so long as they comply with several requirements of the Code. Investing in REITs involves certain risks. REITS may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs are also subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse changes to the tax laws or failure by the REIT to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, the risks of financing projects, heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area or a single type of property. A REIT may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REIT or by the quality of any credit extended by the REIT. Also, the organizational documents of a REIT may contain provisions that make changes in control of the REIT difficult and time-consuming. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses. REITS are also subject to interest rate risks.
REPURCHASE AND REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. A repurchase agreement is an agreement between two parties whereby one party sells the other a security at a specified price with a commitment to repurchase the security later at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. A reverse repurchase agreement is a term used to describe the opposite side of a repurchase transaction. The party that purchases and later resells a security is said to perform a repurchase; the other party, that sells and later repurchases a security is said to perform a reverse repurchase. The Funds are permitted to enter into fully collateralized repurchase agreements. The Trust’s Board of Trustees has delegated to the sub-adviser the responsibility of evaluating the creditworthiness of the banks and securities dealers with which the Fund will engage in repurchase agreements. The sub-adviser will monitor such transactions to ensure that the value of underlying collateral will be at least equal to the total amount of the repurchase obligation as required by the valuation provision of the repurchase agreement, including the accrued interest. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the securities declines below the repurchase price. A Fund could also lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held or assets segregated by the Fund to cover the transaction is less than the value of the
36 |
securities. In the event the borrower commences bankruptcy proceedings, a court may characterize the transaction as a loan. If a Fund has not perfected a security interest in the underlying collateral, the Fund may be required to return the underlying collateral to the borrower’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund could lose some or all of the principal and interest involved in the transaction. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may increase the possibility of fluctuation in a Fund’s net asset value.
RESTRICTED SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act (“restricted securities”). Restricted securities may be sold in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither listed on an exchange nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely transferable under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence of a public trading market, privately placed securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To the extent that privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity, could be less than those originally paid by a Fund or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that may be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by a Fund are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of a Funds’ investments in private placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may involve greater risks. These issuers may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent on a limited management group. In making investments in such securities, a Fund may obtain access to material nonpublic information, which may restrict the Fund’s ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.
Some of these securities are new and complex, and trade only among institutions; the markets for these securities are still developing, and may not function as efficiently as established markets. Owning a large percentage of restricted securities could hamper a Fund’s ability to raise cash to meet redemptions to the extent that such redemptions are effected on a cash basis. Also, because there may not be an established market price for these securities, a Fund may have to estimate their value, which means that their valuation (and, to a much smaller extent, the valuation of the Fund) may have a subjective element. Transactions in restricted securities may entail registration expense and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in unrestricted securities. Where registration is required for restricted securities a considerable time period may elapse between the time a Fund decides to sell the security and the time it is actually permitted to sell the security under an effective registration statement. If during such period, adverse market conditions were to develop, a Fund might obtain less favorable pricing terms that when it decided to sell the security. A Fund may purchase securities that may have restrictions on transfer or resale (including Rule 144A securities and Regulation S securities). “Rule 144A” securities (or equivalent securities issued pursuant to Regulation S of the 1933 Act) are privately placed, restricted securities that may only be r esold under certain circumstances to other qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A investments are subject to certain additional risks compared to publicly traded securities. If there are not enough qualified buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A securities when a Fund wishes to sell such securities, the Fund may be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. For this reason, although 144A securities are generally considered to be liquid, a Fund’s holdings in Rule 144A securities may adversely affect the Fund’s overall liquidity if qualified buyers become uninterested in buying them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available. Further, issuers of Rule 144A securities can require recipients of the information to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect a Fund’s ability to dispose of a security.
Depending upon the circumstances, a Fund may only be able to sell these securities in the United States if an exemption from registration under the federal and state securities laws is available or may only be able to sell these securities outside of the United States (such as on a foreign exchange). These securities may either be determined to be liquid or illiquid pursuant to policies and guidelines established by the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
Secondary Trading Market Issues. Trading in shares on an exchange 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 on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. If a trading halt or unanticipated early closing of exchange occurs, a shareholder may be unable to purchase or sell shares of a Fund. There can be no assurance that the exchange’s requirements for maintaining the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that shares normally will trade close to a Fund’s NAV, market prices are not expected to correlate exactly to the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, adverse developments impacting market makers, authorized participants or other market participants, high market volatility or lack of an active trading market for the shares (including through a trading halt) may result in market prices for shares of a Fund that differ significantly from its NAV or to the intra-day value of the Fund’s holdings. If an investor purchases 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.
Given the nature of the relevant markets for certain of the securities held by a Fund, shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to NAV than shares of other kinds of ETFs. In addition, the securities held by a Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the exchange on which the Fund is listed. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times.
37 |
Accordingly, during the time when such exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the shares’ NAV may widen.
When you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers. In addition, the market price of shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The spread of a Fund’s shares varies over time based on the Fund’s trading volume and market liquidity and may increase if the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, or market liquidity decrease. In times of severe market disruption, including when trading of a Fund’s holdings may be halted, the bid-ask spread may increase significantly. This means that shares may trade at a discount to a Fund’s NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest during significant market volatility.
Shares of a Fund, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are, therefore, subject to the risk of increased volatility and price decreases associated with being sold short.
SECURITIES LENDING RISK. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers in U.S. and non-U.S. markets in an amount not to exceed one third (33 1/3%) of the value of its total assets. The borrowers provide collateral that is marked to market daily, in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the securities loaned. A Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. A Fund cannot vote proxies for securities on loan, but may recall loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund’s economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income. Each Fund will call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the investment is to be voted upon. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays in recovering the securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the securities lending agent to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. Each Fund will minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to high quality instruments of short maturity. This strategy is not used to leverage a Fund.
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. A 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, a 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 lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser.
A Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) who administer the lending program for the Funds in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program. State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) has been approved by the Board to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds and the Trust has entered into an agreement with State Street for such services. Among other matters, the Trust has agreed to indemnify State Street for certain liabilities. The fees that each Fund pays to State Street are not reflected in the Fund’s fees but instead are calculated in the NAV of each Fund.
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 – especially so in certain international markets such as Taiwan), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), risk of loss of collateral, credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. Although State Street has agreed to provide a Fund with indemnification in the event of a borrower default, a Fund is still exposed to the risk of losses in the event a borrower does not return a Fund’s securities as agreed. For example, delays in recovery of lent securities may cause a Fund to lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price.
SECURITIES TRUSTS. A Fund may invest in securities trusts, which are investment trust vehicles that maintain portfolios comprised of underlying debt securities that are generally unsecured. These instruments are purchased in the cash markets and vary as to the type of underlying security, but include such underlying securities as corporate investment grade and high yield bonds and credit default swaps. Examples include TRAINS, TRACERS, CORE and funded CDX. Holders of interests in these structured notes receive income from the trusts in respect of principal or interest paid on the underlying securities. By investing in such notes, a Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by such notes in addition to the expenses of the Fund.
Investments in these types of structured products are subject to the same risks that would be associated with direct investments in the underlying securities of the structured notes. These risks include substantial market price volatility resulting from changes in prevailing interest rates; default or bankruptcy of issuers of the underlying securities; subordination to the prior claims of banks and other senior lenders in the case of default; and early repayment by issuers during periods of declining interest rates because of mandatory call or redemption provisions. In addition, structured note products may have difficulty disposing of the underlying securities because of thin trading markets.
38 |
SOVEREIGN DEBT. In addition to the risks associated with investment in debt securities and foreign securities generally, investments in sovereign debt involve special risks. The issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, or otherwise meet its obligations, in accordance with the terms of such debt, and a Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of default. Countries such as those in which a Fund may invest have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, high rates of inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate trade difficulties and unemployment. Some of these countries are also characterized by political uncertainty or instability. Additional factors that may influence the ability or willingness to service debt include, but are not limited to, a country’s cash flow situation, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of its debt service burden to the economy as a whole and its government’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international agencies. If a government entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debt that a government does not pay, and there are no bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected. Further, if a sovereign debtor defaults (or threatens to default) on its sovereign debt obligations, the indebtedness may be restructured. Unlike most corporate debt restructurings, the fees and expenses of financial and legal advisers to the creditors in connection with a restructuring may be borne by the holders of the sovereign debt securities instead of the sovereign entity itself. Some sovereign debtors have in the past been able to restructure their debt payments without the approval of some or all debt holders or to declare moratoria on payments, and similar occurrences may happen in the future. In addition, the financial markets have at times seen an increase in volatility and adverse trends due to uncertainty surrounding the level and sustainability of sovereign debt of certain countries (for example in countries that are part of the European Union, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal in recent years). These developments adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe. Outside of the European Union, Iceland has also experienced adverse trends due to high debt levels and excessive lending during the height of the financial crisis that began in 2008.
A Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain sovereign debt obligations because there may be a limited trading market for such securities. Because there is no liquid secondary market for many of these securities, it is likely that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of such securities and a Fund’s ability to dispose of particular issues when necessary to meet its liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities also may make it more difficult for a Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its net asset value. See also “Foreign Investments” above.
STRIPPED SECURITIES RISK. Stripped securities are created when the issuer separates the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled to receive the interest payments on the underlying assets (the interest only or “IO” security) and the other to receive the principal payments (the principal only or “PO” security). Some stripped securities may receive a combination of interest and principal payments. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are sensitive to the expected or anticipated rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying assets, and principal payments may have a material effect on yield to maturity. If the underlying assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Fund may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be adversely affected. Stripped securities may be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and rates of prepayment. The market for stripped securities may be limited, making it difficult for a Fund to sell its holdings at an acceptable price.
STRUCTURED SECURITIES. Structured securities and other related instruments purchased by a Fund are generally privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a specific asset, benchmark asset, market or interest rate. Depending on the terms of the particular instrument and the nature of the underlying instrument, structured securities may be subject to equity market risk, commodity market risk, currency market risk or interest rate risk. Structured securities that do not involve any type of credit enhancement are subject to credit risk that generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Credit enhanced securities will be subject to the credit risk associated with the provider of the enhancement. Certain Funds are permitted to invest in classes of structured securities that are either subordinated or unsubordinated with respect to the right to payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Certain issuers of such securities may be deemed to be “investment companies” as defined in the 1940 Act; therefore, a Fund’s investment in structured securities may be limited by certain investment restrictions contained therein. Structured securities may be leveraged, increasing the volatility of each structured security’s value relative to the change in the reference measure. Structured securities may also be more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities.
TAXABLE INCOME RISK. Taxable income risk is the risk that a Fund that seeks to provide investors with tax-exempt income may invest in securities or other instruments that produce income subject to income tax, including the Alternative Minimum Tax. A Fund's investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer's bond counsel that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued. However, after a Fund buys a security, the IRS may determine that a bond issued as tax-exempt should in fact be taxable and the Fund's dividends with respect to that bond might be subject to federal income tax. In addition, income from tax-exempt municipal securities
39 |
could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the IRS, state tax authorities, or a court, or the non-compliant conduct of a bond issuer.
TO BE ANNOUNCED (TBA) TRANSACTIONS RISK. TBA investments include when-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments. A Fund is permitted to purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis. When-issued or delayed-delivery transactions arise when securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. A Fund may sell the securities before the settlement date if the sub-adviser deems it advisable. Distributions attributable to any gains realized on such a sale are taxable to shareholders. When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security a Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. A Fund is subject to this risk whether or not the Fund takes delivery of the securities on the settlement date for a transaction. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will not meet its obligation. If this occurs, the Fund loses both the investment opportunity for the assets it set aside to pay for the security and any gain in the security’s price. A Fund may also take a short position in a TBA investment when it owns or has the right to obtain, at no added cost, identical securities. If a Fund takes such a short position, it may reduce the risk of a loss if the price of the securities declines in the future, but will lose the opportunity to profit if the price rises. A Fund may purchase or sell undrawn or delayed draw loans.
Short Sales of TBA Investments Risk. A may also engage in shorting of TBAs. When a Fund enters into a short sale of a TBA investment it effectively agrees to sell at a future price and date a security it does not own. Although most TBA short sales transactions are closed before a Fund would be required to deliver the security, if the Fund does not close the position, such Fund may have to purchase the securities needed to settle the short sale at a higher price than anticipated, which would cause the Fund to lose money. A Fund may not always be able to purchase the securities required to settle a short sale at a particular time or at an attractive price. A Fund may incur increased transaction costs associated with selling TBA securities short. In addition, taking short positions in TBA securities results in a form of leverage, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s returns.
USE AS UNDERLYING FUND RISK. Each Fund may be an investment (an “Underlying Fund”) of a fund that pursues its investment goal by investing primarily in other funds (“fund of funds structure”). An Underlying Fund may experience relatively large redemptions or creations as the fund that uses a fund of funds structure periodically reallocates or rebalances its assets. These transactions, to the extent they are effected on a cash basis, may cause the Underlying Fund to sell portfolio securities to meet such redemptions, or to invest cash from such creations, at times it would not otherwise do so, and may as a result increase transaction costs and adversely affect underlying fund performance. In addition, such transactions could increase or decrease gains and could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions you receive from a Fund.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES RISK. Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. In addition, the value of U.S. Government securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government securities are also subject to default risk, which is the risk that the U.S. Treasury will be unable to meet its payment obligations. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. Government securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.
Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities . TIPS are U.S. Treasury securities designed to protect against inflation. The interest rate paid on TIPS is fixed. The principal value rises or falls semi-annually based on published changes to the Consumer Price Index. If inflation occurs, the principal amount will be adjusted upwards, resulting in increased interest payments. If deflation occurs, the principal amount will be adjusted downwards, resulting in lower interest payments. The principal amount payable at maturity will be the greater of the adjusted principal amount and the original principal amount. While U.S. Treasury securities are generally considered to have relatively little credit risk, they are subject to price fluctuations from changes in interest rates prior to their maturity.
VOLATILITY RISK. The risk that a Fund’s share price, yield and total return may fluctuate more than those of funds that use a different investment strategy.
WARRANTS AND RIGHTS RISK. Warrants are instruments giving holders the right, but not the obligation, to buy equity or fixed income securities of a company at a specific price during a specified period. Rights are similar to warrants but normally have a short life span to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security. Buying a warrant does not make the Fund a shareholder of the underlying stock. The warrant holder has no voting or dividend rights with respect to the underlying stock. A warrant does not carry any right to assets of the issuer, and for this reason investment in warrants may be more speculative than other equity-based investments. The market for warrants may be limited and it may be difficult for a Fund to sell a warrant promptly at an advantageous price.
40 |
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES. Zero-coupon securities pay no interest prior to their maturity date or another specified date in the future but are issued and traded at a discount to their face value. The discount varies as the securities approach their maturity date (or the date on which interest payments are scheduled to begin). While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. As with other fixed income securities, zero coupon bonds are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market rates than comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds have greater interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
DAILY DISCLOSURE
The Funds’ portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day a Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Fund Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”). The basket represents one Creation Unit of a Fund. The Trust, the Investment Manager, Sub-Adviser or State Street will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust, except: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the Funds or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception.
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for oversight of the Funds. The Board elects officers who are responsible for the day–to-day operations of the Funds. The Board oversees the Investment Manager and the other principal service providers of the Funds. As described in more detail below, the Board has established five standing committees that assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities: the Audit Committee, Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee, Contracts Committee, Investment Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee (collectively, the “Committees”).
The Board is chaired by an Independent Trustee (as defined below). The Independent Chairman (i) presides at Board meetings and participates in the preparation of agendas for the meetings, (ii) acts as a liaison with the Funds’ officers, investment manager and other trustees between meetings and (iii) coordinates Board activities and functions with the Chairperson of the Committees. The Independent Chairman may also perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership and committee structure is appropriate because it provides a foundation for the Board to work effectively with management and service providers and facilitates the exercise of the Board’s independent judgment. In addition, the committee structure permits an efficient allocation of responsibility among the Trustees.
The Board oversees risk as part of its general oversight of the Funds and risk is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, financial, operational and valuation risks. The Funds’ service providers, which are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, apply risk management in conducting their activities. The Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Funds, and that it is not possible to develop processes and controls to eliminate all risks and their possible effects. The Audit Committee, Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee, and Investment Committee receive reports or other information from management regarding risk assessment and management. In addition, the Investment Manager has established an internal committee focused on risk assessment and risk management related to the operations of the Funds and the investment manager, and the chairperson of that committee reports to the Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee on a semi-annual basis (or more frequently if appropriate). The Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee assists the Board in overseeing the activities of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), and the CCO provides an annual report to the Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee and the Board regarding material compliance matters. The Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee and the Board receive and consider other reports from the CCO throughout the year. The Investment Committee assists the Board in overseeing investment matters. The Investment Committee receives reports from the Investment Manager relating to investment performance, including information regarding investment risk. The Audit Committee assists the Board in reviewing financial matters, including matters relating to financial reporting risks and valuation risks. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts its risk oversight role.
Trustees and Officers. There are ten members of the Board of Trustees, nine of whom are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees” or “Non-Interested Trustees”). The Trust’s Board of Trustees (i) provides broad supervision over the affairs of the Trust and the Funds and (ii) elects officers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Funds and the execution of policies formulated by the Board.
The first table below provides information about the Independent Trustees and the second table below provides information about the Trust’s “interested” trustee and the Trust’s officers.
41 |
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME,
YEAR OF
BIRTH AND ADDRESS* |
POSITION
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 |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY TRUSTEE |
HILARY E. ACKERMANN (1956)
|
Trustee and Chair of the Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee |
Trustee since October 2017; Chair of the Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee since November 2017 |
Ms. Ackermann served as Chief Risk Officer at Goldman Sachs Bank USA from October 2008 to November 2011. Ms. Ackermann has served as a Director of Vistra Energy Corporation, formerly known as Dynegy, Inc. (an independent power co mpany) from October 2012 to present and as a Director of Credit Suisse Holdings (USA), Inc. from January 2017 to present. | 83 | Ms. Ackermann serves as a Director of Vistra Energy Corporation (October 2012 to present) and as a Director of Credit Suisse Holdings (USA), Inc. from January 2017 to present. |
ROBIN C. BEERY (1967)
|
Trustee | Since December 2016 | Ms. Beery has served as a consultant to ArrowMark Partners (an alternative asset manager) since March 2015 and since November 2018 has been employed by ArrowMark Partners as a Senior Advisor. Previously, she was Executive Vice President, Head of Distribution, for Janus Capital Group, and Chief Executive Officer and President of the Janus Mutual Funds (a global asset manager) from September 2009 to August 2014. | 83 | Ms. Beery serves as a Director of UMB Financial Corporation (January 2015 to present). |
LYNN S. BIRDSONG (1946)
|
Trustee and Chairman of the Investment Committee | Trustee since October 2017; Chair of the Investment Committee since November 2017 | Mr. Birdsong currently serves as a Director of Aberdeen Global and Aberdeen Global II (investment funds) (September 2014 to present), Aberdeen Islamic SICAV and Aberdeen Liquidity Fund (investment funds) (2016 to present) and Aberdeen Alpha Fund (December 2017 to present). Mr. Birdsong served as an Independent Director of Nomura Partners Funds, Inc. (formerly, The Japan Fund) (April 2003 to February 2015) and as a Director of the Sovereign High Yield Investment Company (April 2010 to June 2014). From 2003 to March 2005, Mr. Birdsong was an Independent Director of the Atlantic Whitehall Funds. From 1979 to 2002, Mr. Birdsong was a Managing Director of Zurich Scudder Investments, an investment management firm. During his employment with Scudder, Mr. Birdsong was an Interested Director of The Japan Fund. From January 1981 through December 2013, Mr. Birdsong was a partner in Birdsong Company, an advertising specialty firm. | 83 | None |
CHRISTINE R. DETRICK (1958)
|
Trustee | Since October 2017 | Ms. Detrick has served as a Director of Reinsurance Group of America since January 2014. Previously, she was a director of Forest City Realty Trust (a real estate company) from November 2014 to March 2018, a Director of Forethought Financial Group, Inc. (a financial services company) from January 2012 to January 2014, and a Senior Partner/Advisor at Bain & Company (a management consulting firm) from September 2002 to December 2012. | 83 | Ms. Detrick serves as a Director of Reinsurance Group of America (January 2014 to present). |
DUANE E. HILL (1945)
|
Trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee | Trustee since October 2017; and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee | Mr. Hill is a Partner of TSG Ventures L.P., a private equity investment company. Mr. Hill is a former partner of TSG Capital Group, a private equity investment firm that served as sponsor and lead investor in leveraged buyouts of middle market companies. | 83 | None |
42 |
NAME,
YEAR OF
BIRTH AND ADDRESS* |
POSITION
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 |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY TRUSTEE |
since November 2017 | |||||
WILLIAM P. JOHNSTON (1944)
|
Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Contracts Committee | Trustee since October 2017; and Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Contracts Committee since November 2017 | In June 2006, Mr. Johnston was appointed as Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group, a global private equity and other alternative asset investment firm and currently serves as an Operating Executive. In August 2007, Mr. Johnston was elected to the Board of Directors of LifeCare Holdings, Inc. and served until June 2013. In February 2008, Mr. Johnston was elected to the Board of Directors of HCR-ManorCare, Inc. and served until July 2018. In July 2006, Mr. Johnston was elected to the Board of Directors of MultiPlan, Inc. and served as a Director until August 2010. In May 2006, Mr. Johnston was elected to the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, after its acquisition of Renal Care Group, Inc. in March 2006. Mr. Johnston joined Renal Care Group in November 2002 as a member of the Board of Directors and served as Chairman of the Board from March 2003 through March 2006. From 2002 through 2013, Mr. Johnston served as a Board member of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. From September 1987 to December 2002, Mr. Johnston was with Equitable Securities Corporation (and its successors, SunTrust Equitable Securities and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey) serving in various investment banking and managerial positions, including Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman. | 83 | None |
PHILLIP O. PETERSON (1944)
|
Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee | Trustee since October 2017; and Chairman of the Audit Committee since November 2017 | Mr. Peterson is a mutual fund industry consultant. He was a partner of KPMG LLP (an accounting firm) until July 1999. From February 2007 to February 2018, Mr. Peterson served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the William Blair Funds. From February 2012 to February 2014, Mr. Peterson served as a Trustee of Symetra Variable Mutual Funds. From January 2004 to April 2005, Mr. Peterson served as Independent President of the Strong Mutual Funds. | 83 | None |
LEMMA W. SENBET (1946)
|
Trustee | Since October 2017 | Dr. Senbet currently serves as the William E. Mayer Chair Professor of Finance, and previously was the Founding Director, Center for Financial Policy, in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He was chair of the Finance Department Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland from 1998 to 2006. In June 2013, he began a sabbatical from the University to serve as Executive Director of the African Economic Research Consortium which focuses on economic policy research and training, which he completed in 2018. Previously, he was a chaired professor of finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also, he was a Director of the Fortis Funds from March 2000 to July 2002. Dr. Senbet served as Director of the American Finance Association and President of the Western Finance Association. In 2006, Dr. Senbet was inducted Fellow of Financial Management Association International for his career-long distinguished scholarship and professional service. | 83 | None |
43 |
NAME,
YEAR OF
BIRTH AND ADDRESS* |
POSITION
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 |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY TRUSTEE |
DAVID SUNG (1953)
|
Trustee | Since December 2016 | Mr. Sung has served as a Director of Nippon Wealth Bank since April 2015 and CITIC-Prudential Fund Management Company, Inc. since January 2016. Mr. Sung is an Independent Director of seven investment funds, including two closed-end registered investment companies, sponsored by Ironwood Capital Management. Previously, he was a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP from October 1995 to July 2014. | 83 | Mr. Sung serves as a Trustee of Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund, LLC and Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund, LLC (October 2015 to present) (2 portfolios). |
* | The address for each Trustee is c/o Hartford Funds 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
** | Each Trustee may serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies. |
OFFICERS AND INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME,
YEAR OF
BIRTH AND ADDRESS* |
POSITION
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 |
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE |
JAMES E. DAVEY*** (1964)
|
Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer | Trustee since October 2017; President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2017 | Mr. Davey serves as Executive Vice President of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Additionally, Mr. Davey serves as Chairman of the Board, Manager and Senior Managing Director of Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC (“HFD”). He also currently serves as Director, Chairman of the Board, President and Senior Managing Director of Hartford Administrative Services Company (“HASCO”). Mr. Davey also serves as President, Manager, Chairman of the Board and Senior Managing Director for Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (“HFMC”) and Director, Chairman of the Board and Senior Managing Director for Hartford Funds Management Group, Inc. ("HFMG"). Mr. Davey also serves as Chairman of the Board, President and Manager of Lattice Strategies LLC effective July 30, 2016. Mr. Davey has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Mr. Davey joined The Hartford in 2002. | 83 |
None
|
Andrew S. Decker (1963)
|
AML Compliance Officer | Since December 2016 | Mr. Decker currently serves as Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer of HASCO and as AML Officer of HFD. Prior to joining The Hartford, Mr. Decker served as Vice President and AML Officer at Janney Montgomery Scott (a broker dealer) from April 2011 to January 2015. Mr. Decker served as AML Compliance and Sanctions Enforcement Officer at SEI Investments from December 2007 to April 2011. | N/A | N/A |
AMY N. FURLONG (1979) |
Vice President and Treasurer | Since May 2018 | Ms. Furlong has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Ms. Furlong joined The Hartford in 2004. Prior to joining The Hartford, Ms. Furlong worked at KPMG LLP in audit services. | N/A | N/A |
Walter F. Garger (1965)
|
Chief Legal Officer and Vice President | Since December 2016 | Mr. Garger currently serves as Secretary, Managing Director and General Counsel of HFD, HASCO, HFMC and HFMG. Mr. Garger also serves as Secretary and General Counsel of Lattice Strategies LLC effective July 30, 2016. Mr. Garger has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Mr. Garger joined The Hartford in 1995. | N/A | N/A |
Albert Y. Lee (1979) |
Vice President and Assistant Treasurer | Since December 2016 | Mr. Lee serves as Head of Systemic Strategies and ETF Operations and Senior Vice President at HFMG since 2016. Mr. Lee also serves as Senior Vice President of Lattice Strategies LLC since 2017 and served as Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Lattice Strategies LLC (2009-2016); Chief Operating Officer, Avicenna Capital Management (2007-2009); Chief Financial Officer, Steeple Capital LP (2005-2007). | N/A | N/A |
44 |
NAME,
YEAR OF
BIRTH AND ADDRESS* |
POSITION
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 |
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE |
theodore j. lucas (1966) |
Vice President | Since November 2017 | Mr. Lucas serves as Executive Vice President of HFMG since 2016 and as Executive Vice President of Lattice Strategies LLC since 2017. Mr. Lucas served as Managing Partner, Lattice Strategies LLC (2003 to 2016). | N/A | N/A |
Joseph G. Melcher (1973)
|
Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President | Since December 2016 | Mr. Melcher currently serves as Executive Vice President of HFD, HFMG and HASCO. Mr. Melcher also currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of HFMC and Lattice Strategies, LLC. Mr. Melcher has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds since joining The Hartford in 2012. Prior to joining The Hartford, Mr. Melcher worked at Touchstone Investments, a member of the Western & Southern Financial Group, where he held the position of Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer from 2010 through 2012 and Assistant Vice President, Compliance from 2005 to 2010. | N/A | N/A |
Vernon J. Meyer (1964)
|
Vice President | Since December 2016 | Mr. Meyer currently serves as Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of HFMC and Managing Director of HFMG. Mr. Meyer has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Mr. Meyer joined The Hartford in 2004. | N/A | N/A |
Alice A. Pellegrino (1960) |
Vice President | Since December 2016 | Ms. Pellegrino currently serves as Vice President of HFMG. Ms. Pellegrino is a Senior Counsel and has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Ms. Pellegrino joined The Hartford in 2007. | N/A | N/A |
THOMAS R. PHILLIPS (1960) | Vice President and Secretary | Since November 2017 | Mr. Phillips currently serves as Vice President and Senior Counsel for HFMG. Prior to joining HFMG in 2017, Mr. Phillips was a Director and Chief Legal Officer of Saturna Capital Corporation from 2014–2016. Prior to that, Mr. Phillips was a Partner and Deputy General Counsel of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC. | N/A | N/A |
Laura S. Quade (1969)
|
Vice President | Since December 2016 | Ms. Quade currently serves as Vice President of HASCO, HFD and HFMG. She is the Head of Operations of HASCO and formerly served as Director, Enterprise Operations of HLIC. Ms. Quade has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Ms. Quade joined The Hartford in 2001. | N/A | N/A |
* | The address for each officer and Trustee is c/o Hartford Funds 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
** | Each Trustee holds an indefinite term until the earlier of (i) the election and qualification of his or her successor or (ii) when the Trustee turns 75 years of age. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies. |
*** | “Interested person,” as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust because of the person’s affiliation with, or equity ownership of HFMC or affiliated companies. |
All trustees and officers of the Trust also hold corresponding positions with The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc., The Hartford Mutual Funds II, Inc., Hartford Series Fund, Inc., Hartford HLS Series Fund II, Inc., Hartford Funds Master Fund, Hartford Funds NextShares Trust, and Lattice Strategies Trust.
STANDING COMMITTEES. As described in more detail below, the Board has established five standing committees that assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities: the Audit Committee, Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee, Contracts Committee, Investment Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee (collectively, the “Committees”). The Trust does not have standing a compensation committee. However, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding the compensation of the non-interested members of the Board. The Board has adopted written charters for the Audit Committee, the Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee, the Investment Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee.
The Audit Committee currently consists of the following non-interested trustees: Hilary E. Ackermann, William P. Johnston, Phillip O. Peterson and David Sung. The Audit Committee (i) oversees the Funds’ accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, their internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; (ii) assists the Board of Trustees in its oversight of the qualifications, independence and performance of the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; the quality, objectivity and integrity of the Funds’ financial statements and the independent audit thereof; and the performance of the Fund’s internal audit function; and (iii) acts as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the
45 |
respective full board. The Funds’ independent registered accounting firm reports directly to the Audit Committee, and the Audit Committee regularly reports to the Board of Trustees.
Management is responsible for maintaining appropriate systems for accounting. The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for conducting a proper audit of each Fund’s financial statements and is ultimately accountable to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the ultimate authority and responsibility to select (subject to approval by the non-interested trustees and ratification by the Trust shareholders, as required) and evaluate the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, to determine the compensation of the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm and, when appropriate, to replace the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm.
The Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee currently consists of Hilary E. Ackermann, William P. Johnston, Phillip O. Peterson and David Sung. The Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the adoption and implementation of compliance and enterprise risk management policies and procedures. The Contracts Committee currently consists of all non-interested trustees of the Trust: Hilary E. Ackermann, Robin C. Beery, Lynn S. Birdsong, Christine R. Detrick, Duane E. Hill, William P. Johnston, Phillip O. Peterson, Lemma W. Senbet and David Sung. The Contracts Committee assists the Board in its consideration and review of fund contracts and the consideration of strategy-related matters.
The Investment Committee currently consists of Robin C. Beery, Lynn S. Birdsong, Christine R. Detrick, Duane E. Hill and Lemma W. Senbet. The Investment Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the Funds’ investment performance and related matters.
The Nominating and Governance Committee currently consists of all non-interested trustees of the Trust: Hilary E. Ackermann, Robin C. Beery, Lynn S. Birdsong, Christine R. Detrick, Duane E. Hill, William P. Johnston, Phillip O. Peterson, Lemma W. Senbet and David Sung. The Nominating and Governance Committee: (i) screens and selects candidates to the applicable Board of Trustees and (ii) periodically reviews and evaluates the compensation of the non-interested trustees and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding the compensation of, and expense reimbursement policies with respect to, non-interested trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee is also authorized to consider and make recommendations to the Board regarding governance policies, including, but not limited to, any retirement policy for non-interested trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders for non-interested trustee positions if a vacancy among the non-interested trustees occurs and if the nominee meets the Committee’s criteria.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, the above referenced committees of the Trust met the following number of times: Audit Committee — 6 times, Investment Committee — 5 times, Nominating and Governance Committee — 2 times, Contracts Committee — 1 time and Compliance and Risk Oversight Committee — 4 times.
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Board 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 Funds provided to him or her by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund’s shareholders. The Board 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.
Hilary E. Ackermann. Ms. Ackermann has over twenty-five years of credit, financial and risk management experience, including serving as Chief Risk Officer at Goldman Sachs Bank USA.
Robin C. Beery. Ms. Beery is an experienced business executive with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry including extensive experience related to the global distribution of mutual funds and institutional strategies for a large investment adviser.
Lynn S. Birdsong. Mr. Birdsong served in senior executive and portfolio management positions for investment management firms for more than 25 years. He has served as a director of other mutual funds for more than 10 years.
James E. Davey. Mr. Davey joined The Hartford in 2002 and has served in various positions within The Hartford and its subsidiaries in connection with the operation of the Hartford Funds. Prior to joining The Hartford, Mr. Davey served in various management roles at Merrill Lynch, including director of 401(k) alliance management and director of corporate and institutional 401(k) product management, overseeing product profitability and marketing strategy. Mr. Davey currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Investment Company Institute (ICI).
Christine R. Detrick. Ms. Detrick has over 30 years of experience leading and advising financial services companies and investors. She previously served as a director, head of the Americas financial services practice and senior advisor at a management consulting firm, and as the chief executive officer of a private savings bank.
Duane E. Hill. Mr. Hill has more than 35 years of experience in senior executive positions in the banking, venture capital and private equity industries.
William P. Johnston. Mr. Johnston has more than 40 years of experience in senior leadership positions in the health care, investment banking and legal professions. He currently serves as an operating executive to a global private equity and other alternative asset
46 |
investment firm and serves on other boards. He previously served as managing director and head of investment banking, CEO and vice chairman for an investment bank.
Phillip O. Peterson. Mr. Peterson was a partner of a major accounting firm, providing services to the investment management industry. He has served as an independent president of a mutual fund complex.
Lemma W. Senbet. Dr. Senbet, for more than 30 years, has served as a professor of finance, including serving as the Director of Center for Financial Policy and as the chair of the finance department at a major university. He has served the finance profession in various capacities, including as a director or officer of finance associations.
David Sung. Mr. Sung is an experienced financial services and auditing professional with over 37 years of experience serving clients in the investment management business.
References to the experience, attributes and skills of Trustees above are pursuant to requirements of the SEC and do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.
COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES. No officer, trustee or employee of HFMC, its parent or subsidiaries receives any compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. The chart below sets forth the compensation paid to the following trustees for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018 and certain other information.
Name
of Person,
Position |
Aggregate
Compensation From
|
Pension
Or Retirement
Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated
Annual
Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total
Compensation
From the Fund Complex Paid To Trustees |
Hilary E. Ackermann, Trustee* | $154 | None | None | $301,000 |
Robin C. Beery, Trustee | $130 | None | None | $258,000 |
Lynn S. Birdsong, Trustee* | $150 | None | None | $291,500 |
Christine R. Detrick, Trustee* | $132 | None | None | $252,000 |
Duane E. Hill, Trustee* | $150 | None | None | $293,000 |
William P. Johnston, Trustee* | $219 | None | None | $429,000 |
Phillip O. Peterson, Trustee* | $154 | None | None | $301,000 |
Lemma W. Senbet, Trustee* | $133 | None | None | $250,000 |
David Sung, Trustee | $135 | None | None | $264,000 |
* Became a Trustee of the Board during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018.
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES. The following tables disclose the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each trustee as of December 31, 2017 (i) in each Fund and (ii) on an aggregate basis in any registered investment companies overseen by the trustee within the same family of investment companies:
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME OF TRUSTEE | FUND |
DOLLAR
RANGE OF EQUITY
SECURITIES IN THE FUND |
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY
SECURITIES IN ALL REGISTERED
|
Hilary E. Ackermann | None | None | $50,001-$100,000 |
Robin C. Beery | None | None | $50,001-$100,000 |
Lynn S. Birdsong | None | None | Over $100,000 |
Christine R. Detrick | None | None | Over $100,000 |
Duane E. Hill | None | None | Over $100,000 |
William P. Johnston | None | None | Over $100,000 |
Phillip O. Peterson | None | None | Over $100,000 |
Lemma W. Senbet | None | None | Over $100,000 |
David Sung | None | None | Over $100,000 |
47 |
INTERESTED TRUSTEE
NAME OF TRUSTEE | FUND |
DOLLAR
RANGE OF EQUITY
SECURITIES IN THE FUND |
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY
SECURITIES IN ALL REGISTERED
|
James E. Davey | None | None | Over$100,000 |
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITY HOLDERS
As of October 31, 2018, to the knowledge of the Trust’s management, the officers and trustees of the Trust as a group beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund. Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares nominally held by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund, as of October 31, 2018, is set forth below.
Fund/Shareholder |
Percentage
of
Ownership |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | |
JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. | 68.17% |
State Street Bank and Trust / State Street Total ETF | 25.00% |
Short Duration ETF | |
State Street Bank and Trust Company | 50.94% |
JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. | 37.52% |
Brown Brothers Harriman & Company | 9.25% |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | |
JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. | 92.86% |
Total Return Bond ETF | |
State Street Bank and Trust Company | 93.93% |
As of October 31, 2018, The Hartford and/or its affiliates may be deemed to control Municipal Opportunities ETF, Short Duration ETF and Tax-Aware Bond ETF due to their beneficial ownership of 25% or more of the outstanding shares of those Funds. Schroders plc, SIMNA’s ultimate parent, also may be deemed to control Tax-Aware Bond ETF due to its beneficial ownership of 25% or more of the outstanding shares of that Fund. The Hartford Checks and Balances Fund may be deemed to control Total Return Bond ETF due to its beneficial ownership of 25% or more of the outstanding shares of that Fund.
48 |
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has entered into an investment management agreement with HFMC. The investment management agreement provides that HFMC, subject to the supervision and approval of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, is responsible for the management of the Funds. In addition, HFMC or its affiliate(s) provides administrative services to the Trust and the Funds. HFMC or its affiliate(s) have also agreed to arrange for the provision of additional services necessary for the proper operation of the Trust and the Funds. HFMC pays for these services pursuant to each Fund’s unitary management fee structure.
With respect to the Funds, HFMC has entered into an investment sub-advisory agreement with each of Wellington Management and SIMNA. Under each investment sub-advisory agreement, the sub-advisers, subject to the general supervision of the Trust’s Board of Trustees and HFMC, are responsible for (among other things) the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Funds they sub-advise and furnishing those Funds with advice and recommendations with respect to investments and the purchase and sale of appropriate securities for those Funds.
As provided by the investment management agreement, each Fund pays HFMC an investment management fee which is accrued daily and paid monthly, equal on an annual basis to a stated percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. With respect to each Fund, HFMC (not the Fund) pays the sub-advisory fees to its respective sub-adviser.
MANAGEMENT FEES
Each Fund pays a monthly management fee to HFMC based on a stated percentage of the Fund’s average daily net asset value as follows:
FUND | ANNUAL RATE |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | 0.29%* |
Short Duration ETF | 0.29% |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | 0.39% |
Total Return Bond ETF | 0.29%* |
* Effective July 1, 2018
Under the investment management agreement, HFMC shall pay all expenses of the Trust, except for: (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) expenses incident to the creation and redemption of its shares; (iv) legal fees in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith and any obligation which the Trust may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect thereto; (v) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (vi) such extraordinary non-recurring expenses as may arise; and (vii) acquired fund fees and expenses.
ADVISORY FEE PAYMENT HISTORY
The following charts show, for the last fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, the amount of advisory fees paid by each Fund to HFMC, as investment manager, and the net aggregate sub-advisory fees paid by HFMC to each of Wellington Management and SIMNA. The fees paid to the sub-advisers are shown both in dollars and as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets that each sub-adviser managed during the applicable period.
Fund Name | 2018 |
Municipal Opportunities ETF 1 | $25,399 |
Short Duration ETF 2 | $9,839 |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF 3 | $23,220 |
Total Return Bond ETF 4 | $63,952 |
49 |
1 | The information presented above is from December 13, 2017 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
2 | The information presented above is from May 30, 2018 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
3 | The information presented above is from April 18, 2018 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
4 | The information presented above is from September 27, 2017 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
Pursuant to the investment management agreement, HFMC is not liable to the Funds or their shareholders for an error of judgment or mistake of law or for a loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the matters to which its agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of HFMC in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of the obligations and duties under the agreement.
Pursuant to each investment sub-advisory agreement, the sub-adviser must discharge its duties under the sub-advisory agreement with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent investment professional acting in a similar capacity and familiar with such matters would use. Unless the sub-adviser breaches this standard of care or under applicable law, the sub-adviser is not liable to the Trust, any Fund, HFMC or its affiliates for any of its acts or omissions, or any acts or omissions of any other person or entity, in the course of or connected with the sub-adviser performing its obligations under the sub-advisory agreement. If the sub-adviser breaches this standard of care or under applicable law, the sub-adviser is responsible for indemnifying and holding harmless HFMC and its affiliates from all claims, losses, expenses, obligations and liabilities (including reasonable attorney’s fees) resulting from: (1) the sub-adviser causing a Fund to be in material violation of any applicable federal or state law, rule or regulation or in violation of any investment policy set forth in such Fund’s current registration statement; (2) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement or certain other materials or the omission to state therein a material fact known to the sub-adviser that was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if the statement or omission was made in reliance upon information provided by the sub-adviser in writing for use in such materials; (3) a material breach of the investment sub-advisory agreement; or (4) any willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard on the part of the sub-adviser in the performance of its duties and obligations under the investment sub-advisory agreement (except to the extent that the loss results from HFMC’s or the Trust’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence, or reckless disregard in the performance of their respective duties and obligations under the sub-advisory agreement or the applicable investment management agreement).
HFMC, whose business address is 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087, was organized in 2012. Excluding affiliated funds of funds, as of September 30, 2018 HFMC and its wholly owned subsidiary, Lattice Strategies LLC, had approximately $121.0 billion in discretionary and non-discretionary assets under management.
Wellington Management is a Delaware limited liability partnership with principal offices at 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210. Wellington Management is a professional investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability partnership. As of September 30, 2018, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $1.1 trillion in assets.
SIMNA (itself and its predecessors) has been an investment manager since 1962, and serves as investment adviser to mutual funds and a broad range of institutional investors. Schroders plc, SIMNA’s ultimate parent, is a global asset management company, which had investment management authority with respect to approximately $573 billion in assets as of September 30, 2018. Schroders plc and its affiliates (“Schroders”) have clients that are major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, high net worth individuals, financial intermediaries and retail investors. Schroders has one of the largest networks of offices of any dedicated asset management company with numerous portfolio managers and analysts covering the world’s investment markets
HFMC also provides the Funds with accounting services pursuant to a fund accounting agreement by and between the Trust, on behalf of its respective Funds, and HFMC. HFMC is not entitled to any compensation under this agreement. HFMC has delegated certain accounting service functions to State Street Bank and Trust Company. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by HFMC, not by the Funds.
OTHER ACCOUNTS SUB-ADVISED OR MANAGED BY WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following table lists the number and types of other accounts sub-advised or managed by Wellington Management portfolio managers and assets under management in those accounts as of July 31, 2018:
50 |
PORTFOLIO MANAGER |
REGISTERED
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACCOUNTS |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
OTHER
VEHICLES |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
OTHER
ACCOUNTS |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
Robert D. Burn, CFA | 17 |
$7,062
|
26* |
$3,042
|
37 |
$9,291
|
Campe Goodman, CFA | 15 | $7,062 | 17 | $2,961 | 36 |
$9,798
|
Timothy D. Haney, CFA | 4 |
$856
|
0 | $0 | 116 |
$41,100
|
Brad W. Libby | 4 |
$856
|
1 |
$6
|
3 |
$208
|
Joseph F. Marvan, CFA | 16 |
$7,817
|
23 |
$4,035
|
64 |
$25,028
|
Timothy E. Smith | 8 |
$6,466
|
10** |
$8,211
|
58** |
$17,625
|
* The advisory fee for two of these other pooled investment vehicles is based upon performance. Assets under management in these other pooled investment vehicles total approximately $26 million.
** The advisory fee for one of these other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts is based upon performance. Assets under management in that other pooled investment vehicle and other account total approximately $115 million and $35 million, respectively.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BETWEEN THE FUND SUB-ADVISED BY WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGERS AND OTHER ACCOUNTS
Individual investment professionals at Wellington Management manage multiple accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include mutual funds, separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of institutions, such as pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, or separately managed account programs sponsored by financial intermediaries), bank common trust accounts, and hedge funds. The portfolio managers listed in the prospectus who are primarily responsible for the daily investment of the assets of the Funds (“Investment Professionals”) generally manage accounts in several different investment styles. These accounts may have investment objectives, strategies, time horizons, tax considerations and risk profiles that differ from those of the Funds. The Investment Professionals make investment decisions for each account, including the Funds, based on the investment objectives, policies, practices, benchmarks, cash flows, tax and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that account. Consequently, the Investment Professionals may purchase or sell securities, including IPOs, for one account and not another account, and the performance of securities purchased for one account may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other accounts. Alternatively, these accounts may be managed in a similar fashion to the relevant Fund and thus the accounts may have similar, and in some cases nearly identical, objectives, strategies and/or holdings to that of the relevant Fund.
An Investment Professional or other investment professionals at Wellington Management may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the relevant Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the relevant Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact the relevant Fund depending on market conditions. For example, an investment professional may purchase a security in one account while appropriately selling that same security in another account. Similarly, an Investment Professional may purchase the same security for the relevant Fund and one or more other accounts at or about the same time. In those instances other accounts will have access to their respective holdings prior to the public disclosure of the relevant Fund’s holdings. In addition, some of these accounts have fee structures, including performance fees, which are or have the potential to be higher, in some cases significantly higher, than the fees Wellington Management receives for managing the Funds. The Investment Professionals may also manage accounts which pay performance allocations to Wellington Management or its affiliates (as indicated in the notes to the chart above entitled “Other Accounts Sub-Advised or Managed by Wellington Management Portfolio Managers). Because incentive payments paid by Wellington Management to the Investment Professionals are tied to revenues earned by Wellington Management, and, where noted, to the performance achieved by the manager in each account, the incentives associated with any given account may be significantly higher or lower than those associated with other accounts managed by a given Investment Professional. Finally, the Investment Professionals may hold shares or investments in the other pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts identified above.
Wellington Management’s goal is to meet its fiduciary obligation to treat all clients fairly and provide high quality investment services to all of its clients. Wellington Management has adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, which it believes address the conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition, Wellington Management monitors a variety of areas, including compliance with primary account guidelines, the allocation of IPOs, and compliance with the firm’s Code of Ethics, and places additional investment restrictions on investment professionals who manage hedge funds and certain other accounts. Furthermore, senior investment and business personnel at Wellington Management periodically review the performance of Wellington Management’s investment professionals. Although Wellington Management does not track the time an investment professional spends on a single account, Wellington Management does periodically assess whether an investment professional has adequate time and resources to effectively manage the investment professional’s various client mandates.
51 |
COMPENSATION OF WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Wellington Management receives a fee based on the assets under management of each Fund as set forth in the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Wellington Management and HFMC on behalf of each Fund. Wellington Management pays its investment professionals out of its total revenues, including the advisory fees earned with respect to each Fund. The following information relates to the one-year period ended December 31, 2017 .
Wellington Management’s compensation structure is designed to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals necessary to deliver high quality investment management services to its clients. Wellington Management’s compensation of the Investment Professionals includes a base salary and incentive components. The base salary for each Investment Professional who is a partner (“Partner”) of Wellington Management Group LLP, the ultimate holding company of Wellington Management, is generally a fixed amount that is determined by the managing partners of Wellington Management Group LLP. The base salaries for the other Investment Professionals are determined by the Investment Professionals’ experience and performance in their roles as Investment Professionals. Base salaries for Wellington Management’s employees are reviewed annually and may be adjusted based on the recommendation of an Investment Professional’s manager, using guidelines established by Wellington Management’s Compensation Committee, which has final oversight responsibility for base salaries of employees of the firm. Each Investment Professional managing a Fund is eligible to receive an incentive payment based on the revenues earned by Wellington Management from the relevant Fund managed by the Investment Professional and generally each other account managed by such Investment Professional. Most Investment Professionals’ incentive payment relating to the relevant Fund is linked to the gross pre-tax performance of the portion of the Fund managed by the Investment Professional compared to the benchmark index and/or peer group identified below over one-, three - and five-year periods, with an emphasis on five-year results. Wellington Management applies similar incentive compensation structures (although the benchmarks or peer groups, time periods and rates may differ) to other accounts managed by these Investment Professionals, including accounts with performance fees.
Portfolio-based incentives across all accounts managed by an investment professional can, and typically do, represent a significant portion of an investment professional’s overall compensation; incentive compensation varies significantly by individual and can vary significantly from year to year. The Investment Professionals may also be eligible for bonus payments based on their overall contribution to Wellington Management’s business operations. Senior management at Wellington Management may reward individuals as it deems appropriate based on other factors. Each Partner is eligible to participate in a Partner-funded tax qualified retirement plan, the contributions to which are made pursuant to an actuarial formula. The following individuals are Partners as of January 1, 2018:
Kenneth L. Abrams Steven C. Angeli Mario E. Abularach Matthew G. Baker John A. Boselli Edward P. Bousa Michael T. Carmen Mammen Chally David Chang Nicolas M. Choumenkovitch Andrew Corry Robert L. Deresiewicz David J. Elliott Scott M. Elliott Craig Gainey Ann C. Gallo Michael Garrett Brian M. Garvey Campe Goodman Stephen A. Gorman Karen H. Grimes* Timothy D. Haney Jean M. Hynes Christopher A. Jones |
Tom Levering Ian R. Link Mark T . Lynch Dan Maguire Joseph F. Marvan James N. Mordy* Stephen Mortimer W. Michael Reckmeyer, III Philip W. Ruedi James H. Shakin Timothy E. Smith Scott I. St. John Michael E. Stack Kent M. Stahl* Tara C. Stilwell Mark H. Sullivan Gregg R. Thomas Simon H. Thomas Donald S. Tunnell James W. Valone Mark A. Whitaker |
52 |
* Ms. Grimes, Mr. Mordy and Mr. Stahl announced their plan to withdraw from the partnership of Wellington Management Group LLP, the ultimate holding company of Wellington Management, as of December 31, 2018.
Wellington Management’s incentive payments to the Investment Professionals are based on comparisons of each Investment Professional’s performance relative to the following benchmark and/or relevant peer group as of July 31, 2018, which are used to measure one, three and five year performance:
EQUITY SECURITIES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The dollar ranges of equity securities beneficially owned by Wellington Management portfolio managers in each Fund they manage are as follows for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018:.
OTHER ACCOUNTS SUB-ADVISED OR MANAGED BY SCHRODERS PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following table lists the number and types of other accounts sub-advised or managed by Schroders’ portfolio managers and assets under management in those accounts as of July 31, 2018:
PORTFOLIO MANAGER |
REGISTERED
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACCOUNTS |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
OTHER
POOLED INVESTMENT VEHICLES |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
OTHER
ACCOUNTS |
ASSETS
MANAGED (in millions) |
Julio C. Bonilla, CFA | 6 | $750.5 | 5 | $1,653.5 | 127 | $13,160.6 |
Andrew B.J. Chorlton, CFA | 6 | $750.5 | 5 | $1,653.5 | 127 | $13,160.6 |
Edward H. Jewett | 6 | $750.5 | 5 | $1,653.5 | 127 | $13,160.6 |
Richard A. Rezek Jr., CFA | 6 | $750.5 | 5 | $1,653.5 | 127 | $13,160.6 |
Neil G. Sutherland, CFA | 6 | $750.5 | 8 | $3,212.3 | 162 | $17,800.5 |
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BETWEEN THE FUND SUB-ADVISED BY SCHRODERS’ PORTFOLIO MANAGERS AND OTHER ACCOUNTS
Whenever a portfolio manager of the Fund manages other accounts, potential conflicts of interest exist, including potential conflicts between the investment strategy of the Fund and the investment strategy of the other accounts. For example, in certain instances, a portfolio manager may take conflicting positions in a particular security for different accounts, by selling a security for one account and continuing to hold it for another account. In addition, the fact that other accounts require the portfolio manager to devote less than all of his or her time to a Fund may be seen itself to constitute a conflict with the interest of the Fund.
Each portfolio manager may also execute transactions for another fund or account at the direction of such fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by a Fund. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than such Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund. Finally, if the portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, a Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and accounts. Schroders’ policies, however, require that portfolio managers allocate investment opportunities among accounts managed by them in an equitable manner over time. Orders are normally allocated on a pro rata basis, except that in certain circumstances, such as the small size of an issue, orders will be allocated among clients in a manner believed by Schroders to be fair and equitable over time.
The structure of a portfolio manager’s compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager’s base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management, which
53 |
indirectly links compensation to sales. Also, potential conflicts of interest may arise since the structure of Schroders’ compensation may vary from account to account.
Schroders has adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.
COMPENSATION OF SCHRODERS’ PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Schroders receives a fee based on the assets under management of the Fund as set forth in the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between SIMNA and HFMC on behalf of the Fund. Schroders pays its investment professionals out of its total revenues, including the advisory fees earned with respect to the Fund. The following information relates to the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018.
Schroders’ methodology for measuring and rewarding the contribution made by portfolio managers combines quantitative measures with qualitative measures. The Fund’s portfolio managers are compensated for their services to the Fund and to other accounts they manage in a combination of base salary and annual discretionary bonus, as well as the standard retirement, health and welfare benefits available to all Schroders employees. Base salary of Schroders’ employees is determined by reference to the level of responsibility inherent in the role and the experience of the incumbent, is benchmarked annually against market data to ensure competitive salaries, and is paid in cash. The portfolio managers’ base salary is fixed and is subject to an annual review and will increase if market movements make this necessary or if there has been an increase in responsibilities.
Each portfolio manager’s bonus is based in part on performance. Discretionary bonuses for portfolio managers may be comprised of an agreed contractual floor, a revenue component and/or a discretionary component. Any discretionary bonus is determined by a number of factors. At a macro level the total amount available to spend is a function of the bonus to pre-bonus profit ratio before tax and the compensation to revenue ratio achieved by Schroders globally. Schroders then assesses the performance of the division and of a management team to determine the share of the aggregate bonus pool that is spent in each area. This focus on “team” maintains consistency and minimizes internal competition that may be detrimental to the interests of Schroders’ clients. For each team, Schroders assesses the performance of their funds relative to competitors and to relevant benchmarks (which may be internally-and/or externally-based and are considered over a range of performance periods), the level of funds under management, and the level of performance fees generated, if any. The portfolio managers’ compensation for other accounts they manage may be based upon such accounts’ performance.
For those employees receiving significant bonuses, a part may be deferred in the form of Schroders plc stock. These employees may also receive part of the deferred award in the form of notional cash investments in a range of Schroders Funds. These deferrals vest over a period of three years and are designed to ensure that the interests of the employees are aligned with those of the shareholders of Schroders.
EQUITY SECURITIES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY SCHRODERS PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The dollar ranges of equity securities beneficially owned by the Schroders portfolio managers in the Fund they manage are as follows for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018:.
Portfolio Manager |
FUND SUB-ADVISED |
DOLLAR
RANGE OF EQUITY
SECURITIES BENEFICIALLY OWNED |
Julio C. Bonilla, CFA | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | $1 - $10,000 |
Andrew B.J. Chorlton, CFA | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | $50,001 - $100,000 |
Edward H. Jewett | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | None |
Richard A. Rezek Jr., CFA | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | None |
Neil G. Sutherland, CFA | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | None |
54 |
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
The Trust has no obligation to deal with any dealer or group of dealers in the execution of transactions in portfolio securities.
Subject to any policy established by the Trust’s Board of Trustees and HFMC, each sub-adviser is primarily responsible for the investment decisions of each Fund and the placing of its portfolio transactions. In placing brokerage orders, it is the policy of the Funds to obtain the most favorable net results, taking into account various factors, including price, dealer spread or commission, if any, size of the transaction and difficulty of execution. While each sub-adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive spreads or commissions, the Funds do not necessarily pay the lowest possible spread or commission. HFMC may instruct the sub-adviser to direct certain brokerage transactions, using best efforts, subject to obtaining best execution, to broker/dealers in connection with a commission recapture program used to defray fund expenses for a Fund.
Each sub-adviser generally deals directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved (unless better prices and execution are available elsewhere) if the securities are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market. Such dealers usually act as principals for their own account. On occasion, securities may be purchased directly from the issuer. In addition, each sub-adviser may effect certain “riskless principal” transactions through certain dealers in the over-the-counter market under which “commissions” are paid on such transactions. Bonds and money market securities are generally traded on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes.
While the sub-adviser seeks to obtain the most favorable net results in effecting transactions in a Fund’s portfolio securities, broker-dealers who provide investment research to the sub-adviser may receive orders for transactions from the sub-adviser. Such research services ordinarily consist of assessments and analyses of or affecting the business or prospects of a company, industry, economic sector or financial market. To the extent consistent with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), the sub-adviser may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides “brokerage and research services” (as defined in the 1934 Act) to the sub-adviser an amount in respect of securities transactions for the Fund in excess of the amount that another broker-dealer would have charged in respect of that transaction. See “Soft Dollar Practices” below.
To the extent that accounts managed by each sub-adviser are simultaneously engaged in the purchase of the same security as a Fund, then, as authorized by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, available securities may be allocated to the Fund and another client account and may be averaged as to price in a manner determined by the sub-adviser to be fair and equitable. Such allocation and pricing may affect the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund. In some cases, this system might adversely affect the price paid by a Fund (for example, during periods of rapidly rising or falling interest rates) or limit the size of the position obtainable for the Fund (for example, in the case of a small issue).
Accounts managed by each sub-adviser (or its affiliates) may hold securities also held by the Fund. Because of different investment objectives or other factors, a particular security may be purchased by the sub-adviser for one client when one or more other clients are selling the same security.
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, the Funds paid the following brokerage commissions:
Fund Name | 2018 |
Municipal Opportunities ETF 1 | $0 |
Short Duration ETF 2 | $0 |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF 3 | $0 |
Total Return Bond ETF 4 | $0 |
1 | The information presented above is from December 13, 2017 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
2 | The information presented above is from May 30, 2018 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
3 | The information presented above is from April 18, 2018 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
4 | The information presented above is from September 27, 2017 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2018. |
Commission rates are established by country and trade method used to execute a given order.
Soft Dollar Practices . The sub-advisers are responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management activities of each respective Fund, including effecting securities transactions. As noted above, to the extent consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the sub-advisers may obtain “soft dollar” benefits in connection with the execution of transactions for each respective Fund. The sub-advisers may cause each respective Fund to pay a broker-dealer an amount in excess of the amount that another broker-dealer would have charged for the same transaction, in exchange for “brokerage and research services” (as defined in the 1934 Act). Information so received is in addition to and not in lieu of the services that the sub-adviser is required to perform under the applicable investment sub-advisory agreement. In circumstances where two or more broker-dealers are equally capable of providing best execution, the sub-adviser may, but is under no obligation to, choose the broker-dealer that provides superior research or analysis as determined by the sub-adviser in its sole discretion. Neither the management fees nor the subadvisory fees paid by a Fund are reduced because the sub-adviser or its affiliates receive these services even though the sub-adviser or its affiliates might otherwise be required to purchase some of these services for cash. Some of these services are of value to the sub-adviser or its affiliates in advising various of their clients (including the Funds), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing a Fund. These products and services may include research reports, access to management personnel, financial newsletters and trade journals,
55 |
seminar and conference fees, quantitative analytical software, data services, communication services relating to (or incidental to) the execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions, post-trade services relating to functions incidental to trade execution, and other products and services that are permitted under Section 28(e), as interpreted by the SEC from time to time. In certain instances, these products and services may have additional uses that are not related to brokerage or research. For such “mixed use” items, in accordance with SEC guidance, the sub-adviser will make a reasonable allocation of the cost of the item according to its expected use, and will pay for that portion of the item that does not have a brokerage or research-related component out of its own pocket.
The following table shows the dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid to firms selected in recognition of research services and the approximate dollar amount of the transactions involved for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018.
fund |
COMMISSIONS
PAID TO FIRMS SELECTED IN
RECOGNITION OF RESEARCH SERVICES |
TOTAL
AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS TO FIRMS
|
Municipal Opportunities ETF* | $0 | $0 |
Short Duration ETF* | $0 | $0 |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF** | $0 | $0 |
Total Return Bond ETF* | $0 | $0 |
* | The commissions identified as being paid to brokers selected in recognition of research services include third-party research services only, and are calculated by applying Wellington Management’s firmwide percentage of commissions paid to the broker that would have been applied to the third-party research services as a percentage of the Wellington Management’s total activity with that broker. This calculated percentage is then applied across all of the Wellington Management’s client accounts to provide a pro rata reporting of the estimated third-party soft dollar commission amount. Wellington Management also receives proprietary research services provided directly by firms. However, the amounts of commissions attributable to such research services are not readily ascertainable and are not included in the table. |
** | The provision of research services to SIMNA and its affiliates was not necessarily a factor in the placement of fund transactions with these firms. |
The following table identifies the Funds’ regular brokers or dealers (as defined under Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act) whose securities the Funds have acquired during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018 and the value of each Fund’s aggregate holdings of each such issuer as of July 31, 2018.
fund |
REGULAR BROKER OR DEALER | AGGREGATE VALUE |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | N/A | N/A |
Short Duration ETF | ||
Bank of America Securities LLC | $241,825 | |
Barclay Investments, Inc. | $197,246 | |
Credit Suisse Capital LLC | $246,221 | |
Goldman Sachs & Co. | $269,762 | |
JP Morgan Securities, Inc | $342,774 | |
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. | $249,995 | |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | ||
Bank of America Securities LLC | $311,645 | |
Goldman Sachs & Co. | $409,486 | |
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. | $385,056 | |
Total Return Bond ETF | ||
Bank of America Securities LLC | $792,780 | |
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. | $449,075 | |
Credit Suisse Capital LLC | $652,074 | |
Goldman Sachs & Co. | $1,176,249 | |
JP Morgan Securities, Inc | $704,385 | |
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. | $583,544 |
HFMC shall pay all expenses of the Trust, except for: (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) expenses incident to the creation and redemption of its shares; (iv) legal fees in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith and any obligation which the Trust may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect thereto; (v) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (vi) such extraordinary non-recurring expenses as may arise; and (vii) acquired fund fees and expenses.
56 |
GENERAL
ALPS serves as the principal underwriter and distributor for the Funds pursuant to a Distribution Agreement initially approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. ALPS’ principal business address is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203. ALPS is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distribution Agreement continues in effect for two years from initial approval and for successive one-year periods thereafter, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (1) by the vote of a majority of the trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or (2) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund. ALPS will not distribute Shares in less than Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in the Shares. ALPS may enter into participant agreements (“Participant Agreements”) with other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units.
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES . As stated in the prospectus under Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Entities, HFMC and/or its affiliates may make additional compensation payments out of their own assets, and not as an expense to or out of the assets of the Funds, to Financial Intermediaries for services related to activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about the Funds or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, and the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems. HFMC and/or its affiliates may also make payments to Financial Intermediaries for the provision of analytical or other data to HFMC or its affiliates relating to sales of Fund Shares. For these reasons, (1) if your Financial Intermediary receives greater payments with respect to a Fund than it receives with respect to other products, it may be more inclined to sell you shares of the Fund rather than another product and/or (2) if your Financial Intermediary receives greater payments with respect to a Fund, such payments may create an incentive for the Financial Intermediary to favor the Fund rather than other fund companies or investment products for which it may receive a lower payment. You may contact your Financial Intermediary if you want additional information regarding any additional payments it receives (“Additional Payments”). These Additional Payments, which would be in addition to commissions, account fees or other charges that your Financial Intermediary may assess, may create an incentive for your Financial Intermediary to sell and recommend the Funds over other products for which it may receive less compensation.
COMMISSIONS TO DEALERS
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, ALPS did not receive any commissions for the sale of Fund shares.
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
The Board has approved the adoption of a distribution plan (a “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for shares of each Fund. Pursuant to the Plan, each Fund may pay ALPS a fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to shares for distribution financing activities and shareholder account servicing activities. The entire amount of the fee may be used for shareholder servicing expenses and/or distribution expenses. However, no 12b-1 Plan fee is currently charged to the Funds, and there are no plans in place to impose a 12b-1 Plan fee.
The 12b-1 Plan fee may only be imposed or increased when the Board of Trustees determines that it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Because these fees are paid out of a Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, to the extent that a fee is authorized, over time it will increase the cost of an investment in the Fund. The 12b-1 Plan fee may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.
GENERAL . Distribution fees paid to ALPS, if authorized by the Board in the future, may be spent on any activities or expenses primarily intended to result in the sale of a Fund’s shares including, but not limited to: (a) payment of initial and ongoing commissions and other compensation payments to brokers, dealers, financial institutions or others who sell the Fund’s shares; (b) compensation to employees of ALPS; (c) compensation to and expenses, including overhead such as communications and telephone, training, supplies, photocopying and similar types of expenses, of ALPS incurred in the printing and mailing or other dissemination of all prospectuses and statements of additional information; and (d) the costs of preparation, printing and mailing reports used for sales literature and related expenses, advertisements and other distribution related expenses (including personnel of ALPS). If authorized by the Board in the future, service fees paid under the Plan are payments for the provision of personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Plan is considered a compensation type plan, which means that a Fund pays ALPS the entire fee, if authorized by the Board in the future, regardless of ALPS’ expenditures. Even if ALPS’ actual expenditures exceed the fee payable to ALPS, if authorized by the Board in the future, at any given time, the Fund will not be obligated to pay more than that fee. If ALPS’ actual expenditures are less than the fee payable to ALPS, if authorized by the Board in the future, at any given time, ALPS may realize a profit from the arrangement.
The Plan was adopted by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including at least a majority of trustees who are not, and were not at the time they voted, interested persons of a Fund as defined in the 1940 Act and do not and did not have any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. In approving the Plan, the trustees identified and considered a number of potential benefits that the Plan may provide to a Fund and its shareholders. Under its terms, the Plan remains in effect from year to year provided such continuance is approved annually by vote of the trustees of the Trust in the manner described above. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be
57 |
spent for distribution without approval of the shareholders of a Fund affected by the increase, and material amendments to the Plan must also be approved by the Board of Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of the majority of the trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of a Fund and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Plan, or by a vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund. The Plan will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
58 |
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES
The Trust will issue and sell shares of the Funds only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form as described in the Participant Agreement, on any Business Day (as defined below). The number of shares of each Fund that will constitute a Creation Unit is 50,000.
In its discretion, HFMC reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of a Fund’s shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of a 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.
A “Business Day” with respect to the Funds is each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE” or the “Exchange”) is open. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day.
The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than its regularly scheduled closing time. The Trust reserves the right to reprocess creation and redemption transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than a Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) Authorized Participants based on the official closing NAV. The Trust reserves the right to advance the time by which creation and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC.
Fund Deposit
The consideration for purchase of Creation Units will generally consist of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component (together, the “Fund Deposit”), which will generally correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to a Fund’s securities, or, as permitted or required by the Fund, of cash. The portfolio of securities required in a Fund Deposit may, in certain limited circumstances, be different than the portfolio of securities a Fund will deliver upon redemption of Fund shares. Due to various legal and operational constraints in certain asset classes or countries in which a Fund invests, Creation Units of the Fund may be issued wholly or partially for cash. The Deposit Securities and Cash Component are subject to any adjustments, as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities and Cash Component is made available.
The function of the Cash Component is to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component would be an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant. The Cash Component may also include a “Dividend Equivalent Payment,” which enables each Fund to make a complete distribution of dividends on the next dividend payment date, and is an amount equal, on a per Creation Unit basis, to the dividends on all the securities held by the Fund with ex-dividend dates within the accumulation period for such distribution (the “Accumulation Period”), net of expenses and liabilities for such period, as if all of the securities had been held by the Trust for the entire Accumulation Period. The Accumulation Period begins on the ex-dividend date for a Fund and ends on the next ex-dividend date.
The State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Transfer Agent”), through the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business (subject to amendments) on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the identity and the required number of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day).
The Trust may require the substitution of an amount of cash (a “cash-in-lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security of a Fund that is a non-deliverable instrument. The amount of cash contributed will be equivalent to the price of the instrument listed as a Deposit Security. The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash-in-lieu” amount to be added to replace any Deposit Security that is a to-be-announced (“TBA”) transaction, that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, that may not be eligible for trading by a Participating Party (defined below), that may not be permitted to be re-registered in the name of the Trust as a result of an in-kind creation order pursuant to local law or market convention, or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or the Clearing Process (as discussed below), or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash-in-lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of Deposit Securities from an investor to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other situations. The Trust may permit a “cash-in-lieu” amount for any reason at the Trust’s sole discretion but is not required to do so. With respect to each Fund, the adjustments to the proportions of Deposit Securities described above will reflect changes known to HFMC on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit or from stock splits and other corporate actions.
59 |
Procedures for Creating Creation Units
To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be: (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e. a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a participant of DTC (“DTC Participant”) and must have executed a Participant Agreement with the Distributor (and accepted by the Transfer Agent), with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (discussed below). A Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement is referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” All shares of a Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of its nominee for the account of a DTC Participant.
Except as described below, and in all cases subject to the terms of the applicable Participant Agreement, all orders to create Creation Units of a Fund must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern time ("Order Cutoff Time") in each case on the date such order is placed for creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of shares of a Fund as next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. Orders requesting substitution of a “cash-in-lieu” amount or a cash creation (collectively, “Non-Standard Orders”), must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern time. On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), a Fund will require standard orders to create Creation Units to be placed by the earlier closing time and Non-Standard Orders to create Creation Units must be received no later than one hour (three hours for Tax-Aware Bond ETF) prior to the earlier closing time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may, but is not required to, permit orders, including Non-Standard Orders, until 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or until the market close (in the event the Exchange closes early). The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant through the Transfer Agent’s electronic order system or by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent, Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
All investor orders to create Creation Units shall be placed with an Authorized Participant in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, an Authorized Participant may request that an investor make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to an order (to provide for payments of cash). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of a Fund will have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. In such cases, there may be additional charges to such investor. A limited number of broker-dealers are expected to execute a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants are expected to have international capabilities.
Creation Units may be created in advance of the receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the Fund Deposit. In such cases, the Authorized Participant will remain liable for the full deposit of the missing portion(s) of the Fund Deposit and will be required to post collateral with the Trust consisting of cash at least equal to a percentage of the marked-to-market value of such missing portion(s) that is specified in the Participant Agreement. The Trust may use such collateral to buy the missing portion(s) of the Fund Deposit at any time and will subject such Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the value of such collateral. The Trust will have no liability for any such shortfall. The Trust will return any unused portion of the collateral to the Authorized Participant once the entire Fund Deposit has been properly received by the Transfer Agent and deposited into the Trust.
Orders for Creation Units that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component.
Orders to create Creation Units of a Fund may be placed through the Clearing Process using procedures applicable to domestic funds for domestic securities (“Domestic Funds”) (see “Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process using the procedures applicable to either Domestic Funds or foreign funds for foreign securities (“Foreign Funds”) (see “—Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process—Domestic Funds” and “—Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process—Foreign Funds”). In the event that the Fund includes both domestic and foreign securities, the time for submitting orders is as stated in the “Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process—Foreign Funds” and “Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process—Foreign Funds” sections below shall operate.
Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process
Fund Deposits created through the Clearing Process, if available, must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant Agreement.
The Participant Agreement authorizes the Transfer Agent to transmit to NSCC on behalf of the Participating Party such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Participating Party’s creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions from the Transfer Agent to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to transfer the requisite Deposit Securities (or contracts to purchase such Deposit Securities that are expected to be delivered in a “regular way” manner by the second (2nd) Business Day) and the Cash Component to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Transfer Agent and the Distributor as set forth in the Participant Agreement. An order to create Creation Units of a Fund through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than the Order Cutoff Time on such
60 |
Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. All orders are subject to acceptance by the Distributor.
Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process — Domestic funds
Fund Deposits created outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units of a Fund to be effected outside the Clearing Process need not be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of securities and cash. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities through DTC to the account of the Trust no later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, of the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Transfer Agent through the Federal Reserve wire system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation Units of a Fund outside the Clearing Process will be deemed received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than the Order Cutoff Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Transfer Agent does not receive both the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component in a timely fashion on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, such order will be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such cancelled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the current NAV of a Fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the second (2nd) Business Day following the day on which the creation order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent.
Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions effected outside the Clearing Process (through a DTC participant) and in circumstances in which any cash can be used in lieu of Deposit Securities to create Creation Units. (See “Creation Transaction Fee” section below.)
Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process—Foreign Funds
The Transfer Agent will inform the Distributor, HFMC and State Street Bank and Trust Company (“the Custodian”) upon receipt of a Creation Order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate subcustodian. For the Funds, the Custodian will cause the subcustodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Deposit Securities (or the cash value of all or part of such securities, in the case of a permitted or required cash purchase or “cash-in-lieu” amount) will be delivered. Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local custodian. The Fund must also receive, on or before the contractual settlement date, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Custodian to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after receipt in proper form of the purchase order, together with the creation transaction fee described below.
Once the Transfer Agent has accepted a creation order, the Transfer Agent will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit of a Fund against receipt of payment, at such NAV as will have been calculated after receipt in proper form of such order. The Transfer Agent will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance of such order.
Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component and applicable transaction fee have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian, the Distributor and HFMC will be notified of such delivery and the Transfer Agent will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.
Acceptance of Creation Orders
The Trust and the Distributor reserve the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order transmitted to it in respect to a Fund, for example 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) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or HFMC, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners of the Fund; or (vi) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor or HFMC make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. The Distributor shall notify the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. Neither the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor nor HFMC are under any duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
All questions as to the number of shares of Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered and the amount and form of the Cash Component, as applicable, shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
61 |
Creation Transaction Fee
A creation transaction fee payable to the Custodian is imposed on each creation transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased in the transaction, as described in the table below. Where the Trust permits or specifies cash creations, an Authorized Participant submitting a cash creation order may also be assessed a variable transaction fee on the cash portion of its order up to a maximum amount as indicated in the table below.
FUND |
STANDARD
CASH
TRANSACTION FEE* |
STANDARD
IN-KIND
TRANSACTION FEE* |
Maximum
Variable
Transaction Fee ** |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | $100 | $400 | 3% |
Short Duration ETF | $100 | $400 | 3% |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | $100 | $500 | 3% |
Total Return Bond ETF | $100 | $500 | 3% |
* | From time to time, the Fund may waive all or a portion of its applicable transaction fee(s). A maximum transaction fee of up to $1,600 for each of Municipal Opportunities ETF and Short Duration ETF, and a maximum transaction fee of up to $2,000 for Tax-Aware Bond ETF and Total Return Bond ETF may be charged to the extent a transaction is outside of the clearing process. |
** | Each Fund may charge an additional variable transaction fee for creations in cash to offset brokerage and impact expenses associated with the cash transaction. The variable transaction fee will be calculated based on historical transaction cost data and HFMC’s view of current market conditions; however, the actual variable fee charged for a given transaction may be lower or higher than the trading expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to that transaction. |
In the case of cash creations or where the Trust permits or requires a creator to substitute cash in lieu of depositing a portion of the Deposit Securities, the creator may be assessed an additional variable transaction fee to compensate a Fund for the costs associated with purchasing the applicable securities as disclosed in the table above. (See “Fund Deposit” section above.) As a result, in order to seek to replicate the in-kind creation order process, the Trust expects to purchase, in the secondary market or otherwise gain exposure to, the portfolio securities that could have been delivered as a result of an in-kind creation order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for other reasons (“Market Purchases”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Purchases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Trust and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at HFMC’s discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes. HFMC may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the creation securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash Component to protect ongoing shareholders. Creators of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. See “Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage” for additional information regarding certain cash creation transactions.
Redemption of Creation Units
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form on a Business Day and only through a Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. The Funds will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units (except each Fund may redeem shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit in the event the Fund is being liquidated). Beneficial owners must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Authorized Participants should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit. All redemptions are subject to the procedures contained in the applicable Participant Agreement.
With respect to each Fund, the Transfer Agent, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund’s securities and/or an amount of cash that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day. All orders are subject to acceptance by the Distributor. Each Fund’s securities received on redemption will generally correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to the Fund’s securities. Each Fund’s securities received on redemption (“Fund Securities”) may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.
Unless cash only redemptions are available or specified for a Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will generally consist of Fund Securities – as announced on the Business Day of the request for a redemption order received in proper form – plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities, less the redemption transaction fee and variable fees described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust will substitute a “cash-in-lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security that is a non-deliverable instrument. The Trust may permit a “cash-in-lieu” amount for any reason at the Trust’s sole discretion but is not required to do so. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the instrument 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 an Authorized Participant.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and each Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant, or a beneficial owner of shares for which it is acting, subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the redemption of a Creation Unit may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. This would specifically prohibit delivery of
62 |
Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the 1933 Act to a redeeming beneficial owner of shares that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to each 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 by the Fund of securities it owns or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC.
An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) has full legal authority and legal right to tender for redemption the requisite number of shares of each Fund and to receive the entire proceeds of the redemption and (ii) if such shares submitted for redemption have been loaned or pledged to another party or are the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or any other arrangement affecting legal or beneficial ownership of such shares being tendered there are no restrictions precluding the tender and delivery of such shares (including borrowed shares, if any) for redemption, free and clear of liens, on the redemption settlement date. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust. In addition, if the Distributor and/or the Trust have reason to believe that an Authorized Participant, does not own or otherwise have available for delivery the requisite number of Fund shares that comprise a Creation Unit, the Distributor and/or the Trust may require the Authorized Participant to deliver or execute supporting documentation evidencing ownership or its right to deliver sufficient Fund shares in order for the request for redemption to be in proper form. If such documentation is not satisfactory to the Distributor and/or the Trust, in their reasonable discretion, the Distributor may reject the request for redemption.
If the Trust determines, based on information available to the Trust when a redemption request is submitted by an Authorized Participant, that (i) the short interest of a Fund in the marketplace is greater than or equal to 100% and (ii) the orders in the aggregate from all Authorized Participants redeeming Fund shares on a Business Day represent 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, such Authorized Participant will be required to verify to the Trust the accuracy of its representations that are deemed to have been made by submitting a request for redemption. If, after receiving notice of the verification requirement, the Authorized Participant does not verify the accuracy of its representations that are deemed to have been made by submitting a request for redemption in accordance with this requirement, its redemption request will be considered not to have been received in proper form.
Redemption Transaction Fee
A redemption transaction fee payable to the Custodian is imposed on each redemption transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, as described in the table below. Where the Trust permits or specifies cash redemptions, an Authorized Participant submitting a cash redemption order may also be assessed a variable transaction fee on the cash portion of its order up to a maximum amount as indicated in the table below.
FUND |
STANDARD
CASH
TRANSACTION FEE* |
STANDARD
IN-KIND
TRANSACTION FEE* |
Maximum
Variable
Transaction Fee ** |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | $100 | $400 | 2% |
Short Duration ETF | $100 | $400 | 2% |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | $100 | $500 | 2% |
Total Return Bond ETF | $100 | $500 | 2% |
* | From time to time, the Fund may waive all or a portion of its applicable transaction fee(s). A maximum transaction fee of up to $1,600 for Municipal Opportunities ETF and Short Duration ETF, and maximum transaction fee of up to $2,000 for Tax-Aware Bond ETF and Total Return Bond ETF may be charged to the extent a transaction is outside of the clearing process. |
** | The Fund may charge an additional variable transaction fee for redemptions in cash to offset brokerage and impact expenses associated with the cash transaction. The variable transaction fee will be calculated based on historical transaction cost data and HFMC’s view of current market conditions; however, the actual variable fee charged for a given transaction may be lower or higher than the trading expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to that transaction. |
An additional variable transaction fee for cash redemptions or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are permitted or required for a Fund) may be imposed to compensate the Fund for the costs associated with selling the applicable securities as disclosed in the table above. As a result, in order to seek to replicate the in-kind redemption order process, the Trust expects to sell, in the secondary market, the portfolio securities or settle any financial instruments that may not be permitted to be re-registered in the name of the Participating Party as a result of an in-kind redemption order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for other reasons (“Market Sales”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Sales, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were sold or settled by the Trust and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at HFMC’s discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes (“Transaction Costs”). HFMC may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the redemption securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash Component to protect ongoing shareholders. In no event will fees
63 |
charged by a Fund in connection with a redemption exceed 2% of the value of each Creation Unit. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. See “Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage” for additional information regarding certain cash redemption transactions. To the extent a Fund cannot recoup the amount of Transaction Costs incurred in connection with a redemption from the redeeming shareholder because of the 2% cap or otherwise, those Transaction Costs will be borne by the Fund’s remaining shareholders and negatively affect the Fund’s performance.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units of a Fund through the Clearing Process, if available, must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Creation Units of the Fund using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1 :00 p.m. Eastern time for Tax-Aware Bond ETF) on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed; such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units of a Fund using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Fund after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1 :00 p.m. Eastern time for Tax-Aware Bond ETF), will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The requisite Fund Securities (or contracts to purchase such Fund Securities which are expected to be delivered in a “regular way” manner) and the applicable cash payment will be transferred by the second (2nd) Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process—Domestic funds
Orders to redeem Creation Units of a Fund outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units of a Fund to be effected outside the Clearing Process need not be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units of the Fund will instead be effected through transfer of Creation Units of the Fund directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Units of a Fund outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1 :00 p.m. Eastern time for Tax-Aware Bond ETF) on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is preceded or accompanied by the requisite number of shares of Creation Units specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Transfer Agent no later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on such Transmittal Date; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.
After the Transfer Agent has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the Transfer Agent will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities (or contracts to purchase such Fund Securities) which are expected to be delivered within two Business Days and the cash redemption payment to the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions effected outside the Clearing Process. (See “Redemption Transaction Fee” section above.)
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process—Foreign Funds
Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and a Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits or requires cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.
In connection with taking delivery of shares for Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or entity acting on behalf of a redeeming shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the entity acting on behalf of a redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdictions, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholder will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
Regular Foreign Holidays . Each Fund generally intends to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis of “T” plus two Business Days (i.e., days on which the national securities exchange is open) (“T+2”). The Funds may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than T+2 in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within two Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement periods. The securities delivery
64 |
cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming Authorized Participants, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for the Funds, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to the Funds 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 Funds. 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. Because the portfolio securities of each Fund may trade on days that the Fund’s exchange is closed or on days that are not Business Days for the Fund, Authorized Participants may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase and 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.
Listed below are the dates in calendar years 2018 and 2019 in which the regular holidays in non-U.S. markets may impact Fund settlement. This list is based on information available to the Funds. The list may not be accurate or complete and is subject to change:
Calendar Year 2018
AUSTRALIA | |||
January 1 | April 2 | August 6 | December 25 |
January 26 | April 25 | October 1 | December 26 |
March 30 | June 11 | ||
AUSTRIA | |||
January 1 | May 10 | August 15 | December 25 |
March 30 | May 21 | October 26 | December 26 |
April 2 | May 31 | November 1 | December 31 |
May 1 | |||
BRAZIL | |||
January 1 | March 30 | May 31 | November 2 |
February 12 | April 21 | September 7 | November 15 |
February 13 | May 1 | October 12 | December 25 |
CHILE | |||
January 1 | May 21 | September 19 | December 25 |
March 30 | July 2 | October 15 | December 31 |
March 31 | July 16 | November 1 | |
April 1 | August 15 | November 2 | |
May 1 | September 18 | December 8 | |
CHINA | |||
January 1 | February 19 | April 30 | October 2 |
February 15 | February 20 | May 1 | October 3 |
February 16 | February 21 | June 18 | October 4 |
February 17 | April 5 | September 24 | October 5 |
February 18 | April 6 | October 1 | |
COLOMBIA | |||
January 1 | May 10 | July 20 | December 8 |
January 8 | May 13 | August 7 | December 25 |
March 19 | May 31 | August 15 | |
March 29 | June 11 | October 15 | |
March 30 | June 17 | November 5 | |
May 1 | July 2 | November 12 | |
CZECH REPUBLIC | |||
January 1 | May 1 | July 6 | December 25 |
March 30 | May 8 | September 28 | December 26 |
April 2 | July 5 | December 24 | |
DENMARK |
January 1 | April 2 | May 21 | December 26 |
March 29 | April 27 | June 5 | December 31 |
65 |
March 30 | May 10 | December 24 | |
April 1 | May 11 | December 25 |
EGYPT |
January 7 | April 25 | August 21 | November 20 |
January 25 | May 1 | August 22 | |
April 8 | July 1 | August 23 | |
April 9 | July 23 | September 11 | |
The Egyptian market is closed every Friday. |
FINLAND |
January 1 | March 30 | May 1 | December 26 |
January 6 | April 2 | December 25 |
FRANCE |
January 1 | May 1 | December 25 | December 26 |
March 25 | October 28 | ||
GERMANY |
January 1 | March 30 | May 1 | December 25 |
March 25 | April 2 | October 28 | December 26 |
GREECE | |||
January 1 | March 25 | May 1 | October 28 |
January 6 | April 6 | May 28 | December 25 |
February 19 | April 9 | August 15 | December 26 |
HONG KONG | |||
January 1 | April 2 | December 25 | December 26 |
March 30 | |||
HUNGARY | |||
January 1 | March 16 | August 20 | October 23 |
March 15 |
INDIA | |||
January 26 | May 1 | October 2 | December 25 |
March 30 | August 15 |
INDONESIA | |||
January 1 | May 1 | June 16 | December 25 |
February 16 | May 10 | August 17 | December 31 |
March 17 | May 30 | August 22 | |
March 30 | June 1 | September 12 | |
April 14 | June 15 | November 21 | |
IRELAND |
January 1 | April 2 | August 6 | December 25 |
March 30 | June 4 | October 29 | December 26 |
ISRAEL | |||
March 1 | May 20 | September 11 | September 24 |
April 6 | July 22 | September 18 | October 1 |
April 19 | September 10 | September 19 | |
The Israeli market is closed every Friday. | |||
ITALY |
January 1 | April 2 | December 25 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 1 |
JAPAN |
January 1 | March 21 | July 16 | November 3 |
66 |
January 2 | April 30 | August 11 | November 23 |
January 3 | May 3 | September 17 | December 24 |
January 8 | May 4 | September 24 | December 31 |
February 12 | May 5 | October 8 |
January 1 | April 2 | May 21 | December 25 |
March 25 | April 27 | October 28 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 12 |
NEW ZEALAND | |||
January 1 | April 2 | October 22 | |
January 2 | April 25 | December 25 | |
February 6 | June 4 | December 26 | |
March 30 | |||
NORWAY |
January 1 | April 2 | May 17 | December 25 |
March 29 | May 1 | May 21 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 10 |
January 1 | April 2 | December 25 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 1 |
QATAR | |||
February 13 | June 16 | August 22 | December 18 |
March 4 | June 17 | August 23 | |
June 15 | August 21 | August 24 | |
The Qatari market is closed every Friday. | |||
RUSSIA | |||
January 1 | February 19 | May 28 | November 12 |
January 2 | February 23 | June 12 | November 22 |
January 3 | March 8 | July 4 | December 25 |
January 4 | March 30 | September 3 | |
January 5 | May 1 | October 8 |
67 |
January 15 | May 9 | November 5 | |
SINGAPORE |
January 1 | May 1 | August 9 | December 25 |
March 30 |
SOUTH AFRICA | |||
January 1 | April 2 | June 16 | December 16 |
March 21 | April 27 | August 9 | December 25 |
March 30 | May 1 | September 24 | December 26 |
SOUTH KOREA |
January 1 | May 1 | June 13 | September 26 |
February 15 | May 5 | August 15 | October 3 |
February 16 | May 7 | September 23 | October 9 |
February 17 | May 22 | September 24 | December 25 |
March 1 | June 6 | September 25 |
SPAIN |
January 1 | March 30 | July 25 | November 1 |
March 19 | May 1 | August 15 | December 25 |
March 29 | May 31 | October 12 |
SWEDEN |
January 1 | May 1 | June 22 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 10 | December 24 | December 31 |
April 2 | June 6 | December 25 |
SWITZERLAND |
January 1 | April 22 | June 10 | December 25 |
April 19 | May 30 | August 1 | December 26 |
TAIWAN |
January 1 | April 5 | May 1 | October 10 |
February 28 |
THAILAND | |||
January 1 | April 13 | May 29 | December 5 |
January 2 | April 16 | July 26 | December 10 |
March 2 | May 1 | August 13 | December 31 |
April 6 | May 7 | October 23 | |
TURKEY | |||
January 1 | May 1 | August 30 | October 29 |
April 23 | May 19 | ||
UKRAINE |
January 1 | April 9 | May 9 | August 24 |
January 7 | May 1 | May 28 | October 15 |
March 8 | May 2 | June 28 | November 21 |
March 9 | May 8 | June 29 |
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | |||
January 1 | August 21 | August 26 | November 30 |
April 13 | August 22 | September 11 | December 2 |
June 14 | August 23 | November 20 | December 3 |
The United Arab Emirates markets are closed on Fridays. | |||
UNITED KINGDOM |
January 1 | April 2 | August 27 | December 25 |
March 25 | May 7 | October 28 | December 26 |
March 30 | May 28 |
68 |
Calendar Year 2019
January 1 | May 17 | December 24 | |
April 18 | May 30 | December 25 | |
April 19 | June 5 | December 26 | |
April 22 | June 10 | December 31 |
EGYPT |
January 7 | May 1 | August 12 | September 1 |
69 |
January 25 | June 5 | August 13 | October 6 |
April 25 | June 6 | August 14 | November 10 |
April 29 | July 23 | August 15 | |
The Egyptian market is closed every Friday. |
FINLAND |
January 1 | April 22 | December 6 | December 26 |
January 6 | May 1 | December 24 | |
April 19 | May 30 | December 25 | |
FRANCE |
January 1 | May 30 | November 11 | |
April 19 | June 10 | December 25 | |
April 22 | August 15 | ||
May 1 | November 1 | ||
GERMANY |
January 1 | May 10 | November 1 | December 31 |
March 30 | May 21 | December 24 | |
April 2 | May 31 | December 25 | |
May 1 | October 3 | December 26 |
GREECE | |||
January 1 | May 30 | December 25 | |
April 19 | June 10 | December 26 | |
April 22 | October 3 | December 31 | |
May 1 | December 24 | ||
HONG KONG | |||
January 1 | April 5 | May 13 | October 7 |
February 5 | April 19 | June 7 | December 25 |
February 6 | April 22 | July 1 | December 26 |
February 7 | May 1 | October 1 | |
HUNGARY | |||
January 1 | April 22 | August 19 | November 1 |
March 15 | May 1 | August 20 | December 25 |
April 19 | June 10 | October 23 | December 26 |
INDIA | |||
March 4 | April 19 | August 15 | October 7 |
March 21 | May 1 | September 2 | October 28 |
April 16 | June 5 | September 10 | November 12 |
April 17 | August 12 | October 2 | December 25 |
INDONESIA |
|||
January 1 | April 19 | June 5 | September 1 |
February 5 | May 1 | June 6 | November 10 |
March 7 | May 19 | August 12 | December 25 |
April 3 | May 30 | August 17 | |
IRELAND |
January 1 | June 3 | ||
April 19 | December 25 | ||
April 22 | December 26 | ||
May 6 | |||
ISRAEL |
70 |
March 21 | September 30 | October 21 | |
April 26 | October 1 | ||
May 9 | October 8 | ||
June 9 | October 9 | ||
August 11 | October 14 | ||
The Israeli market is closed every Friday. | |||
ITALY |
January 1 | May 1 | December 25 | |
April 19 | August 15 | December 26 | |
April 22 | November 1 | December 31 | |
April 25 | December 24 |
JAPAN |
January 1 | February 11 | May 6 | September 23 |
January 2 | March 21 | July 15 | October 14 |
January 3 | April 29 | August 12 | November 4 |
January 14 | May 3 | September 16 | December 23 |
December 31 |
MALAYSIA | |||
January 1 | June 5 | August 31 | September 16 |
February 5 | June 6 | September 1 | November 10 |
May 1 | August 12 | September 9 | December 25 |
May 19 | |||
MEXICO | |||
January 1 | April 18 | May 5 | December 12 |
February 4 | April 19 | September 16 | December 25 |
March 18 | May 1 | November 18 | |
NETHERLANDS |
PERU | |||
January 1 | May 1 | July 29 | November 1 |
April 18 | June 29 | August 30 | December 8 |
April 19 | July 28 | October 8 | December 25 |
PHILIPPINES | |||
January 1 | May 1 | August 21 | December 25 |
April 9 | June 5 | August 26 | December 31 |
April 18 | June 12 | November 1 | |
April 19 | August 12 | November 30 | |
POLAND | |||
January 1 | May 3 | November 1 | December 26 |
71 |
April 19 | June 20 | November 11 | December 31 |
April 22 | August 15 | December 25 | |
May 1 | |||
PORTUGAL |
January 1 | May 1 | November 1 | |
April 19 | June 10 | December 25 | |
April 22 | June 20 | ||
April 25 | August 15 |
January 1 | May 1 | August 12 | |
February 5 | May 20 | October 28 | |
February 6 | June 5 | December 25 | |
April 19 | August 9 |
SOUTH AFRICA | |||
January 1 | May 1 | December 26 | |
March 21 | August 9 | December 26 | |
April 19 | August 12 | ||
April 22 | December 25 | ||
SOUTH KOREA |
January 1 | March 1 | June 6 | October 3 |
February 4 | May 1 | August 15 | October 9 |
February 5 | May 6 | September 12 | December 25 |
February 6 | May 13 | September 13 | December 31 |
SPAIN |
January 1 | May 1 | ||
April 19 | December 25 | ||
April 22 | December 26 |
SWEDEN |
January 1 | May 1 | December 24 | December 31 |
April 19 | May 10 | December 25 | |
April 22 | June 6 | December 26 |
SWITZERLAND |
January 1 | May 1 | June 21 | December 26 |
January 2 | May 30 | December 24 | December 31 |
March 30 | June 6 | December 25 |
TAIWAN |
January 1 | February 7 | February 28 | June 7 |
February 4 | February 8 | April 4 | September 13 |
February 5 | February 19 | April 5 | October 10 |
February 6 |
72 |
January 1 | May 1 | August 24 | December 25 |
January 7 | May 9 | August 26 | |
March 8 | June 17 | October 14 | |
April 29 | June 28 |
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | |||
January 1 | June 5 | August 12 | December 2 |
April 3 | June 6 | August 14 | December 3 |
The United Arab Emirates markets are closed on Fridays. | |||
UNITED KINGDOM |
January 1 | May 6 | December 25 | |
April 19 | May 27 | December 26 | |
April 22 | August 26 |
Redemptions. The longest redemption cycle for a Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose securities comprise the Fund. In the calendar years 2018 and 2019, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case (longest) redemption cycle* for the Funds as follows.
SETTLEMENT PERIODS GREATER THAN SEVEN DAYS FOR YEAR 2018
Beginning of
Settlement Period |
End of Settlement
Period |
Number of Days in
Settlement Period |
||||
China | 2/12/2018 | 2/22/2018 | 10 | |||
2/13/2018 | 2/23/2018 | 10 | ||||
2/14/2018 | 2/26/2018 | 12 | ||||
9/26/2018 | 10/8/2018 | 12 | ||||
9/27/2018 | 10/9/2018 | 12 | ||||
9/28/2018 | 10/10/2018 | 12 | ||||
Czech Republic | 12/21/2018 | 12/31/2018 | 10 | |||
Egypt | 8/20/2018 | 8/28/2018 | 8 | |||
Morocco | 8/17/2018 | 8/28/2018 | 11 | |||
Norway | 3/26/2018 | 4/3/2018 | 8 | |||
3/27/2018 | 4/4/2018 | 8 | ||||
3/28/2018 | 4/5/2018 | 8 | ||||
Russia | 12/29/2017 | 1/10/2018 | 12 |
73 |
SETTLEMENT PERIODS GREATER THAN SEVEN DAYS FOR YEAR 2019
Beginning
of
Settlement Period |
End
of Settlement
Period |
Number
of Days in
Settlement Period |
||||
Australia | 4/15/2019 | 4/23/2019 | 8 | |||
4/16/2019 | 4/24/2019 | 8 | ||||
4/17/2019 | 4/26/2019 | 9 | ||||
4/18/2019 | 4/29/2019 | 11 | ||||
Brazil | 2/27/2019 | 3/7/2019 | 8 | |||
2/28/2019 | 3/8/2019 | 8 | ||||
3/1/2019 | 3/11/2019 | 10 | ||||
China | 1/30/2019 | 2/11/2019 | 12 | |||
1/31/2019 | 2/12/2019 | 12 | ||||
2/1/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 12 | ||||
9/26/2019 | 10/8/2019 | 12 | ||||
9/27/2019 | 10/9/2019 | 12 | ||||
9/30/2019 | 10/10/2019 | 10 | ||||
Czech Republic | 1/30/2019 | 2/11/2019 | 12 | |||
1/31/2019 | 2/12/2019 | 12 | ||||
2/1/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 12 | ||||
2/4/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 9 | ||||
2/5/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 8 | ||||
9/25/2019 | 10/8/2019 | 13 | ||||
9/26/2019 | 10/8/2019 | 12 | ||||
9/27/2019 | 10/9/2019 | 12 | ||||
Denmark | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Egypt | 8/7/2019 | 8/19/2019 | 12 | |||
8/8/2019 | 8/20/2019 | 12 | ||||
8/9/2019 | 8/20/2019 | 11 | ||||
Finland | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Isreal | 10/7/2019 | 10/15/2019 | 8 | |||
Germany | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Greece | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 12/31/2019 | 8 | ||||
Hong Kong | 1/31/2019 | 2/8/2019 | 8 | |||
2/1/2019 | 2/11/2019 | 10 | ||||
2/4/2019 | 2/12/2019 | 8 | ||||
Israel | 10/7/2019 | 10/15/2019 | 8 |
74 |
Beginning
of
Settlement Period |
End
of Settlement
Period |
Number
of Days in
Settlement Period |
||||
Italy | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Japan | 12/26/2018 | 1/4/2019 | 9 | |||
12/27/2019 | 1/7/2020 | 11 | ||||
12/28/2019 | 1/8/2020 | 11 | ||||
Norway | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Poland | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Qatar | 5/30/2019 | 6/11/2019 | 11 | |||
5/31/2019 | 6/11/2019 | 10 | ||||
6/3/2019 | 6/12/2019 | 9 | ||||
6/4/2019 | 6/12/2019 | 8 | ||||
Russia | 12/31/2018 | 1/8/2019 | 8 | |||
South Africa | 4/12/2019 | 4/23/2019 | 11 | |||
4/15/2019 | 4/24/2019 | 9 | ||||
4/16/2019 | 4/25/2019 | 9 | ||||
4/17/2019 | 4/26/2019 | 9 | ||||
4/18/2019 | 4/29/2019 | 11 | ||||
4/19/2019 | 4/29/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/19/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 11 | ||||
12/20/2019 | 12/31/2019 | 11 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/1/2020 | 9 | ||||
12/24/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 9 | ||||
South Korea | 12/24/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 9 | |||
1/30/2019 | 2/7/2019 | 8 | ||||
1/31/2019 | 2/8/2019 | 8 | ||||
2/1/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 12 | ||||
2/4/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 9 | ||||
2/5/2019 | 2/13/2019 | 8 | ||||
9/20/2019 | 9/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
Switzerland | 12/19/2019 | 12/27/2019 | 8 | |||
12/20/2019 | 12/30/2019 | 10 | ||||
12/23/2019 | 1/2/2020 | 10 | ||||
Sweden | 12/19/2018 | 12/27/2018 | 8 | |||
12/20/2018 | 12/28/2018 | 8 | ||||
12/21/2018 | 1/2/2019 | 11 |
75 |
Beginning
of
Settlement Period |
End
of Settlement
Period |
Number
of Days in
Settlement Period |
||||
Taiwan | 1/31/2019 | 2/11/2019 | 11 | |||
2/1/2019 | 2/12/2019 | 11 | ||||
United Arab Emirates | 5/30/2019 | 6/11/2019 | 12 | |||
5/31/2019 | 6/11/2019 | 11 | ||||
6/3/2019 | 6/12/2019 | 9 | ||||
6/4/2019 | 6/12/2019 | 8 |
* These worst-case redemption cycles are based on information regarding regular holidays, which may be out of date. Based on changes in holidays, longer (worse) redemption cycles are possible.
Pursuant to an agreement between the Trust and State Street, the Funds may lend their portfolio securities to certain qualified borrowers. As securities lending agent for the Funds, State Street administers the Funds’ securities lending program. The services provided to the Funds by State Street with respect to the Funds’ securities lending activities during the most recent fiscal year included, among other things: locating approved borrowers and arranging loans; collecting fees and rebates due to a Fund from a borrower; monitoring daily the value of the loaned securities and collateral and marking to market the daily value of securities on loan; collecting and maintaining necessary collateral; managing qualified dividends; negotiating loan terms; selecting securities to be loaned; recordkeeping and account servicing; monitoring dividend activity and material proxy votes relating to loaned securities; and arranging for return of loaned securities to a Fund at loan termination and pursuing contractual remedies on behalf of the lending Fund if a borrower defaults on a loan.
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, it is estimated that the following Funds earned income and incurred costs and expenses as a result of their securities lending activities and the receipt of related services:
Securities Lending Activities | Tax-Aware Bond ETF | Total Return Bond ETF |
Gross Income | $566 | $1,280 |
All fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services | ||
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split | $18 | $66 |
Fees paid to any cash collateral management service including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split | $12 | $27 |
Administrative fees not included in revenue split | $0 | $0 |
Indemnification fees not included in revenue split | $0 | $0 |
Rebates (paid to borrower) | $485 | $992 |
Other fees not included in revenue split | $0 | $0 |
Aggregate fees/compensation from securities lending activities | $514 | $1,085 |
Net income from securities lending activities | $52 | $195 |
Amounts shown above may differ from amounts disclosed in the Funds’ Annual Report as a result of timing differences, reconciliation, and certain other adjustments.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV per share is determined for each Fund’s shares as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (typically 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, the “Valuation Time”) on each day that the NYSE is open (the “Valuation Date”). The Funds are closed for business and do not price their shares on the following business holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and other holidays observed by the NYSE. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extraordinary circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, a Fund may treat such day as a typical business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate the Fund’s NAV in accordance with applicable law. The net asset value for the shares is determined by dividing the value of a Fund’s net assets by the number of shares outstanding. Information that becomes known to a Fund after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the NAV determined earlier that day.
CAPITALIZATION AND VOTING RIGHTS
The capitalization of the Trust consists solely of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. The Board of Trustees may establish additional series (with different investment objectives and fundamental policies) at any time in the future. Establishment
76 |
and offering of additional series will not alter the rights of the Trust’s shareholders. When issued, shares are fully paid, non-assessable, redeemable and freely transferable. Shares do not have preemptive rights or subscription rights.
Under Delaware law, shareholders are not personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. In addition, the Trust Instrument disclaims liability of the shareholders, Trustees or officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust, which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust, and requires that notice of the disclaimer be given in each contract or obligation entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Trust Instrument also provides for indemnification out of Trust property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, there is no certainty that the limited liability of shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust will be recognized in every state. Even in such a circumstance, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability would be limited to circumstances in which the contractual disclaimer against shareholder liability is inoperative or the Trust itself is unable to meet its obligations, and thus should be considered remote.
As an investment company formed in Delaware, the Trust is not required to hold routine annual shareholder meetings. Meetings of shareholders will be called whenever one or more of the following, among other matters, is required to be acted upon by shareholders pursuant to the 1940 Act: (1) election of trustees or (2) approval of an investment management agreement or sub-advisory agreement.
Shares of common stock have equal voting rights (regardless of the net asset value per share). Shares do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the shares of the Trust voting for the election of trustees can elect all of the trustees if they choose to do so, and in such an event, the holders of the remaining shares would not be able to elect any trustees. Although trustees are not elected annually, shareholders have the right to remove one or more trustees. When required by law, if the holders of one third or more of the Trust’s outstanding shares request it in writing, a meeting of the Trust’s shareholders will be held to approve or disapprove the removal of trustee or trustees.
Matters in which the interests of all the Funds of the Trust are substantially identical (such as the election of trustees or the ratification of the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm) are voted on by all shareholders of the Trust without regard to the separate Funds. Matters that affect all or several Funds, but where the interests of the Funds are not substantially identical (such as approval of an investment management agreement) are voted on separately by the shareholders of the Fund for their Fund. Matters that affect only one Fund (such as a change in its fundamental policies) are voted on separately for the Fund by the shareholders of that Fund. Likewise, matters that affect only one class of shares of a Fund (such as approval of a plan of distribution) are voted on separately for that class by the holders of shares of that class.
Pursuant to the terms of the Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant, to the extent that it is a beneficial or legal owner of Fund shares, will irrevocably appoint the Distributor as its agent and proxy with full authorization and power to vote (or abstain from voting) its beneficially or legally owned Fund shares. The Distributor intends to vote (or abstain from voting) the Authorized Participant’s beneficially or legally owned Fund shares in accordance with the Distributor’s proxy voting policies and procedures.
Shares entitle their holders to one vote per share (with proportionate voting for fractional shares). As used in the Prospectus or this Combined Statement of Additional Information, the phrase “vote of a majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund (or the Trust) means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund (or the Trust) present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund (or the Trust).
The Trust or a Fund may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees or the affirmative vote of a supermajority of the holders of the Trust or the Fund entitled to vote on termination. Although the shares are not automatically redeemable upon the occurrence of any specific event, the Trust’s organizational documents provide that the Board will have the unrestricted power to alter the number of shares in a Creation Unit. In the event of a termination of the Trust or a Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the shares to be redeemable in aggregations smaller than Creation Units or to be individually redeemable. In such circumstance, the Trust may make redemptions in-kind, for cash or for a combination of cash or securities.
FEDERAL TAX STATUS OF THE FUNDS
The following discussion of the federal tax status of the Funds is a general and abbreviated summary based on tax laws and regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Tax law is subject to change by legislative, administrative or judicial action.
Each Fund is treated as a separate taxpayer for federal income tax purposes. Each Fund has elected or intends to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of the Code, and to qualify as a regulated investment company each taxable year. If a Fund: (1) continues to qualify as a regulated investment company, and (2) distributes to its shareholders an amount at least equal to the sum of: (i) 90% of its investment company taxable income (including for this purpose its net ordinary investment income and net realized short-term capital gains) and (ii) 90% of its tax-exempt interest income (reduced by certain expenses) (the “90% distribution requirement”), which the Trust intends the Fund to do, then under the provisions of Subchapter M, the Fund would not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain ( i.e., net long-term capital gain in excess of short-term capital loss) it distributes to shareholders (or is treated as having been distributed to shareholders).
Each Fund must meet several requirements to maintain its status as a regulated investment company. These requirements include the following: (1) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income for each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments
77 |
with respect to loaned securities, gains from the sale or disposition of securities (including gains from related investments in foreign currencies), or other income (including gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such securities or currencies, as well as net income from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships; and (2) at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets must consist of cash, cash items, securities of other regulated investment companies, U.S. Government securities and other securities which, with respect to any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of all of the Fund’s assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) the Fund must not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies), or of any two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
Each Fund generally will endeavor to distribute (or treat as deemed distributed) to its shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and its net capital gain, if any, for each taxable year so that it will not incur federal income or excise taxes on its earnings.
In addition, in order to avoid a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain of its undistributed income, each Fund generally must distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year, and (3) any income not distributed in prior years (the “excise tax avoidance requirements”). For purposes of determining whether a Fund has met this distribution requirement, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it has been subject to U.S. federal income tax.
If for any taxable year a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company or fails to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement, all of its taxable income becomes subject to federal, and possibly state and local, income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) and distributions to its shareholders constitute taxable dividend income (with such dividend income including dividends derived from interest on tax-exempt obligations) to the extent of the Fund’s available earnings and profits.
Investment income received from sources within foreign countries, or capital gains earned by a Fund from investing in securities of foreign issuers, may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. In this regard, withholding tax rates in countries with which the United States does not have a tax treaty are often as high as 35% or more. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that may entitle a Fund to a reduced rate of tax or exemption from tax on this related income and gains. The effective rate of foreign tax cannot be determined at this time since the amount of a Fund’s assets to be invested within various countries is not now known. The Trust intends that the Funds will seek to operate so as to qualify for treaty-reduced rates of tax when applicable.
In addition, if a Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company under the Code, and if more than 50% of the Fund’s total assets at the close of the taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat foreign income taxes paid by the Fund (including certain withholding taxes) that can be treated as income taxes under U.S. income tax principles as paid by its shareholders. If a Fund makes such an election, an amount equal to the foreign income taxes paid by the Fund would be included in the income of its shareholders and the shareholders often are entitled to credit their portions of this amount against their U.S. tax liabilities, if any, or to deduct those portions from their U.S. taxable income, if any. Shortly after any year for which it makes such an election, each Fund will report to its shareholders, in writing, the amount per share of foreign tax that must be included in each shareholder’s gross income and the amount that will be available as a deduction or credit. Shareholders must itemize their deductions in order to deduct foreign taxes. Certain limitations may apply that could limit the extent to which the credit or the deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder.
Each Fund’s transactions in options contracts and futures contracts are subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (that is, may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses of the Fund. These rules (1) could affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders of each Fund, (2) could require the Fund to “mark to market” certain types of the positions in its portfolio (that is, treat them as if they were closed out) and (3) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and the excise tax avoidance requirements described above. The Trust seeks to monitor transactions of each Fund, seeks to make the appropriate tax elections on behalf of the Fund and seeks to make the appropriate entries in the Fund’s books and records when the Fund acquires any option, futures contract or hedged investment, to mitigate the effect of these rules.
As of July 31, 2018, the Funds had the following capital loss carryforwards as indicated below. Each such Fund’s capital loss carryover is available to offset that Fund’s future realized capital gains to the extent provided in the Code and regulations thereunder.
FUND |
UNLIMITED
SHORT-
TERM CAPITAL LOSS CARRYFORWARD |
UNLIMITED
LONG-
TERM CAPITAL LOSS CARRYFORWARD |
Municipal Opportunities ETF | $50,989 | $0 |
Short Duration ETF | $0 | $0 |
Tax-Aware Bond ETF | $18,273 | $0 |
Total Return Bond ETF | $198,608 | $20,609 |
78 |
If a Fund acquires stock in certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties or capital gain) or hold at least 50% of their total assets in investments producing such passive income (“passive foreign investment companies”), the Fund could be subject to federal income tax and additional interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund would not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. Certain elections may, if available, ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but any such election may require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain without the concurrent receipt of cash. Each Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in passive foreign investment companies to minimize its tax liability.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by a Fund in connection with certain transactions involving non-dollar debt securities, certain foreign currency futures contracts, foreign currency option contracts, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Code provisions which generally treat such gains and losses as ordinary income and losses and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. Any such transactions that are not directly related to the Fund’s investment in securities (possibly including speculative currency positions or currency derivatives not used for hedging purposes) could, under future Treasury regulations, produce income not among the types of “qualifying income” from which the Fund must derive at least 90% of its annual gross income.
Investments in below investment grade instruments may present special tax issues for the Funds. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Funds to the extent necessary in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income that it does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Pay-in-kind instruments (“PIKs”) are securities that pay interest in either cash or additional securities, at the issuer’s option, for a specified period. PIKs, like zero-coupon bonds, are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK bonds can be either senior or subordinated debt and trade flat ( i.e. , without accrued interest). The price of PIK bonds is expected to reflect the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last payment. PIKs are usually less volatile than zero-coupon bonds, but more volatile than cash pay securities.
Each Fund must accrue income on investments in certain PIKs, zero coupon securities or certain deferred interest securities (and, in general, any other securities with original issue discount or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in current income) prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash. However, because a Fund must meet the 90% distribution requirement to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio investments under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash, to satisfy the applicable distribution requirements.
The tax treatment of income, gains and losses attributable to foreign currencies (and derivatives on such currencies), and various other special tax rules applicable to certain financial transactions and instruments could affect the amount, timing and character of a Fund’s distributions. In some cases, these tax rules could also result in a retroactive change in the tax character of prior distributions and may also possibly cause all, or a portion, of prior distributions to be reclassified as returns of capital for tax purposes.
The federal income tax rules applicable to interest rate swaps, caps and floors are unclear in certain respects, and a Fund may be required to account for these transactions in a manner that, in certain circumstances, may limit the degree to which it may utilize these transactions.
SHAREHOLDER TAXATION
The following discussion of certain federal income tax issues of shareholders of a Fund is a general and abbreviated summary based on tax laws and regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Tax law is subject to change by legislative, administrative or judicial action. The following discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law as applicable to U.S. taxpayers ( e.g., U.S. citizens or residents and U.S. domestic corporations, trusts or estates). The discussion does not address special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as qualified retirement accounts or trusts, tax-exempt entities, insurance companies, entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, banks and other financial institutions or to non-U.S. taxpayers. Dividends, capital gain distributions, and ownership of or gains realized on the sale of the shares of a Fund may also be subject to state and local taxes. This summary does not address any federal estate tax issues that may arise from ownership of Fund shares. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to the federal, state and local tax consequences of ownership of shares of, and receipt of distributions from, the Fund in their particular circumstances.
In general, as described in the prospectus, distributions from a Fund are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, exempt-interest dividends or long-term capital gains. Distributions of a Fund’s investment company taxable income (other than qualified dividend income) are taxable as ordinary income to shareholders to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Distributions from net short-
79 |
term capital gains are taxable to a shareholder as ordinary income. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain properly designated by the Fund as “capital gain dividends” are taxable to a shareholder as long-term capital gain regardless of the shareholder’s holding period for his or her shares and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. To the extent that a Fund derives dividends from domestic corporations, a portion of the income distributions of the Fund may be eligible for the deduction for dividends received by corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the portion of dividends which so qualify. The dividends-received deduction is reduced to the extent the shares held by a Fund with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under federal income tax law and is eliminated if either those shares or the shares of the Fund are deemed to have been held by the Fund or the shareholders, as the case may be, for less than 46 days during the 90-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Properly reported distributions of qualified dividend income generally are taxable to individual shareholders at the same rates that apply to long-term capital gains, if certain holding period and other requirements are met. Dividend distributions will not be eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income unless, among other things, the shares held by a Fund with respect to which dividends are paid and the shares of the Fund are deemed to have been held by the Fund and the shareholders, respectively, for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Distributions, if any, in excess of earnings and profits usually constitute a return of capital, which first reduces an investor’s tax basis in a Fund’s shares and thereafter (after such basis is reduced to zero) generally gives rise to capital gains. For a summary of the tax rates applicable to capital gains, including capital gain dividends, see the discussion below. Given the investment strategies of a Fund, it is not expected that a significant portion of the Fund’s dividends would be eligible to be designated as qualified dividend income or for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
For the Municipal Opportunities ETF and Tax-Aware Bond ETF, each Fund will be permitted to distribute any tax-exempt interest earned by such Fund to its shareholders as tax-exempt “exempt-interest dividends,” provided that at least 50% of the value of such Fund’s assets at the end of each quarter of its taxable year is invested in state, municipal and other obligations the interest on which is excluded from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code. Each Fund intends to satisfy this 50% requirement in order to permit its distributions of tax-exempt interest to be treated as such for federal income tax purposes in the hands of its shareholders. Portions of the dividends paid by such Fund may be includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes or, in the alternative, may be subject to federal alternative minimum taxes. Dividends paid by such Fund will generally be subject to state and local income taxes.
Under the Code, interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of a Fund is not deductible by the investor in proportion to the percentage of a Fund’s distributions from investment income that is exempt from federal income tax. State laws may also restrict the deductibility of interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of a Fund. Indebtedness may be allocated to shares of a Fund even though not directly traceable to the purchase of such shares. In addition, any loss realized by a shareholder of a Fund upon the sale of shares held for six months or less may be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares. For Fund shares acquired after December 22, 2010, this loss disallowance does not apply provided that the exempt-interest dividend was a regular dividend and the applicable Fund declares exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest and distributes such dividends on at least a monthly basis.
If a Fund disposes of a municipal obligation that it acquired at a market discount, it must recognize any gain it realizes on the disposition as ordinary income (and not as capital gain) to the extent of the accrued market discount.
Certain deductions otherwise allowable to financial institutions and property and casualty insurance companies will be eliminated or reduced by reason of the receipt of certain exempt-interest dividends. Shareholders who are “substantial users” (or persons related thereto) of facilities financed by governmental obligations should consult their advisers before investing in a Fund. Tax-exempt income will be included in determining the taxability of social security payments and railroad retirement benefits. Tax-exempt income received by a tax-deferred retirement will generally be taxable when later distributed from that account.
At the Trust’s option, the Trust may cause a Fund to retain some or all of its net capital gain for a tax year, but may designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, the Fund pays tax on the retained amount for the benefit of its shareholders, the shareholders are required to report their share of the deemed distribution on their tax returns as if it had been distributed to them, and the shareholders may report a credit for the tax paid thereon by the Fund. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax is added to the shareholder’s cost basis for his or her shares. Since the Trust expects the Funds to pay tax on any retained net capital gain at its regular corporate capital gain tax rate, and since that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by individuals on long-term capital gain, the amount of tax that individual shareholders are treated as having paid will exceed the amount of tax that such shareholders would be required to pay on the retained net capital gain. A shareholder that is not subject to U.S. federal income tax or tax on long-term capital gain should be able to file a return on the appropriate form or a claim for refund that allows such shareholder to recover the taxes paid by a Fund on his or her behalf. In the event that the Trust chooses this option on behalf of a Fund, the Trust must provide written notice to the shareholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant tax year.
Any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November, or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, is treated as if it had been received by the shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
An investor should consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution. Even if the price of the shares includes the amount of the forthcoming distribution, the shareholder generally will be taxed upon receipt of the distribution and is not entitled
80 |
to offset the distribution against the tax basis in his or her shares. In addition, an investor should be aware that, at the time he or she purchases shares of a Fund, a portion of the purchase price is often attributable to realized or unrealized appreciation in the Fund’s portfolio or undistributed taxable income of the Fund. Subsequent distributions from such appreciation or income may be taxable to such investor even if the net asset value of the investor’s shares is, as a result of the distributions, reduced below the investor’s cost for such shares, and the distributions in reality represent a return of a portion of the purchase price.
A shareholder generally recognizes taxable gain or loss on a sale of his or her shares. The amount of the gain or loss is measured by the difference between the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in his or her shares and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange for such shares. Any gain or loss arising from (or, in the case of distributions in excess of earnings and profits, treated as arising from) the sale of shares generally is a capital gain or loss if such shares are held as capital assets. This capital gain or loss normally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder has held his or her shares for more than one year at the time of such sale; otherwise, it is classified as short-term capital gain or loss. If, however, a shareholder receives a capital gain dividend with respect to any share of a Fund, and the share is sold before it has been held by the shareholder for at least six months, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share, to the extent of the capital gain dividend, is treated as a long-term capital loss. In addition, all or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares may be disallowed if other shares of the same Fund are purchased (including any purchase through a reinvestment of distributions from the Fund) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
IRS Regulations require reporting to the IRS and furnishing to shareholders the cost basis information and holding period for Fund shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012, and sold on or after that date. Shareholders may elect from among several cost basis methods accepted by the IRS, including average cost. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting rules apply to them. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.
In general, non-corporate shareholders currently are subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the shareholder’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts) on their net long-term capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for a taxable year (including a long-term capital gain derived from an investment in the shares) and certain qualified dividend income, while other income may be taxed at rates as high as 37%, for taxable years beginning after 2017 and before 2026 (if not extended further by Congress). Shareholders must satisfy a holding period of more than 60 days with respect to a distribution that is otherwise eligible to be treated as a qualified dividend during the 121-day period that begins 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Corporate taxpayers currently are subject to federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum rate also applied to ordinary income (35%, for taxable years beginning before 2018, and 21% for taxable years beginning in 2018 or later). Tax rates imposed by states and local jurisdictions on capital gain and ordinary income may differ. Non-corporate shareholders with net capital losses for a year ( i.e. , capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year; any net capital losses of a non-corporate shareholder in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate shareholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carry back such losses for three years or carry forward such losses for five years.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from sales or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of US individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts. Each Fund sends to each of its shareholders, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice detailing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in such shareholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the federal tax status of each year’s distributions generally is reported to the IRS. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local, and foreign taxes depending on a shareholder’s particular situation.
Tax reform legislation enacted on December 22, 2017, informally known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), which, among other things, permanently reduces the maximum federal corporate income tax rate, reduces the maximum individual income tax rate (effective for taxable years 2018 through 2025), restricts the deductibility of business interest expense, changes the rules regarding the calculation of net operating loss deductions that may be used to offset taxable income, and, under certain circumstances, requires accrual method taxpayers to recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than the income is taken into account as revenue in an applicable financial statement. The impact of this new legislation on the Fund, stockholders of the Fund and entities in which the Fund may invest is uncertain. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of the new legislation on an investment in the Fund.
As a result of U.S. federal income tax requirements, the Trust on behalf of each Fund, has the right to reject an order for a creation of shares if the creator (or group of creators) 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 Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. See “Creations and Redemptions.”
81 |
Dividends paid by a Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder generally are subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (unless the tax is reduced or eliminated by an applicable treaty). Certain properly designated dividends paid by the Fund, however, generally are not subject to this tax, to the extent paid from net capital gains. In addition, under an exemption recently made permanent by Congress, a portion of each Fund’s distributions received by a non-U.S. investor may be exempt from U.S. withholding tax to the extent attributable to U.S. source interest income and short-term capital gains if such amounts are properly reported by the Fund. However, depending on the circumstances, a Fund may designate all, some or none of the Fund’s potentially eligible dividends as eligible for the exemption, and a portion of the Fund's distributions (e.g. interest from non-U.S. sources or any foreign currency gains) would be ineligible for this potential exemption from withholding.
Withholding of U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) is required on payments of dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to enable the applicable withholding agent to determine whether withholding is required.
Non-U.S. shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate tax with respect to their shares of the Funds.
Shareholders may be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding (currently, at a rate of 24%) (“backup withholding”) from all taxable distributions payable to (1) any shareholder who fails to furnish the Trust with its correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that the shareholder is exempt from backup withholding, and (2) any shareholder with respect to whom the IRS notifies the Trust that the shareholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. The 24% backup withholding tax is not an additional tax and may be credited against a taxpayer’s regular federal income tax liability.
ALPS serves as the principal underwriter to the Funds. ALPS is located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.
Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds
Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its 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 DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and the 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 (“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 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.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, 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 each 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 DTC or its nominee as the registered holder of all shares of the Trust. 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 a Fund as shown on the records of 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
82 |
beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares of the Trust 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 DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.
Portfolio securities of the Funds are held pursuant to a Custodian Agreement between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company, 500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. State Street Bank and Trust Company also serves as Transfer Agent for the Funds pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Ernst & Young LLP serves as the Trust’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Ernst & Young LLP is located at 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
The Hartford has granted the Trust the right to use the name “The Hartford” or “Hartford,” and has reserved the right to withdraw its consent to the use of such name by the Trust and the Funds at any time, or to grant the use of such name to any other company.
The Funds, HFMC and the sub-advisers have each adopted a code of ethics designed to protect the interests of each Fund’s shareholders. Under each code of ethics, investment personnel are permitted to trade securities for their own account, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to certain restrictions. Each code of ethics has been filed with the SEC and may be viewed by the public.
The Trust’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018 for the Funds and related reports of Ernst & Young LLP, the Trust’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, are incorporated by reference for the Trust’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018 into this SAI (meaning such documents are legally a part of this SAI) and are on file with the SEC.
The Trust’s most recent Annual Report and, if available, Semi-Annual Report are available without charge by calling the Funds at 1-415-315-6600 or by visiting the Funds’ website at www.hartfordfunds.com or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board of Trustees believes that the voting of proxies with respect to securities held by a Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. Pursuant to the Funds’ Policy Related to Proxy Voting, as approved by the Funds’ Board of Trustees, HFMC has delegated to the sub-advisers the authority to vote all proxies relating to each Fund’s portfolio securities. Each Fund’s exercise of this delegated proxy voting authority is subject to oversight by HFMC. The sub-advisers have a duty to vote or not vote such proxies in the best interests of the sub-advised Fund and its shareholders, and to avoid the influence of conflicts of interest. In addition, if the sub-advisers request that the Investment Manager vote a proxy in any Fund because the sub-adviser believes it has a conflict of interest with respect to said proxy, the Investment Manager may vote such securities. The Investment Manager may choose to echo vote, vote in accordance with stated guidelines set forth by a proxy voting service, abstain or hire a third-party fiduciary.
The policies and procedures used by the investment manager and the sub-advisers to determine how to vote certain proxies relating to portfolio securities are described below. In addition to a summary description of such policies and procedures, included below are descriptions of how such policies and procedures apply to various topics. However, the following are descriptions only and more complete information should be obtained by reviewing the sub-advisers’ policies and procedures, as well as a Fund’s voting records. For a complete copy of the sub-advisers’ proxy voting policies and procedures, as well as any separate guidelines it uses, please refer to www.hartfordfunds.com. Information on how a Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-415-315-6600 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
If a security has not been restricted from securities lending and the security is on loan over a record date, the Funds’ sub-adviser may not be able to vote any proxies for that security. For more information about the impact of lending securities on proxy voting, see “Lending Portfolio Securities.”
83 |
Wellington Management Company LLP
Global Proxy Policy and Procedures
INTRODUCTION
Wellington Management has adopted and implemented policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best economic interests of clients for whom it exercises proxy-voting discretion.
Wellington Management's Proxy Voting Guidelines (the "Guidelines") set forth broad guidelines and positions on common proxy issues that Wellington Management uses in voting on proxies. In addition, Wellington Management also considers each proposal in the context of the issuer, industry and country or countries in which the issuer's business is conducted. The Guidelines are not rigid rules and the merits of a particular proposal may cause Wellington Management to enter a vote that differs from the Guidelines.
STATEMENT OF POLICY
Wellington Management:
1) | Votes client proxies for which clients have affirmatively delegated proxy-voting authority, in writing, unless it determines that it is in the best interest of one or more clients to refrain from voting a given proxy. |
2) | Votes all proxies in the best interests of the client for whom it is voting, i.e., to maximize economic value. |
3) | Identifies and resolves all material proxy-related conflicts of interest between the firm and its clients in the best interests of the client. |
RESPONSIBILITY AND OVERSIGHT
The Investment Research Group ("Investment Research") monitors regulatory requirements with respect to proxy voting and works with the firm's Legal and Compliance Group and the Investment Stewardship Committee to develop practices that implement those requirements. Investment Research also acts as a resource for portfolio managers and research analysts on proxy matters as needed. Day-to-day administration of the proxy voting process is the responsibility of Investment Research. The Investment Stewardship Committee is responsible for oversight of the implementation of the Global Proxy Policy and Procedures, review and approval of the Guidelines and for providing advice and guidance on specific proxy votes for individual issuers.
PROCEDURES
Use of Third-Party Voting Agent
Wellington Management uses the services of a third-party voting agent to manage the administrative aspects of proxy voting. The voting agent processes proxies for client accounts, casts votes based on the Guidelines and maintains records of proxies voted.
Receipt of Proxy
If a client requests that Wellington Management votes proxies on its behalf, the client must instruct its custodian bank
to deliver all relevant voting material to Wellington Management or its voting agent.
Reconciliation
Each public security proxy received by electronic means is matched to the securities eligible to be voted and a reminder is sent to any custodian or trustee that has not forwarded the proxies as due. Although proxies received for private securities, as well as those received in non-electronic format, are voted as received, Wellington Management is not able to reconcile these proxies to holdings, nor does it notify custodians of non-receipt.
Research
In addition to proprietary investment research undertaken by Wellington Management investment professionals, Investment Research conducts proxy research internally, and uses the resources of a number of external sources to keep abreast of developments in corporate governance and of current practices of specific companies.
Proxy Voting
Following the reconciliation process, each proxy is compared against the Guidelines, and handled as follows:
· | Generally, issues for which explicit proxy voting guidance is provided in the Guidelines (i.e., "For", "Against", "Abstain") are reviewed by Investment Research and voted in accordance with the Guidelines. |
· | Issues identified as "case-by-case" in the Guidelines are further reviewed by Investment Research. In certain circumstances, further input is needed, so the issues are forwarded to the relevant research analyst and/or portfolio manager(s) for their input. |
· | Absent a material conflict of interest, the portfolio manager has the authority to decide the final vote. Different portfolio managers holding the same securities may arrive at different voting conclusions for their clients' proxies. |
84 |
Wellington Management reviews regularly the voting record to ensure that proxies are voted in accordance with these Global Proxy Policy and Procedures and the Guidelines ; and ensures that documentation and reports, for clients and for internal purposes, relating to the voting of proxies are promptly and properly prepared and disseminated.
Material Conflict of Interest Identification and Resolution Processes
Wellington Management's broadly diversified client base and functional lines of responsibility serve to minimize the number of, but not prevent, material conflicts of interest it faces in voting proxies. Annually, the Investment Stewardship Committee sets standards for identifying material conflicts based on client, vendor, and lender relationships, and publishes those standards to individuals involved in the proxy voting process. In addition, the Investment Stewardship Committee encourages all personnel to contact Investment Research about apparent conflicts of interest, even if the apparent conflict does not meet the published materiality criteria. Apparent conflicts are reviewed by designated members of the Investment Stewardship Committee to determine if there is a conflict and if so whether the conflict is material.
If a proxy is identified as presenting a material conflict of interest, the matter must be reviewed by designated members of the Investment Stewardship Committee, who will resolve the conflict and direct the vote. In certain circumstances, the designated members may determine that the full Investment Stewardship Governance Committee should convene.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
In certain instances, Wellington Management may be unable to vote or may determine not to vote a proxy on behalf of one or more clients. While not exhaustive, the following are potential instances in which a proxy vote might not be entered.
Securities Lending
In general, Wellington Management does not know when securities have been lent out pursuant to a client’s securities lending program and are therefore unavailable to be voted. Efforts to recall loaned securities are not always effective, but, in rare circumstances, Wellington Management may recommend that a client attempt to have its custodian recall the security to permit voting of related proxies.
Share Blocking and Re-registration
Certain countries impose trading restrictions or requirements regarding re-registration of securities held in omnibus accounts in order for shareholders to vote a proxy. The potential impact of such requirements is evaluated when determining whether to vote such proxies.
Lack of Adequate Information, Untimely Receipt of Proxy Materials, or Excessive Costs
Wellington Management may abstain from voting a proxy when the proxy statement or other available information is inadequate to allow for an informed vote, when the proxy materials are not delivered in a timely fashion or when, in Wellington Management’s judgment, the costs exceed the expected benefits to clients (such as when powers of attorney or consularization are required).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Wellington Management maintains records related to proxies pursuant to Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and other applicable laws.
Wellington Management provides clients with a copy of its Global Proxy Policy and Procedures , including the Guidelines, upon written request. In addition, Wellington Management will make specific client information relating to proxy voting available to a client upon reasonable written request.
Dated: 1 January 2018
85 |
Wellington Management Company, LLP
Global Proxy Voting Guidelines
Introduction
Upon a client’s written request, Wellington Management Company llp (“Wellington Management”) votes securities that are held in the client’s account in response to proxies solicited by the issuers of such securities. Wellington Management established these Global Proxy Voting Guidelines to document positions generally taken on common proxy issues voted on behalf of clients.
These guidelines are based on Wellington Management’s fiduciary obligation to act in the best economic interest of its clients as shareholders. Hence, Wellington Management examines and seeks to vote each proposal so that the long-term effect of the vote will ultimately increase shareholder value for our clients. Because ethical considerations can have an impact on the long-term value of assets, our voting practices are also attentive to these issues, and votes will be cast against unlawful and unethical activity. Further, Wellington Management’s experience in voting proposals has shown that similar proposals often have different consequences for different companies. Moreover, while these Global Proxy Voting Guidelines are written to apply globally, differences in local practice and law make universal application impractical. Therefore, each proposal is evaluated on its merits, taking into account its effects on the specific company in question and on the company within its industry. It should be noted that the following are guidelines, not rigid rules, and Wellington Management reserves the right in all cases to vote contrary to guidelines where doing so is judged to represent the best economic interest of our clients.
Following is a list of common proposals and the guidelines on how Wellington Management anticipates voting on these proposals. The “(SP)” after a proposal indicates that the proposal is usually presented as a shareholder proposal.
Voting Guidelines
Composition and Role of the Board of Directors
Elect Directors. Case-by-Case.
We believe that shareholders’ ability to elect directors annually is the most important right shareholders have. We generally support management nominees, but will withhold votes from any director who is demonstrated to have acted contrary to the best economic interest of shareholders. We may also withhold votes from directors who failed to implement shareholder proposals that received majority support, implemented dead-hand or no-hand poison pills, or failed to attend at least 75% of scheduled board meetings.
Declassify Board of Directors . For.
Adopt Director Tenure/Retirement Age (SP) . Against.
Adopt Director & Officer Indemnification. For.
We generally support director and officer indemnification as critical to the attraction and retention of qualified candidates to the board. Such proposals must incorporate the duty of care.
Allow Special Interest Representation to Board (SP) . Against.
Require Board Independence . For.
We believe that, in the absence of a compelling counter-argument or prevailing market norms, at least two-thirds of a board should be composed of independent directors, with independence defined by the local market regulatory authority. Our support for this level of independence may include withholding approval for non-independent directors, as well as votes in support of shareholder proposals calling for independence.
Require Key Board Committees to be Independent . For.
Key board committees are the nominating, audit, and compensation committees. Exceptions will be made, as above, with respect to local market conventions.
Require a Separation of Chair and CEO or Require a Lead Director (SP). For.
Approve Directors’ Fees . Case-by-Case.
Approve Bonuses for Retiring Directors. For.
Approve Board Size. For .
Elect Supervisory Board/Corporate Assembly/Statutory Auditors. Case-by-Case.
Companies in certain markets are governed by multitiered boards, with each tier having different powers and responsibilities. We hold supervisory board members to similar standards described above under “Elect directors,” subject to prevailing local governance best practices.
Majority Vote on Election of Directors (SP). For.
We believe that the election of directors by a majority of votes cast is the appropriate standard for companies to adopt and therefore generally will support those proposals that seek to adopt such a standard. Our support for such proposals will extend
86 |
typically to situations where the relevant company has an existing resignation policy in place for directors that receive a majority of “withhold” votes. We believe that it is important for majority voting to be defined within the company’s charter and not simply within the company’s corporate governance policy.
Generally we will not support proposals that fail to provide for the exceptional use of a plurality standard in the case of contested elections. Further, we will not support proposals that seek to adopt a majority of votes outstanding (i.e., total votes eligible to be cast as opposed to actually cast) standard.
Adopt Proxy Access. For.
We generally support proposals that allow significant and long-term shareholders the right to nominate director candidates on management’s proxy card. That being said, we may vote against a proxy access proposal if it is shareholder-sponsored and it requests that the company adopt proxy access without reasonable constraints or in a way that markedly differs from prevailing market norms.
Contested Director Election. Case-by-Case
Compensation
Adopt/Amend Stock Option Plans. Case-by-Case.
While we believe equity compensation helps align plan participants’ and shareholders’ interests, we will vote against plans that we find excessively dilutive or costly. Additionally, we will generally vote against plans that allow the company to reprice options without shareholder approval. We will also vote against plans that allow the company to add shares to the plan without shareholder approval, otherwise known as an “evergreen” provision.
Adopt/Amend Employee Stock Purchase Plans . Case-by-Case.
We generally support employee stock purchase plans, as they may align employees’ interests with the interests of shareholders. That being said, we typically vote against plans that do not offer shares to a broad group of employees (i.e., only executives are allowed to participate) or plans that offer shares at a significant discount.
Approve/Amend Bonus Plans. Case-by-Case.
In the US, bonus plans are customarily presented for shareholder approval pursuant to section 162(m) of the omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1992 (“OBRA”). OBRA stipulates that certain forms of compensation are not tax deductible unless approved by shareholders and subject to performance criteria. Because OBRA does not prevent the payment of subject compensation, we generally vote “for” these proposals. Nevertheless, occasionally these proposals are presented in a bundled form seeking 162(m) approval and approval of a stock option plan. In such cases, failure of the proposal prevents the awards from being granted. We will vote against these proposals where the grant portion of the proposal fails our guidelines for the evaluation of stock option plans.
Approve Remuneration Policy. Case-by-Case.
Approve Compensation Packages for Named Executive Officers. Case-by-case.
Determine Whether the Compensation Vote Will Occur Every One, Two, or Three years. One Year
Exchange Underwater Options. Case-by-Case.
Wellington Management may support value-neutral exchanges in which senior management is ineligible to participate.
Eliminate or Limit Severance Agreements (Golden Parachutes). Case-by-Case.
We will oppose excessively generous arrangements, but may support agreements structured to encourage management to negotiate in shareholders’ best economic interest.
Approve Golden Parachute Arrangements in Connection With Certain Corporate Transactions. Case-by-Case
Shareholder Approval of Future Severance Agreements Covering Senior Executives (SP). Case-by-Case.
We believe that severance arrangements require special scrutiny, and are generally supportive of proposals that call for shareholder ratification thereof. But we are also mindful of the board’s need for flexibility in recruitment and retention and will therefore oppose placing additional limitations on compensation where we feel the board as already demonstrated reasonable respect for industry practice and overall levels of compensation have historically been sensible.
Adopt a Clawback Policy. Case-By-Case.
We believe that companies should have the ability to recoup incentive compensation from members of management who received awards based on fraudulent activities or an accounting misstatement. Consequently, we may support shareholder proposals requesting that a company establish a clawback provision if the company’s existing policies do not cover these circumstances.
Reporting of Results
Approve Financial Statements. For .
Set Dividends and Allocate Profits. For .
Limit Non-Audit Services Provided by Auditors (SP). Case-by-Case .
87 |
We follow the guidelines established by the public company accounting oversight board regarding permissible levels of non-audit fees payable to auditors.
Ratify Selection of Auditors and Set Their Fees. Case-by-Case.
We will generally support management’s choice of auditors, unless the auditors have demonstrated failure to act in shareholders’ best economic interest.
Shareholder Approval of Auditors (SP). For .
Shareholder Voting Rights
Adopt Cumulative Voting (SP) . Against.
As an exception, we may support cumulative voting proposals at “controlled” companies (i.e., companies with a single majority shareholder) or at companies with two-tiered voting rights.
Shareholder Rights Plans . Case-by-Case.
Also known as poison pills, we believe these plans do not encourage strong corporate governance, since they can entrench management and restrict opportunities for takeovers. That being said, we recognize that limited poison pills can enable boards of directors to negotiate higher takeover prices on behalf of shareholders. Consequently, we may support plans that include:
· | Shareholder approval requirement |
· | Sunset provision |
· | Permitted bid feature (i.e., bids that are made for all shares and demonstrate evidence of financing must be submitted to a shareholder vote) |
Because boards generally have the authority to adopt shareholder rights plans without shareholder approval, we are equally vigilant in our assessment of requests for authorization of blank check preferred shares (see below).
Authorize Blank Check Preferred Stock . Case-by-Case.
We may support authorization requests that specifically proscribe the use of such shares for anti-takeover purposes.
Establish Right to Call a Special Meeting. For.
A reasonably high ownership threshold should be required to convene special meetings in order to ensure that they address broadly-supported shareholder interests.
Establish the right to act by written consent (SP). Case-by-Case.
We will generally oppose written consent proposals when the company already offers the shareholders the right to call a special meeting.
Increase Supermajority Vote Requirement. Against.
We likely will support shareholder and management proposals to remove existing supermajority vote requirements.
Adopt Anti-Greenmail Provision. For.
Adopt Confidential Voting (SP). Case-by-Case.
As an exception, we require such proposals to include a provision to suspend confidential voting during contested elections so that management is not subject to constraints that do not apply to dissidents.
Increase Authorized Common Stock. Case-by-Case.
We generally support requests for increases up to 100% of the shares currently authorized, so long as the new authority respects preemption rights. Exceptions will be made when the company has clearly articulated a reasonable need for a greater increase. Conversely, at companies trading in less liquid markets, we may impose a lower threshold.
Approve Merger or Acquisition. Case-by-Case.
Approve Technical Amendments to Charter. Case-by-Case.
Opt Out of State Takeover Statutes. For.
Eliminate Multiclass Voting Structure (SP). For.
We believe that shareholders’ voting power should be reflected by their economic stake in a company.
Capital Structure
Authorize Share Repurchase. For.
Approve Stock Splits. Case-by-Case.
We approve stock splits and reverse stock splits that preserve the level of authorized but unissued shares.
Approve Recapitalization/Restructuring. Case-by-Case.
88 |
Issue Stock with or without Preemptive Rights. Case-by-Case.
Issue Debt Instruments. Case-by-Case.
Environmental and Social Issues . Case-by-Case
Environmental and social issues typically appear on ballots as shareholder-sponsored proposals. We support these proposals in situations where we believe that doing so will improve the prospects for long-term success of a company and investment returns. For example, we generally support proposals focused on improved assessment and disclosure of climate risks when we believe they may be material to a company’s long-term performance and management has not sufficiently addressed them. At a minimum, we expect companies to comply with applicable laws and regulations with regards to environmental and social standards.
Miscellaneous
Approve Other Business . Against.
Approve Re-incorporation. Case-by-Case.
Approve Third-Party Transactions . Case-by-Case.
7 December 2017
89 |
SUMMARY OF SIMNA AND SIMNA LTD. PROXY VOTING POLICY
Proxy Voting General Principles
SIMNA and SIMNA Ltd. (collectively, “Schroders”) will evaluate and usually vote for or against all proxy requests relating to securities held in any account managed by Schroders (unless this responsibility has been retained by the client).
Proxies will be treated and evaluated with the same attention and investment skill as the trading of securities in the accounts.
Proxies will be voted in a manner that is deemed most likely to protect and enhance the longer term value of the security as an asset to the account.
Corporate Governance Committee
The Corporate Governance Committee for the Schroders Group consists of investment professionals and other officers and coordinates with Schroders to ensure compliance with this proxy voting policy. The Committee meets on a periodic basis to review proxies voted, policy guidelines and to examine any issues raised, including a review of any votes cast in connection with controversial issues.
The procedure for evaluating proxy requests is as follows:
The Schroders’ Group Corporate Governance Team (the “Team”) provides an initial evaluation of the proxy request, seeks advice where necessary, especially from the U.S. small cap and mid cap product heads, and consults with portfolio managers who have invested in the company should a controversial issue arise.
When coordinating proxy-voting decisions, the Team generally adheres to the Group Environmental, Social & Governance Policy (the “Policy”), as revised from time to time. The Policy, which has been approved by the Corporate Governance Committee, sets forth Schroder Group positions on recurring issues and criteria for addressing non-recurring issues. The Corporate Governance Committee exercises oversight to assure that proxies are voted in accordance with the Policy and that any votes inconsistent with the Policy or against management are appropriately documented.
The Team uses Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) to assist in voting proxies. ISS provides proxy research, voting and vote-reporting services. ISS’s primary function is to apprise the Team of shareholder meeting dates of all securities holdings, translate proxy materials received from companies, provide associated research and provide considerations and recommendations for voting on particular proxy proposals. Although Schroders may consider ISS’s and others’ recommendations on proxy issues, Schroders bears ultimate responsibility for proxy voting decisions.
Schroders may also consider the recommendations and research of other providers, including the National Association of Pension Funds’ Voting Issues Service.
Conflicts
From time to time, proxy voting proposals may raise conflicts between the interests of Schroders’ clients and the interests of Schroders and/or its employees. Schroders has adopted this policy and procedures to ensure that decisions to vote the proxies are based on the clients’ best interests.
For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:
· | Proxy votes regarding non-routine matters are solicited by an issuer that, directly or indirectly, has a client relationship with Schroders; |
· | A proponent of a proxy proposal has a client relationship with Schroders; |
· | A proponent of a proxy proposal has a business relationship with Schroders; |
· | Schroders has business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director candidates; |
Schroders is responsible for identifying proxy voting proposals that may present a material conflict of interest. If Schroders receives a proxy relating to an issuer that raises a conflict of interest, the Team shall determine whether the conflict is “material” to any specific proposal included within the proxy. Schroders (or the Team on behalf of Schroders) will determine whether a proposal is material as follows:
· | Routine Proxy Proposals: Proxy proposals that are “routine” shall be presumed not to involve a material conflict of interest unless Schroders has actual knowledge that a routine proposal should be treated as material. For this purpose, “routine” proposals would typically include matters such as uncontested election of directors, meeting formalities, and approval of an annual report/financial statements. |
· | Non-Routine Proxy Proposals: Proxy proposals that are “non-routine” will be presumed to involve a material conflict of |
90 |
interest, unless Schroders determines that neither Schroders nor its personnel have a conflict of interest or the conflict is unrelated to the proposal in question. For this purpose, “non-routine” proposals would typically include any contested matter, including a contested election of directors, a merger or sale of substantial assets, a change in the articles of incorporation that materially affects the rights of shareholders, and compensation matters for management ( e.g ., stock, option plans, retirement plans, profit-sharing or other special remuneration plans). If Schroders determines that there is, or may be perceived to be, a conflict of interest when voting a proxy, Schroders will address matters involving such conflicts of interest as follows:
A. If a proposal is addressed by the Policy, Schroders will vote in accordance with such Policy;
B. If Schroders believes it is in the best interests of clients to depart from the Policy, Schroders will be subject to the requirements of C or D below, as applicable;
C. If the proxy proposal is (1) not addressed by the Policy or (2) requires a case-by-case determination, Schroders may vote such proxy as it determines to be in the best interest of clients, without taking any action described in D below, provided that such vote would be against Schroders’ own interest in the matter ( i.e., against the perceived or actual conflict). The rationale of such vote will be memorialized in writing; and
D. If the proxy proposal is (1) not addressed by the Policy or (2) requires a case-by-case determination, and Schroders believes it should vote in a way that may also benefit, or be perceived to benefit, its own interest, then Schroders must take one of the following actions in voting such proxy: (a) vote in accordance with ISS’ recommendation; (b) in exceptional cases, inform the client(s) of the conflict of interest and obtain consent to vote the proxy as recommended by Schroders; or (c) obtain approval of the decision from the Chief Compliance Officer and the Chief Investment Officer (the rationale of such vote will be memorialized in writing). Where the director of a company is also a director of Schroders plc, Schroders will vote in accordance with ISS’ recommendation.
Voting Coverage
Schroders recognizes its responsibility to make considered use of voting rights. The overriding principle governing our approach to voting is to act in line with its fiduciary responsibilities in what we deem to be the interests of its clients.
Schroders normally hopes to support company management; however, it will withhold support or oppose management if it believes that it is in the best interests of its clients to do so.
Schroders votes on a variety of resolutions; however the majority of resolutions target specific corporate governance issues which are required under local stock exchange listing requirements, including but not limited to: approval of directors, accepting reports and accounts, approval of incentive plans, capital allocation, reorganizations and mergers. Schroders does vote on both shareholder and management resolutions.
Schroders Corporate Governance specialists assess resolutions, applying its voting policy and guidelines (as outlined in its Environmental, Social and Governance Policy) to each agenda item. These specialists draw on external research, such as the Investment Association’s Institutional Voting Information Services, the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), and public reporting.
Schroders’ own research is also integral to our process and this will be conducted by both our investment and ESG analysts. Corporate Governance specialists will consult with the relevant analysts and portfolio managers to seek their view and better understand the corporate context. The final decision will reflect what investors and Corporate Governance specialists believe to be in the best long term interest of their client. When voting, where there is insufficient information with which to make a voting decision Schroders may not vote.
In order to maintain the necessary flexibility to meet client needs, local offices of Schroders may determine a voting policy regarding the securities for which they are responsible, subject to agreement with clients as appropriate, and/or addressing local market issues. Both Japan and Australia have these.
Schroders UK Stewardship Code Statement outlines its approach in this area in more detail for all of its international holdings and is publically available.
October 2018
91 |
The credit rating information which follows describes how the credit rating services mentioned presently rate the described securities or loans. No reliance is made upon the credit rating firms as “experts” as that term is defined for securities purposes. Rather, reliance on this information is on the basis that such ratings have become generally accepted in the investment business.
In the case of “split-rated” securities or loans ( i.e. , securities or loans assigned non-equivalent credit quality ratings, such as Baa by Moody’s but BB by S&P or Ba by Moody’s and BB by S&P but B by Fitch), Wellington Management will determine whether a particular security or loan is considered investment grade or below-investment grade for each of the Fund’s portfolios as follows: (a) if all three credit rating agencies have rated a security or loan the median credit rating is used for this determination and (b) if only two credit rating agencies have rated a security, the lower (e.g., most conservative) credit rating is used. In the case of intermediate ratings, they are included in the category of the primary rating. For example, BBB- and BBB+ are included in BBB and Baa includes Baa1, Baa2 and Baa3.
Schroders receives credit quality ratings on the Fund’s underlying securities from the three major reporting agencies – Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor’s”), Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”). When calculating the credit quality breakdown for a security, Schroders uses the average rating of the three agencies. Securities that are not rated by all three ratings agencies are marked as unrated by one or more agencies. Schroders’ ratings include cash and cash equivalents, which it rates AA-. Schroders converts all ratings to the equivalent Standard & Poor’s major rating category for purposes of the category shown. Securities determined by Schroders to be below investment grade are represented by ratings of BB and below. Ratings and overall portfolio credit quality may change over time and unrated securities are not necessarily low quality securities.
LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (“MOODY’S”)
Aaa –– Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa –– Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A –– Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa –– Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba –– Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B –– Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa –– Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca –– Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C –– Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
STANDARD & POOR’S GLOBAL RATINGS SERVICES (“S&P GLOBAL RATINGS”)
AAA –– An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA –– An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A –– An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB –– An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
92 |
BB, B, CCC, CC, C –– Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB –– An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B –– An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CCC –– An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CC –– An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C –– An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.
D –– An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR –– This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
MOODY’S
P-1 - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
S&P GLOBAL RATINGS
A-1 –– A short-term obligation rated ‘A–1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2 –– A short-term obligation rated ‘A–2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3 –– A short-term obligation rated ‘A–3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B –– A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C –– A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
D –– A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar
93 |
action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR –– An issuer designated NR is not rated.
RATING OF MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS
S&P GLOBAL RATINGS
MUNICIPAL NOTES
An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings' opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings' analysis will review the following considerations: (1) Amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and (2) Source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings are as follows:
SP-1 - Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
MOODY’S
SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS
There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels — MIG 1 through MIG 3 – while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating
MIG 1. This designation denotes superior quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2. This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3. This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG. This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
DEMAND OBLIGATION RATINGS
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. VMIG ratings of demand obligations with unconditional liquidity support are mapped from the short-term debt rating (or counterparty assessment) of the support provider, or the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support, with VMIG 1 corresponding to P-1, VMIG 2 to P-2, VMIG 3 to P-3 and SG to not prime.
VMIG 1. This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2. This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3. This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
94 |
SG. This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
For VRDBs supported with conditional liquidity support, short-term ratings transition down at higher long-term ratings to reflect the risk of termination of liquidity support as a result of a downgrade below investment grade.
DUAL RATINGS
S&P Global Ratings
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').
INTERNATIONAL LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
FITCH, INC.
International credit ratings relate to either foreign currency or local currency commitments and, in both cases, assess the capacity to meet these commitments using a globally applicable scale. As such, both foreign currency and local currency international ratings are internationally comparable assessments.
Rated entities in a number of sectors, including financial and non-financial corporations, sovereigns, insurance companies and certain sectors within public finance, are generally assigned Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs). IDRs are also assigned to certain entities in global infrastructure and project finance. IDRs opine on an entity's relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The threshold default risk addressed by the IDR is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, IDRs also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts.
In aggregate, IDRs provide an ordinal ranking of issuers based on the agency's view of their relative vulnerability to default, rather than a prediction of a specific percentage likelihood of default.
AAA: Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. ’AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.
B: Highly speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Near default. A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include:
a. | the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; |
b. | the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or |
95 |
c. | the formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of a distressed debt exchange; |
d. | a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent |
RD: Restricted default. ‘RD' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has experienced:
a. | an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but |
b. | has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and |
c. | has not otherwise ceased operating. |
This would include:
i. | the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
ii. | the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; |
iii. | the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; ordinary execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
D: Default. ‘D' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice.
Within rating categories, Fitch may use modifiers. The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories.
INTERNATIONAL SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
FITCH, INC.
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets .
F1: Highest Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good Short-Term Credit Quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair Short-Term Credit Quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High Short-Term Default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted Default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
Within rating categories, Fitch may use modifiers. The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories.
96 |
ETFSAI-18
97 |
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
a.(i) | Certificate of Trust dated September 20, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
a.(ii) | Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust dated December 9, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
a.(iii) | Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated December 8, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
b. | By-Laws dated December 8, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
c. | Not Applicable |
d.(i) | Investment Management Agreement with Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC dated March 8, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
d.(i).a | Schedules A and B to the Investment Management Agreement (filed herewith) |
d.(ii) | Sub-Advisory Agreement with Wellington Management Company LLP dated March 8, 2017 ( incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
d.(iii) | Sub-Advisory Agreement with Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. dated September 8, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on September 11, 2017) |
e. | Form of Distribution Agreement with ALPS Distributors, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on May 18, 2018) |
e.(i) | Amendment No 1 to Distribution Agreement dated May 30, 2018 (filed herewith) |
e.(ii) | Amendment No 2 to Distribution Agreement dated September 21, 2018 (filed herewith) |
f. | Not Applicable |
g. | Custodian Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated December 31, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit g of The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc.’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-02381, filed on February 27, 2015) |
g.(i) | Amendment Number 1 to the Custodian Agreement (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on November 28, 2017) |
g.(ii) | Amendment Number 2 to the Custodian Agreement dated September 27, 2017 (filed herewith) |
h.(i) | Master Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated February 13, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on May 18, 2018) |
h.(ii) | Form of Participant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on May 18, 2018) |
h.(iii) | Form of Investing Fund Agreement (incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on March 10, 2017) |
h.(v) | Securities Lending Authorization Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated September 26, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit h.(iii) of Lattice Strategies Trust’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-199089, filed on January 28, 2016) |
h.(v).a | Second Amendment to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated March 20, 2017 (filed herewith) |
h.(v).b | Third Amendment to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on November 28, 2017) |
h.(v).c Fourth Amendment to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated July 16, 2018 (filed herewith)
h.(vi) | Fund Accounting Agreement dated November 10, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on November 28, 2017) |
i. | Opinion and Consent of Counsel (filed herewith) |
j. | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith) |
k. | Not Applicable |
l. | Not Applicable |
m. | Amended and Restated Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan (incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-215165, filed on September 11, 2017) |
n. | Not Applicable |
o. | Not Applicable |
p.(i) | Code of Ethics of Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit p.(i) of The Hartford Mutual Fund Inc.’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-02381, filed on February 28, 2018) |
p.(ii) | Code of Ethics of Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit p.(i) of The Hartford Mutual Fund Inc.’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-02381, filed on February 28, 2018) |
p.(iii) | Code of Ethics of Wellington Management Company LLP dated July 1, 2016 (filed herewith) |
p.(iv) | Code of Ethics of ALPS Distributors, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit p.(iii) of Lattice Strategies Trust’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 333-199089, filed on January 26, 2018) |
p.(v) | Code of Ethics of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit p.(iii) of The Hartford Mutual Fund II, Inc.’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC file No. 002-11387, filed on February 28, 2018) |
q. | Power of Attorney dated November 6, 2018 (filed herewith). |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund
The Fund does not control any other persons. The Fund may be deemed to be under common control with each of Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF, Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF and Hartford Total Return Bond ETF due to the beneficial
ownership of 25% or more of the outstanding shares of each such Fund by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (“The Hartford”) and/or one of its subsidiaries. The Hartford is organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.
Item 30. Indemnification
Reference is made to the subsections of Article IX of the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Declaration”) for the Registrant (also, the “Trust”). All section references below are to those contained in the Declaration.
Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in this Section 9.5, every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust or the applicable Series 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. No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law. The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. 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 9.5 shall be advanced by the Trust or the applicable Series 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 9.5. To the extent that any determination is required to be made as to whether a Covered Person engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Person or Persons making the determination shall afford the Covered Person a rebuttable presumption that the Covered Person has not engaged in such conduct and that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification. As used in this Section 9.5, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, demands, actions, suits, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings or any other occurrence of a similar nature, whether actual or threatened and whether civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
Further Indemnification. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which any Covered Person or other Person may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law or prevent the Trust from entering into any contract to provide indemnification to any Covered Person or other Person. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust may, in connection with the acquisition of assets subject to liabilities pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof or a merger or consolidation pursuant to Section 10.2 hereof, assume the obligation to indemnify any Person including a Covered Person or otherwise contract to provide such indemnification, and such indemnification shall not be subject to the terms of this Article IX.
Amendments and Modifications. Without limiting the provisions of Section 11.1(b) hereof, in no event will any amendment, modification or change to the provisions of this Declaration or the By-Laws adversely affect in any manner the rights of any Covered Person to (a) indemnification under Section 9.5 hereof in connection with any proceeding in which such Covered Person becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust or (b) any insurance payments under policies maintained by the Trust, in either case with respect to any act or omission of such Covered Person that occurred or is alleged to have occurred prior to the time such amendment, modification or change to this Declaration or the By-Laws.
The Registrant’s various agreements with its service providers provide for indemnification.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (“HFMC”) serves as investment adviser to each series of the Registrant. The executive officers of HFMC are listed in the investment adviser registration on Form ADV for HFMC (File No. 801-77209) and are hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto. The business and other connections of a substantial nature of each executive officer are given below.
Name | Position with HFMC (1) | Other Business |
James E. Davey | Senior Managing Director, Chairman of the Board, President and Manager | Executive Vice President of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (2) (“The Hartford”); Senior Managing Director, Chairman of the Board and Manager of Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC (3) (“HFD”); President, Senior Managing Director, Director and Chairman of the Board of Hartford Administrative Services Company (4) (“HASCO”); President, Director, Chairman and Senior Managing Director of the Hartford Funds Management Group, Inc. (5) (“HFMG”); and President, Chairman of the Board and Manager of Lattice Strategies LLC (6) (“Lattice”) |
Walter F. Garger | Secretary, Managing Director and General Counsel | Secretary, Managing Director and General Counsel of HFD, HASCO and HFMG; and Secretary and General Counsel of Lattice |
Vernon J. Meyer | Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director | Managing Director of HFMG |
Gregory A. Frost | Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and Manager | Director, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of HASCO; Manager, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of HFD; Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of HFMG; and Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Treasurer and Manager of Lattice |
Joseph G. Melcher | Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | Executive Vice President of HASCO and HFMG; Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Lattice; and President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of HFD |
Anita Baldwin | Vice President | Vice President of HFMG |
Shannon O’Neill | Vice President and Controller | Vice President and Controller of HASCO and HFMG; Financial and Operations Principal, Vice President and Controller of HFD |
Michael J. Fixer | Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer | Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Vice President of Hartford Life Insurance Company (7) (“HLIC”), HASCO, HFD, Hartford Life, Inc. (8) (“HLI”), The Hartford, HFMG and Lattice |
Sarah J. Harding | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HLI, HASCO, HFD, Hartford Investment Management Company (9) (“HIMCO”), HFMG and Lattice |
Terence Shields | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HFD, HFMG, HLI and Lattice; and Vice President and Assistant Corporate Secretary of The Hartford |
Audrey E. Hayden | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HASCO, HFD, HFMG, HIMCO, HLI and Lattice |
Holly P. Seitz | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HFMG, HASCO, HIMCO, HFD and Lattice |
Simone Parillo | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HFMG, HASCO, HIMCO, HFD and Lattice |
Michael R. Chesman | Senior Vice President and Director of Taxes | Director of Taxes and Senior Vice President of HASCO, HFD, HFMG, The Hartford, HIMCO, HLI and Lattice |
Keith R. Percy | Vice President | Vice President of HFD, HFMG, HASCO, HIMCO and Lattice |
Allison Z. Mortensen | Vice President | Vice President of HFMG |
Sabra R. Purtill | Treasurer | Treasurer and Senior Vice President of HASCO, HLI, HLIC and The Hartford; and Treasurer of Lattice, HIMCO, HFMG and HFD |
Eapen A. Chandy | Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer | Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of HASCO, HFD, HFMG, HLI, HLIC, Lattice and The Hartford |
Gissell Martinez | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HASCO, HFD, HFMG, HLIC and Lattice |
Jeffrey T. Coghan | Senior Vice President | Senior Vice President of HFD and HFMG |
Elizabeth L. Kemp | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary of HFD and Lattice |
(1) | The principal business address for HFMC is 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
(2) | The principal business address for The Hartford is One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. |
(3) | The principal business address for HFD is 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
(4) | The principal business address for HASCO is 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
(5) | The principal business address for HFMG is 690 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. |
(6) | The principal business address for Lattice is 101 Montgomery Street, 27th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. |
(7) | The principal business address for HLIC is One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. |
(8) | The principal business address for HLI is One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. |
(9) | The principal business address for HIMCO is One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. |
Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington Management”) serves as sub-adviser to certain series of the Registrant. The executive officers of Wellington Management are listed in the investment adviser registration on Form ADV for Wellington Management (File No. 801-15908) and are hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto. The business and other connections of a substantial nature of each executive officer are given below.
Name | Title |
Cynthia M. Clarke | Senior Managing Director and General Counsel, Wellington Management Company LLP |
John D. Norberg | Senior Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer, Wellington Management Company LLP |
Edward J. Steinborn | Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Wellington Management Company LLP |
Brendan J. Swords | Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Wellington Management Company LLP |
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA”) serves as sub-adviser to certain series of the Registrant. The executive officers of SIMNA are listed in SIMNA’s registration on Form ADV (File No. 801-15834) and are hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto. The directors and officers of SIMNA have been engaged during the past two fiscal years in no business, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature other than as directors, officers, or employees of the investment advisers or certain of their corporate affiliates.
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
(a) | ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ALPS”) serves as the principal underwriter for the Trust. ALPS is also the principal underwriter for the series of Lattice Strategies Trust and Hartford Funds NextShares Trust. |
(b) | The directors and principal officers of ALPS and their position with the Registrant are as follows: |
Name and Principal
Business Address* |
Positions and Offices with
Underwriter |
Position and Offices
with Registrant |
Edmund J. Burke | Director | None |
Jeremy O. May | President, Director | None |
Bradley J. Swenson | Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer | None |
Robert J. Szydlowski | Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer | None |
Eric T. Parsons | Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer | None |
Joseph J. Frank** | Secretary | None |
Patrick J. Pedonti ** | Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary | None |
Douglas W. Fleming** | Assistant Treasurer | None |
Richard C. Noyes | Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Assistant Secretary | None |
Steven Price | Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Liza Orr | Vice President, Senior Counsel | None |
Jed Stahl | Vice President, Senior Counsel | None |
Josh Eihausen | Vice President, Associate Senior Counsel | None |
James Stegall | Vice President | None |
Gary Ross | Senior Vice President | None |
Kevin Ireland | Senior Vice President | None |
Mark Kiniry | Senior Vice President | None |
Tison Cory | Vice President, Intermediary Operations | None |
Stephen J. Kyllo | Vice President, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Hilary Quinn | Vice President | None |
Jennifer Craig | Assistant Vice President | None |
* | Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203. |
** | The principal business address for Messrs. Pedonti, Frank and Fleming is 333 W. 11th Street, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. |
(c) Not Applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
Books or other documents required to be maintained by the Registrant by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained by the Registrant’s custodian, administrator, and transfer agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, and the Registrant’s investment manager, Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC, 690 Lee Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087. The Registrant’s corporate
records are maintained at Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC, 690 Lee Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, and its financial ledgers are maintained at State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
Item 34. Management Services
Not Applicable
Item 35. Undertakings
Not Applicable
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the city of Wayne, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 28 th day of November 2018.
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST | ||
By: | /s/ James E. Davey | |
James E. Davey | ||
President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | |||
/s/ James E. Davey | Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer | November 28, 2018 | |||
James E. Davey | |||||
/s/ Amy N. Furlong | Treasurer | November 28, 2018 | |||
Amy N. Furlong | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | ||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Hilary E. Ackermann | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Robin C. Beery | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Lynn S. Birdsong | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Christine R. Detrick | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Duane E. Hill | |||||
* | Chairman of the Board and Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
William P. Johnston | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Phillip O. Peterson | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
Lemma W. Senbet | |||||
* | Trustee | November 28, 2018 | |||
David Sung | |||||
/s/ Thomas R. Phillips | November 28, 2018 | ||||
* By Thomas R. Phillips | |||||
Attorney-in-fact | |||||
*(Pursuant to Power of Attorney (previously filed)) | |||||
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit d.(i).a
Schedule A
List of Portfolios
This Schedule A to that certain Investment Management Agreement by and between Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC and Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, dated March 8, 2017, is effective as of September 21, 2018.
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST ON BEHALF OF:
Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF
Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF
Hartford Total Return Bond ETF
Hartford Short Duration ETF
1
Schedule B
Fees
This Schedule B to that certain Investment Management Agreement by and between Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC and Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, dated March 8, 2017, is effective as of September 21, 2018.
As compensation for the services rendered by the Adviser, each Portfolio shall pay to the Adviser as promptly as possible after the last day of each month during the term of this Agreement, a fee accrued daily and paid monthly based upon the following annual rates calculated based on the average daily net asset value of the applicable Portfolio:
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST ON BEHALF OF:
Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF
Annual Fee Rate
0.2900%
Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF
Annual Fee Rate
0.3900%
Hartford Total Return Bond ETF
Annual Fee Rate
0.2900%
Hartford Short Duration ETF
Annual Fee Rate
0.2900%
2
Exhibit e.(i)
Amendment No. 1 to Distribution Agreement
This Amendment No. 1 to the Distribution Agreement (this “Amendment”) by and between Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), and ALPS Distributors, Inc., a Colorado corporation, (“ALPS”) is dated as of May 30, 2018.
WHEREAS, the Trust and ALPS entered into a Distribution Services Agreement dated April 16, 2018 (the “Agreement”), as may be amended from time to time; and
WHEREAS, the Trust and ALPS wish to amend the provisions of the Agreement to reflect the addition of one Fund offered under the Trust.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1. The parties hereto agree to delete the current Appendix A to Exhibit 1 of the Agreement in its entirety and replace it with a new Appendix A to Exhibit 1 attached hereto.
2. Except as specifically set forth herein, all other provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Any items not herein defined shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the day and year first above written.
HARTFORD FUNDS | ALPS DISTRIBUTORS, INC. | |||
EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST | ||||
By: | /s/ Vernon Meyer | By: | /s/ Steven B. Price | |
Name: | Vernon Meyer | Name: | Steven B. Price | |
Title: | Vice President | Title: | Senior Vice President and Director of Distribution Services |
APPENDIX A
LIST OF FUNDS
HARTFORD CORPORATE BOND ETF
HARTFORD QUALITY BOND ETF
HARTFORD TOTAL RETURN BOND ETF
Hartford Schroders Tax Aware Bond ETF
Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF
Hartford Short Duration ETF
Exhibit e.(ii)
Amendment No. 2 to Distribution Agreement
This Amendment No. 2 to the Distribution Agreement (this “Amendment”) by and between Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), and ALPS Distributors, Inc., a Colorado corporation, (“ALPS”) is dated as of September 21, 2018.
WHEREAS, the Trust and ALPS entered into a Distribution Services Agreement dated April 16, 2018 (the “Agreement”), as may be amended from time to time; and
WHEREAS, the Trust and ALPS wish to amend the provisions of the Agreement to reflect the addition of one Fund offered under the Trust.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1. The parties hereto agree to delete the current Appendix A to Exhibit 1 of the Agreement in its entirety and replace it with a new Appendix A to Exhibit 1 attached hereto.
2. Except as specifically set forth herein, all other provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Any items not herein defined shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the day and year first above written.
HARTFORD FUNDS | ALPS DISTRIBUTORS, INC. | |||
EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST | ||||
By: | /s/Vernon Meyer | By: | /s/ Steven B. Price | |
Name: | Vernon Meyer | Name: | Steven B. Price | |
Title: | Vice President | Title: | Senior Vice President and Director of Distribution Services |
APPENDIX A
LIST OF FUNDS
HARTFORD TOTAL RETURN BOND ETF
Hartford Schroders Tax Aware Bond ETF
Hartford Municipal Opportunities ETF
Hartford Short Duration ETF
Exhibit g.(ii)
AMENDMENT NUMBER 2
TO
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
This Amendment Number 2 (the “Amendment”) to the Custodian Agreement by and between each Fund listed on Appendix A hereto (the “Funds”) and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian”) is made as of this 27th day of September 2017.
WHEREAS, certain Funds and the Custodian have entered into a Custodian Agreement dated as of December 31, 2014 (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, certain Funds and certain Series were made subject to the Agreement in accordance with Section 9.06 thereof; and
WHEREAS, each Fund and the Custodian desire to amend the Agreement, as to all Funds, as more particularly set forth herein; and
Whereas , each Fund set forth on Appendix A-1 hereto (each, an “ETF Fund” and collectively, the “ETF Funds”) is an exchange-traded fund and will issue and redeem shares of each Series only in aggregations of Shares (as defined in Section 1.30 of the Agreement) known as “Creation Units,” generally in exchange for a basket of certain equity or fixed income securities and a specified cash payment, as more fully described in the currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information of the Fund related to the Series (collectively, the “Prospectus”); and
WHEREAS, each ETF Fund desires to become a party to the Agreement and that this Agreement be applicable to each of its Series set forth on Appendix A-1, and the Custodian desires to provide the services set forth in the Agreement, as amended hereby, to each ETF Fund and each of its Series; and
WHEREAS, due to the nature of the ETF Funds and the service requirements therefor, each ETF Fund and the Custodian desire to amend the Agreement with respect to the ETF Funds, as more particularly set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and adequate consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, each Fund and the Custodian agree as follows:
1. | Amendments . |
(a) | Effective as of September 27, 2017, the Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, is added as a party to the Agreement. In connection therewith, the Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust hereby confirms to the Custodian, as of the date hereof, the representations and warranties set forth in Section 9.04(a) of the Agreement. |
(b) | Effective as of September 27, 2017, the Lattice Strategies Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, is added as a party to the Agreement. In connection therewith, the Lattice Strategies Trust hereby confirms to the Custodian, as of the date |
hereof, the representations and warranties set forth in Section 9.04(a) of the Agreement.
(c) | Appendix A of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Appendix A hereto. |
(d) | A new Appendix A-1 is hereby added to the Agreement as set forth on Appendix A-1 hereto. |
(e) | A new Section 9.20 is hereby added to the Agreement as follows: |
“ Section 9.20. Global Account Documentation Services . Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall provide the following Global Documentation Services to facilitate the opening and maintenance of custody accounts in markets for which the Custodian offers custody services through its network of Foreign Subcustodians identified on Schedule A hereto (as updated from time to time) and for which the opening and maintenance of such accounts is required based on local market practices and laws prevailing in the particular market in which the Fund elects to invest.
(a) | The Custodian will prepare account opening, maintenance and proxy documentation as required in the applicable local market, including powers of attorney with respect to account openings and proxies. Such powers of attorney will not include any proxy voting authority of the Custodian. The Custodian will prepare the aforementioned documentation based on information available to the Custodian, industry experience, communications with local market sub-custodians, depositories, exchanges and other relevant entities, and information provided by the Fund, as necessary. |
(b) | The Custodian will obtain consularization, legalization, and/or state and country apostillation of documents, as needed. To the extent a money order is required for consularization, the Custodian will obtain the money order on the Fund’s behalf and the Custodian shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Fund. |
(c) | The Custodian will obtain and deliver to the Fund for the Fund’s completion, any tax documents necessary for tax reclaims and tax relief in the applicable local market. Prior to delivery to the Fund for completion, the Custodian will prepare sections of the aforementioned documentation to the extent information is available to the Custodian based upon information available to the Custodian, industry experience, communications with local market sub-custodians, depositories, exchanges and other relevant entities, and information provided by the Fund, as necessary. |
2 |
In each case, the Custodian will provide the applicable document(s) to the Fund for final review and approval and execution by the Fund. The Fund is ultimately responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the content of the relevant document(s) prepared by the Custodian.”
2. | Amendments to Agreement Applicable Only to ETF Funds . |
The parties hereby agree that the Agreement is amended only with respect to the ETF Funds as follows. For the avoidance of doubt, the following amendments apply only with respect to the ETF Funds:
(a) | Section 3.18 of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following with respect to the ETF Funds only: |
“ Section 3.18. Dividends, Distributions and Redemptions . (a) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall promptly release funds or securities to the Shareholder Servicing Agent or otherwise apply funds or securities, insofar as available, for the payment of dividends or other distributions to Fund shareholders. (b) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall release funds or securities, insofar as available, to the Shareholder Servicing Agent, or as such Shareholder Servicing Agent shall otherwise instruct, for payment or delivery to Authorized Participants (as defined in the Prospectus) who have delivered to such Shareholder Servicing Agent a request for repurchase or redemption of their Shares of capital stock of such Fund or Series, in Creation Unit aggregations, which shall have been accepted by the Shareholder Servicing Agent, the applicable [Fund Securities] (as defined in the Prospectus) (or such securities in lieu thereof as may be designated by the investment adviser or investment manager of the Fund in accordance with the Prospectus) for such Fund or Series and the [Cash Redemption Amount] (as defined in the Prospectus), if applicable, less any applicable [Redemption Transaction Fee] (as defined in the Prospectus). The Custodian will transfer the applicable Fund Securities to or on the order of the Authorized Participant. Any cash redemption payment (less any applicable Redemption Transaction Fee) due to the Authorized Participant on redemption shall be effected through the DTC system or through wire transfer in the case of redemptions effected outside of the DTC system.”
(b) | Section 3.19 of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following with respect to the ETF Funds only: |
“ Section 3.19 . Proceeds from Shares Sold . Pursuant to Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall receive funds representing cash payments received for Shares, in Creation Unit aggregations, issued or sold from time to time by a Fund or Series and shall promptly credit such funds to the Account(s) of the applicable Fund or Series. The Custodian shall promptly notify each applicable Fund or Series by electronic transmission, facsimile transmission, or such other manner as the Fund or Series and Custodian may reasonably agree in writing, of Custodian's receipt of cash or securities in payment for Shares, in Creation Unit aggregations, issued by such Fund or Series. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall: (i) deliver all federal funds received by the Custodian in payment for Shares, in Creation Unit aggregations, in payment for such investments as may be set forth in such Proper Instructions; and (ii) make federal funds received by the
3 |
Custodian available to the applicable Fund or Series in the amount received in payment for Shares, in Creation Unit aggregations, which are deposited to the Accounts of each applicable Fund or Series.”
(c) | A new Section 3.37 is added to the Agreement immediately following Section 3.36 as follows with respect to the ETF Funds only: |
“ Section 3.37 . Allocation of Deposit Security Shortfalls . Each Fund acknowledges that the Custodian maintains only one account on the books of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “NSCC”) for the benefit of all exchange traded funds for which the Custodian serves as custodian, including the ETF Funds (collectively, the “ETF Custody Clients”). In the event that (a) two or more ETF Custody Clients require delivery of the same Deposit Security in order to purchase a Creation Unit, and (b) the NSCC, pursuant to its Continuous Net Settlement system, delivers to the Custodian’s NSCC account less than the full amount of such Deposit Security necessary to satisfy in full each affected ETF Custody Client’s required amount (a “Common Deposit Security Shortfall”), then, until all Common Deposit Security Shortfalls for a given Deposit Security are satisfied in full, the Custodian will allocate to each affected ETF Custody Client, on a pro rata basis, securities and/or cash received in the Custodian’s NSCC account relating to such shortfall, first to satisfy any prior unsatisfied Common Deposit Security Shortfall, and then to satisfy the current Common Deposit Security Shortfall.”
3. | Miscellaneous . |
(a) Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Agreement.
(b) This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received in electronically transmitted form.
4 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first written above.
THE HARTFORD MUTUAL FUNDS, INC.
THE HARTFORD MUTUAL FUNDS II, INC.
HARTFORD SERIES FUND, INC.
HARTFORD HLS SERIES FUND II, INC.
HARTFORD FUNDS MASTER FUND
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST
By: | /s/ Laura S. Quade | |
Name: | Laura S. Quade | |
Title: | Vice President |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By : | /s/ Andrew Erickson | |
Name: | Andrew Erickson | |
Title: | Executive Vice President |
5 |
APPENDIX A
List of Investment Companies
(as of September 27, 2017)
THE HARTFORD MUTUAL FUNDS, INC.
The Hartford Balanced Fund
The Hartford Balanced Income Fund
The Hartford Capital Appreciation Fund
The Hartford Checks and Balances Fund
The Hartford Conservative Allocation Fund
Hartford Core Equity Fund (formerly known as The Hartford Disciplined Equity Fund)
The Hartford Dividend and Growth Fund
Hartford Duration-Hedged Strategic Income Fund
Hartford Emerging Markets Equity Fund (formerly known as The Hartford Emerging Markets Research Fund)
The Hartford Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund
Hartford Environmental Opportunities Fund
The Hartford Equity Income Fund
The Hartford Floating Rate Fund
The Hartford Floating Rate High Income Fund
The Hartford Global All-Asset Fund
The Global Alpha Fund
Hartford Global Capital Appreciation Fund (formerly known as The Hartford Capital Appreciation II Fund)
Hartford Global Equity Income Fund (formerly known as The Hartford Global Research Fund)
Hartford Global Impact Fund
The Hartford Global Real Asset Fund
The Hartford Growth Allocation Fund
The Hartford Healthcare Fund
The Hartford High Yield Fund
The Hartford Inflation Plus Fund
Hartford International Equity Fund (formerly known as The Hartford International Capital Appreciation Fund)
The Hartford International Growth Fund
The Hartford International Opportunities Fund
The Hartford International Small Company Fund
The Hartford International Value Fund
Hartford Long/Short Global Equity Fund
The Hartford MidCap Fund
The Hartford MidCap Value Fund
Hartford Moderate Allocation Fund (formerly known as The Hartford Balanced Allocation Fund)
Hartford Multi-Asset Income Fund
Hartford Municipal Income Fund
The Hartford Municipal Opportunities Fund
Hartford Municipal Short Duration Fund
The Hartford Quality Bond Fund
Hartford Real Total Return Fund
6 |
The Hartford Short Duration Fund
The Hartford Small Cap Core Fund
The Hartford Small Company Fund
The Hartford Strategic Income Fund
The Hartford Total Return Bond Fund
The Hartford Unconstrained Bond Fund
The Hartford World Bond Fund
THE HARTFORD MUTUAL FUNDS II, INC.
Hartford Schroders Emerging Markets Debt and Currency Fund
Hartford Schroders Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Hartford Schroders Emerging Markets Multi-Sector Bond Fund
Hartford Schroders Global Strategic Bond Fund
Hartford Schroders Income Builder Fund
Hartford Schroders International Multi-Cap Value Fund
Hartford Schroders International Stock Fund
Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund
Hartford Schroders US Small Cap Opportunities Fund
Hartford Schroders US Small/Mid Cap Opportunities Fund
The Hartford Growth Opportunities Fund
The Hartford Municipal Real Return Fund
The Hartford Small Cap Growth Fund
The Hartford Value Opportunities Fund
HARTFORD SERIES FUND, INC.
Hartford Balanced HLS Fund
Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund
Hartford Disciplined Equity HLS Fund
Hartford Dividend and Growth HLS Fund
Hartford Global Growth HLS Fund
Hartford Healthcare HLS Fund
Hartford High Yield HLS Fund
Hartford International Opportunities HLS Fund
Hartford MidCap HLS Fund
Hartford MidCap Value HLS Fund
Hartford Small Company HLS Fund
Hartford Stock HLS Fund
Hartford Total Return Bond HLS Fund
Hartford Ultrashort Bond HLS Fund (formerly known as Hartford Money Market HLS Fund)
Hartford Value HLS Fund
HARTFORD HLS SERIES FUND II, INC.
Hartford Growth Opportunities HLS Fund
Hartford Small Cap Growth HLS Fund
Hartford Small/Mid Cap Equity HLS Fund
Hartford U.S. Government Securities HLS Fund
HARTFORD FUNDS MASTER FUND
Global Impact Master Portfolio
7 |
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE TRADED TRUST
Hartford Corporate Bond ETF
Hartford Quality Bond ETF
Hartford Total Return Bond ETF
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST
Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF
Hartford Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF
Hartford Multifactor Global Small Cap ETF
Hartford Multifactor Low Volatility International Equity ETF
Hartford Multifactor Low Volatility U.S. Equity ETF
Hartford Multifactor REIT ETF
Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF
8 |
APPENDIX A-1
List of ETF Funds
(as of September 27, 2017)
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE TRADED TRUST
Hartford Corporate Bond ETF
Hartford Quality Bond ETF
Hartford Total Return Bond ETF
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST
Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF
Hartford Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF
Hartford Multifactor Global Small Cap ETF
Hartford Multifactor Low Volatility International Equity ETF
Hartford Multifactor Low Volatility U.S. Equity ETF
Hartford Multifactor REIT ETF
Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF
9 |
Exhibit h.(v).a
SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE
SECURITIES LENDING AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST,
HARTFORD EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND
TRUST,
EACH ON BEHALF OF EACH OF ITS SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B
AND
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
This Second Amendment (this “ Amendment ”) dated as of March 20, 2017 is between LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST, HARTFORD EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST, each a registered management investment company, organized and existing under the laws of California (each a “ Trust ,” collectively, the “ Trusts ”), acting on behalf of each of its funds as listed on Schedule B (each a “ Fund ,” and collectively, the “ Funds ”), severally and not jointly, and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY acting either directly or through any State Street Affiliate (collectively, “ State Street ”).
Reference is made to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated January 26, 2015, as amended (in effect immediately prior to the date of this Amendment, the “ Agreement ”), between Lattice Strategies Trust and State Street.
This Amendment shall be deemed for all purposes to constitute a separate and discrete agreement between State Street and each Fund as it may be amended by the parties, and no Fund shall be responsible or liable for any of the obligations of any other Fund under the Agreement or otherwise, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained therein or herein.
WHEREAS, the parties to the Agreement desire to amend the Agreement as set forth below.
NOW, THEREFORE, for value received, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties mutually agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1. Definitions . All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.
2. Joinder of Hartford Exchange-Traded Fund Trust .
(i) Hartford Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, for itself and on behalf of each of its Funds, hereby acknowledges and agrees that, effective as of March 20, 2017, it (i) is a party to the Agreement (as amended from time to time, including hereby), (ii) makes all representations and warranties made by Lattice Strategies Trust, on behalf of itself and each of its Funds, in the Agreement, (iii) is fully bound by, and subject to, all of the covenants, terms and conditions thereof, and (iv) is deemed a “Trust” thereunder for all purposes.
(ii) Lattice Strategies Trust, for itself and on behalf of each of its Funds, hereby acknowledges and agrees, effective as of March 20, 2017, to the addition of Hartford Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, on behalf of itself and its Funds, as a “Trust” thereunder for all purposes.
3. Amendment . Schedule B to the Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing with the revised Schedule B attached to this Amendment.
4. Representations and Warranties . Each party hereto represents and warrants that (a) it has the legal right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Amendment, to enter into the transactions contemplated hereby, and to perform its obligations hereunder; (b) it has taken all necessary action to authorize such execution, delivery and performance; and (c) this Amendment constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation enforceable against it.
5. Governing Law; Miscellaneous . This Amendment shall be governed and construed in accordance with the governing law of the Agreement. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts, together, constitute only one (1) instrument.
6. Effective Date : This Amendment shall be effective as of the date first written above.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , each of the parties has caused their duly authorized officer(s) to execute this Second Amendment.
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST, | ||
on behalf of each of its funds as listed on Schedule B, | ||
severally and not jointly | ||
By: | /s/ Albert Y. Lee | |
Name : | Albert Y. Lee | |
Title: | Treasurer | |
Hartford Exchange-Traded Fund Trust | ||
on behalf of each of its funds as listed on Schedule B, | ||
severally and not jointly | ||
By: | /s/ Albert Y. Lee | |
Name : | Albert Y. Lee | |
Title: | Treasurer | |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | /s/ Francesco Squillacioti | |
Name : | Francesco Squillacioti | |
Title: | Senior Managing Director |
Exhibit h.(v).c
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE
SECURITIES LENDING AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST,
HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED
TRUST,
EACH ON BEHALF OF EACH OF ITS SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B
AND
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
This Fourth Amendment (this “ Amendment ”) dated as of July 16, 2018 is by and among LATTICE STRATEGIES TRUST and HARTFORD FUNDS EXCHANGE-TRADED TRUST, each a registered management investment company (each a “ Trust ,” collectively, the “ Trusts ”), acting on behalf of each of its funds as listed on Schedule B to the Agreement (each a “ Fund ,” and collectively, the “ Funds ”), severally and not jointly, and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY acting either directly or through any State Street Affiliate (collectively, “ State Street ”).
Reference is made to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated January 26, 2015 between Lattice Strategies Trust, Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust and State Street, as in effect immediately prior to the date of this Amendment (the “Agreement”).
This Amendment shall be deemed for all purposes to constitute a separate and discrete agreement between State Street and each Fund as it may be amended by the parties and no Fund shall be responsible or liable for any of the obligations of any other Fund under the Agreement or otherwise, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained therein or herein.
WHEREAS, the parties to the Agreement desire to amend the Agreement as set forth below.
NOW, THEREFORE, for value received, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties mutually agree to amend the Agreement as set forth below:
1. Definitions . All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.
2. Amendment .
a. The introduction to the Agreement is amended to identify Lattice Strategies Trust as a registered management investment company organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
b. Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the revised Schedule A attached to this Amendment.
c. Schedule B to the Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the revised Schedule B attached to this Amendment.
3. Representations and Warranties . Each party hereto represents and warrants that (a) it has the legal right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Amendment, to enter into the transactions contemplated hereby, and to perform its obligations hereunder; (b) it has taken all necessary action to authorize such execution, delivery and performance; and (c) this Amendment constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation enforceable against it.
4. Governing Law; Miscellaneous . This Amendment shall be governed and construed in accordance with the governing law of the Agreement. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts, together, constitute only one (1) instrument.
5. Effective Date : This Amendment shall be effective as of the date first written above.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , each of the parties has caused their duly authorized officer(s) to execute this Fourth Amendment.
Exhibit i
|
1900 K Street, NW
+1 202 261 3300 Main +1 202 261 3333 Fax www.dechert.com
|
November 28, 2018
Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust 690 Lee Road Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087 |
Re: | Registration Statement on Form N-1A |
Dear Sir or Madam:
As counsel for Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), we are familiar with the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) (File No. 333-215165), and under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (File No. 811-23222), and each amendment thereto (collectively, the “Registration Statement”) relating to the shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) of the authorized series of the Trust to be issued and sold by the Trust. We have examined such governmental and corporate certificates and records as we deemed necessary to render this opinion, and we are familiar with the Trust’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended to date, and By-Laws.
Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold at the public offering price contemplated by the Registration Statement and delivered by the Trust against receipt of the net asset value of the Shares, will be issued as fully paid and nonassessable Shares of the Trust.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and to the use of our name in the Registration Statement, unless and until we revoke such consent. In giving such consent, however, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Dechert LLP
Dechert LLP
Exhibit j
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the references to our firm under the captions “Financial Highlights” in the Prospectus and “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Financial Statements” in the Combined Statement of Additional Information, and to the incorporation by reference of our report dated September 28, 2018 in the Registration Statement of Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 under the Securities Act of 1933 (Form N-1A No. 333-215165).
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 28, 2018
Exhibit p.(iii)
Wellington Management |
|
Code of Ethics |
Personal Investing
Gifts and Entertainment
Outside Activities
Client Confidentiality
30 April 2017
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
A Message From Our CEO
Our business is built on a foundation of trust — the trust of our clients, earned over many years. It is our most valuable asset, and if lost, it cannot easily be regained. There are examples across our industry of companies that have lost sight of this lesson, and they serve as strong reminders that our business requires a mindset of eternal vigilance.
Each and every one of us has a role to play in sustaining our clients’ trust. We must test every decision we make, no matter how small, against our fiduciary obligations and our high ethical standards. If there is the slightest doubt about whether a decision is in the best interests of our clients, then bring it to someone’s attention — your manager, the Legal and Compliance team, or any of my direct reports. But don’t just let it go. This is what it means to be a fiduciary: complete dedication to conscientious stewardship of client assets.
To support this mandate, our Code of Ethics sets out standards for our personal conduct, including personal investing, acceptance of gifts and entertainment, outside activities, and client confidentiality. Please take the time to read the Code, familiarize yourself with the rules, and determine what you need to do to comply with them. Remember, too, that while our Code of Ethics is reviewed and updated regularly, no set of rules can address every possible circumstance. And so I ask you to remain vigilant, exercise good judgment, ask for help when you need it, consider
not just the letter but the spirit of the laws that govern our industry, and do your part to safeguard our clients’ trust.
Sincerely,
Brendan J. Swords
President and Chief Executive Officer
“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.”
– Ancient proverb
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Contents
Before You Get Started: Accessing the Code of Ethics System
The Code of Ethics System is accessible through the Intranet under Applications or direct access:
https://fs1.wellmanage.com/adfs/ls/IdpInitiatedSignOn.aspx?loginToRp=ptaconnect.com
1 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Standards of Conduct
Our standards of conduct are straightforward and essential. Any transaction or activity that violates either of the standards of conduct below is prohibited, regardless of whether it meets the technical rules found elsewhere in the Code of Ethics.
1) | We act as fiduciaries to our clients. Each of us must put our clients’ interests above our own and must not take advantage of our management of clients’ assets for our own benefit. Our firm’s policies and procedures implement these principles with respect to our conduct of the firm’s business. This Code of Ethics implements the same principles with respect to our personal conduct. The procedures set forth in the Code govern specific transactions, but each of us must be mindful at all times that our behavior, including our personal investing activity, must meet our fiduciary obligations to our clients. |
2) | We act with integrity and in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of the law. Our business is highly regulated, and we are committed as a firm to compliance with those regulations. Each of us must also recognize our obligations as individuals to understand and obey the laws that apply to us in the conduct of our duties. They include laws and regulations that apply specifically to investment advisors, as well as more broadly applicable laws ranging from the prohibition against trading on material nonpublic information and other forms of market abuse to anticorruption statutes such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act. The firm provides training on their requirements. Each of us must take advantage of these resources to ensure that our own conduct complies with the law. |
Who Is Subject to the Code of Ethics?
Our Code of Ethics applies to all employees of Wellington Management, and its affiliates around the world. Its restrictions on personal investing also apply to temporary personnel (including co-ops and interns) and consultants whose tenure with Wellington Management exceeds 90 days and who are deemed by the Chief Compliance Officer to have access to nonpublic investment research, client holdings, or trade information.
All Wellington Management personnel receive a copy of the Code of Ethics (and any amendments) and must certify, upon joining the firm and annually thereafter, that they have read and understood it and have complied with its requirements.
Adherence to the Code of Ethics is a basic condition of employment. Failure to adhere to our Code of Ethics may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.
If you have any doubt as to the appropriateness of any activity, believe that you have violated the Code, or become aware of a violation of the Code by another individual, you should consult the manager of the Code of Ethics Team, Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, or Chair of the Ethics Committee. You also have the right to report violations of law or regulation directly to relevant governmental agencies. You do not need the firm’s prior authorization to make any such report or disclosures and are not required to notify the firm that you have done so.
General questions regarding our Code of Ethics may be directed to the Code of Ethics Team via email at #Code of Ethics Team or through the Code of Ethics hotline, 617-790-8330 (x68330).
Personal Investing
As fiduciaries, each of us must avoid taking personal advantage of our knowledge of investment activity in client accounts. Although our Code of Ethics sets out a number of specific restrictions on personal investing designed to reflect this principle, no set of rules
2 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
can anticipate every situation. Each of us must adhere to the spirit, and not just the letter, of our Code in meeting this fiduciary obligation to our clients.
Which Types of Investments and Related Activities Are Prohibited?
Our Code of Ethics prohibits the following personal investments and investment-related activities:
· | Purchasing or selling the following: |
− | Initial public offerings (IPOs) of any securities |
− | Securities of an issuer being bought or sold on behalf of clients until one trading day after such buying or selling is completed or canceled |
− | Securities of an issuer that is the subject of a new, changed, or reissued but unchanged action recommendation from a global industry research or fixed income credit analyst until two business days following issuance or reissuance of the recommendation |
− | Securities of an issuer that is mentioned at the Morning Meeting or the Early Morning Meeting until two business days following the meeting |
− | Securities that are the subject of a firmwide restriction |
− | Single-stock futures |
− | Options with an expiration date that is within 60 calendar days of the transaction date |
− | Securities of broker/dealers (or their affiliates) that the firm has approved for execution of client trades |
− | Securities of any securities market or exchange on which the firm trades on behalf of clients |
· | Purchasing an equity security if your aggregate ownership of the equity security exceeds 0.05% of the total shares outstanding of the issuer |
· | Taking a profit from any trading activity within a 60 calendar day window (see box for more detail) |
· | Using a derivative instrument to circumvent a restriction in the Code of Ethics |
Short-Term Trading
You are prohibited from profiting from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) of the same or equivalent securities within 60 calendar days. For example, if you buy shares of stock (or options on such shares) and then sell those shares within 60 days at a profit, an exception will be identified and any gain from the transactions must be surrendered. Gains are calculated based on a last in, first out (LIFO) method for purposes of this restriction. This short-term trading rule does not apply to securities exempt from the Code’s preclearance requirements.
Which Investment Accounts Must Be Reported?
3 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
You are required to report any investment account over which you exercise investment discretion or from which any of the following individuals enjoy economic benefits: (i) your spouse, domestic partner, or minor children, and (ii) any other dependents living in your household.
AND
that holds or is capable of holding any of the following covered investments:
· | Shares of stocks, ADRs, or other equity securities (including any security convertible into equity securities) |
· | Bonds or notes (other than sovereign government bonds issued by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the United States, as well as bankers’ acceptances, CDs, commercial paper, and high-quality, short-term debt instruments) |
· | Interest in a variable annuity product in which the underlying assets are held in a subaccount managed by Wellington Management |
· | Shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) |
· | Shares of closed-end funds |
· | Options on securities |
· | Securities futures |
· | Interest in private placement securities (other than Wellington Management Sponsored Products) |
· | Shares of funds managed by Wellington Management (other than money market funds) |
Please see Appendix A for a detailed summary of reporting requirements by security type.
Web Resource: Wellington-Managed Fund List
An up-to-date list of funds managed by Wellington Management is available through the Code of Ethics System under Documents. Please note that any transactions in Wellington-Managed funds must comply with the funds' rules on short-term trading of fund shares.
For purposes of the Code of Ethics, these investment accounts are referred to as reportable accounts. Examples of common account types include brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, employee stock compensation plans, and transfer agent accounts. Reportable accounts also include those from which you or an immediate family member may benefit indirectly, such as a family trust or family partnership, and accounts in which you have a joint ownership interest, such as a joint brokerage account.
Please contact the Code of Ethics Team for guidance if you hold any securities in physical certificate form.
Still Not Sure? Contact Us
If you are not sure if a particular account is required to be reported, contact the Code of Ethics Team by email at #Code of Ethics Team or through the Code of Ethics hotline, 617-790-8330 (x68330).
Accounts Not Requiring Reporting
You do not need to report the following accounts via the Code of Ethics System since the administrator will provide the Code of Ethics Team with access to relevant holdings and transaction information:
· | Accounts maintained within the Wellington Retirement and Pension Plan or similar firm-sponsored retirement or benefit plans identified by the Ethics Committee |
· | Accounts maintained directly with Wellington Trust Company or other Wellington Management Sponsored Products |
4 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Although these accounts do not need to be reported, your investment activities in these accounts must comply with the standards of conduct embodied in our Code of Ethics.
Managed Account Exemptions
An account from which you or immediate family members could benefit financially, but over which neither you nor they have any investment discretion or influence (a managed account), may be exempted from the Code of Ethics’ personal investing requirements upon written request and approval. An example of a managed account would be a professionally advised account about which you will not be consulted or have any input on specific transactions placed by the investment manager prior to their execution. To request a managed account exemption, you must complete a Managed Account Letter (available online via the Code of Ethics System) and return it the Code of Ethics Team.
Web Resource: Managed Account Letter
To request a managed account exemption, complete the Managed Account Letter available through the Code of Ethics System under Documents.
Designated Brokers For U.S. Reportable Accounts
U.S-based reportable accounts must be held at one or more of the brokers on the Designated Brokers List. This requirement does not apply to managed accounts that are exempt from certain provisions of the Code of Ethics, employee stock purchase and stock option plans and other accounts (including pension, retirement and compensation accounts) required to be held at a specific broker.
New employees must transfer all reportable accounts to a Designated Broker within 45 days from the start of their employment.
Web Resource: Designated Brokers List
The Designated Brokers List is available on the Intranet and the Code of Ethics System under Documents.
What Are the Reporting Responsibilities for All Personnel?
Initial and Annual Holdings Reports
You must disclose all reportable accounts and all covered investments you hold within 10 calendar days after you begin employment at or association with Wellington Management. You will be required to review and update your holdings and securities account information annually thereafter.
For initial holdings reports, holdings information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date you became covered by the Code of Ethics. Please note that you cannot make personal trades until you have filed an initial holdings report via the Code of Ethics System on the Intranet.
For subsequent annual reports, holdings information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the report is submitted. Please note that your annual holdings report must account for both volitional and non-volitional transactions.
At the time you file your initial and annual reports, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and understood the Code of Ethics and any amendments.
Non-volitional transactions include:
· | Investments made through automatic dividend reinvestment or rebalancing plans and stock purchase plan acquisitions |
5 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
· | Transactions that result from corporate actions applicable to all similar security holders (such as splits, tender offers, mergers, and stock dividends) |
Quarterly Transactions Reports
You must submit a quarterly transaction report no later than 30 calendar days after quarter-end via the Code of Ethics System on the Intranet, even if you did not make any personal trades during that quarter. In the report, you must either confirm that you did not make any personal trades (except for those resulting from non-volitional events) or provide information regarding all volitional transactions in covered investments.
Web Resource: How to File Reports on the Code of Ethics System
Required reports must be filed electronically via the Code of Ethics System. Please see the Code of Ethics System’s homepage for more details.
Duplicate Statements and Trade Confirmations
For each of your reportable accounts, you are required to provide duplicate statements and duplicate trade confirmations to Wellington Management. To arrange for the delivery of duplicate statements and trade confirmations, please contact the Code of Ethics Team for the appropriate form. Return the completed form to the Code of Ethics Team, which will submit it to the brokerage firm on your behalf. If the brokerage firm or other firm from which you currently receive statements is not able to send statements and confirmations directly to Wellington Management, you will be required to submit copies promptly after you receive them, unless you receive an exemption from this requirement under the procedures outlined on page 11.
What Are the Preclearance Responsibilities for All Personnel?
Preclearance of Publicly Traded Securities
You must receive clearance before buying or selling stocks, bonds, options, and most other publicly traded securities in any reportable account. A full list of the categories of publicly traded securities requiring preclearance, and of certain exceptions to this requirement, is included in Appendix A . Transactions in accounts that are not reportable accounts do not require preclearance or reporting.
Preclearance requests must be submitted online via the Code of Ethics System, which is accessible through the Intranet. If clearance is granted, the approval will be effective for a period of 24 hours. If you preclear a transaction and then place a limit order with your broker, that limit order must either be executed or expire at the end of the 24-hour period. If you want to execute the order after the 24-hour period expires, you must resubmit your preclearance request.
If you have questions regarding the preclearance requirements, please refer to the FAQs available on the Code of Ethics System or contact the Code of Ethics Team.
Please note that preclearance approval does not alter your responsibility to ensure that each personal securities transaction complies with the general standards of conduct, the reporting requirements, the restrictions on short-term trading, or the special rules for investment professionals set out in our Code of Ethics.
Web Resource: How to File a Preclearance Request
Preclearance must be obtained using the Code of Ethics System. Once the necessary information is submitted, your preclearance request will be approved or denied within seconds.
6 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Caution on Short Sales, Margin Transactions, and Options
You may engage in short sales and margin transactions and may purchase or sell options provided you receive preclearance and meet all other applicable requirements under our Code of Ethics (including the additional rules for investment professionals described on page 8). Please note, however, that these types of transactions can have unintended consequences. For example, any sale by your broker to cover a margin call or to buy in a short position will be in violation of the Code unless precleared. Likewise, any volitional sale of securities acquired at the expiration of a long call option will be in violation of the Code unless precleared. You are responsible for ensuring any subsequent volitional actions relating to these types of transactions meet the requirements of the Code.
Preclearance of Private Placement Securities
You cannot invest in securities offered to potential investors in a private placement without first obtaining prior approval. Approval may be granted after a review of the facts and circumstances, including whether:
· | an investment in the securities is likely to result in future conflicts with client accounts (e.g., upon a future public offering), and |
· | you are being offered the opportunity due to your employment at or association with Wellington Management. |
If you have questions regarding whether an investment would be deemed a private placement security under the Code, please refer to the FAQs about private placements available on the Code of Ethics System, or contact the Code of Ethics Team.
To request approval, you must submit a Private Placement Approval Form (available online via the Code of Ethics System) to the Code of Ethics Team. Investments in our own privately offered investment vehicles (our Sponsored Products ), including collective investment funds and common trust funds maintained by Wellington Trust Company, NA, our hedge funds, and our non-US domiciled funds (Wellington Management Portfolios), have been approved under the Code and therefore do not require the submission of a Private Placement Approval Form.
Web Resource: Private Placement Approval Form
To request approval for a private placement, complete the Private Placement Approval Form available through the Code of Ethics System under Documents.
What Are the Additional Requirements for Investment Professionals?
If you are a portfolio manager, research analyst, or other investment professional who has portfolio management responsibilities for a client account (e.g., designated portfolio managers, backup portfolio managers, investment team members), or who otherwise has direct authority to make decisions to buy or sell securities in a client account (referred to here as an investment professional), you are required to adhere to additional rules and restrictions on your personal securities transactions. However, as no set of rules can anticipate every situation, you must remember to place our clients’ interests first whenever you transact in securities that are also held in client accounts you manage.
7 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
The following provisions of the code are intended to allow investment professionals to make long-term investments in securities. However, you may not be able to sell personal investments for extended periods of time and therefore should consider the liquidity, tax planning, market, and similar risks associated with making personal investments in securities of an issuer that are or may be held in client accounts.
· | Investment Professional Blackout Periods –You cannot buy or sell a security for a period of 14 calendar days before or after any transaction in the same issuer by a client account for which you serve as an investment professional. In addition, You may not sell personal holdings in a security of the same issuer that is held by a client account for which you serve as an investment professional until the later of the following periods: (i) one calendar year from the date of your last purchase and (ii) 90 calendar days after all of your client accounts liquidate all holdings of the same issuer. |
If you anticipate receiving a cash flow or redemption request in a client portfolio that will result in the purchase or sale of securities that you also hold in your personal account, you should take care to avoid transactions in those securities in your personal account in the days leading up to the client transactions. However, unanticipated cash flows and redemptions in client accounts and unexpected market events do occur from time to time, and a personal trade made in the prior 14 days should never prevent you from buying or selling a security in a client account if the trade would be in the client’s best interest. If you find yourself in that situation and need to buy or sell a security in a client account within the 14 calendar days following your personal transaction in a security of the same issuer, you should attempt to notify the Code of Ethics Team (by email at #Code of Ethics Team or through the Code of Ethics hotline, 617-790-8330 [x68330]) or your local Compliance Officer in advance of placing the trade. If you are unable to reach any of those individuals and the trade is time sensitive, you should proceed with the client trade and notify the Code of Ethics Team promptly after submitting it.
· | Short Sales by an Investment Professional – An investment professional may not personally take a short position in a security of an issuer in which he or she holds a long position in a client account. |
8 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Gifts and Entertainment
Our guiding principle of “client, firm, self” also governs the receipt of gifts and entertainment from clients, consultants, broker/dealers, research providers, vendors, companies in which we may invest, and others with whom the firm does business. As fiduciaries to our clients, we must always place our clients’ interests first and cannot allow gifts or entertainment opportunities to influence the actions we take on behalf of our clients. In keeping with this standard, you must follow several specific requirements:
Accepting Gifts – You may only accept gifts of nominal value, which include logoed items, flower arrangements, gift baskets, and food, as well as other gifts with an approximate value of less than US$100 or the local equivalent per year from a single source. You may not accept a gift of cash, including a cash equivalent such as a gift card, regardless of the amount. If you receive a gift that violates the Code, you must return the gift or consult with the Chief Compliance Officer to determine appropriate action under the circumstances.
Accepting Business Meals – Business meals are permitted provided that neither the cost nor the frequency is excessive and there is a legitimate business purpose. If the host is a broker/dealer or research provider, the host must be reimbursed for the full amount of your proportionate share of the total cost of the meal if the approximate value of the meal is more than US$100 or the local equivalent.
Accepting Entertainment Opportunities – The firm recognizes that participation in entertainment opportunities with representatives from organizations with which the firm does business, such as consultants, broker/dealers, research providers, vendors, and companies in which we may invest, can help to further legitimate business interests. However, participation in such entertainment opportunities should be infrequent and is subject to the following conditions:
1) | A representative of the hosting organization must be present; |
2) | The primary purpose of the event must be to discuss business or to build a business relationship; |
3) | You must receive prior approval from your business manager; |
4) | If the host is a broker/dealer or research provider, the host must be reimbursed for the full amount of the entertainment opportunity; and |
5) | For all other entertainment opportunities, the host must be reimbursed for the full face value of any entertainment ticket(s) if: |
· | the entertainment opportunity requires a ticket with a face value of more than US$200 or the local equivalent, or is a high-profile event (e.g., a major sporting event), |
· | you wish to accept more than one ticket, or |
· | the host has invited numerous Wellington Management representatives. |
Business managers must clear their own participation under the circumstances described above with the Chief Compliance Officer or Chair of the Ethics Committee.
Please note that even if you pay for the full face value of a ticket, you may attend the event only if the host is present .
Lodging and Air Travel – You may not accept a gift of lodging or air travel in connection with any entertainment opportunity. If you participate in an entertainment opportunity for which lodging or air travel is paid for by the host, you must reimburse the host for the equivalent cost, as determined by Wellington Management’s travel manager.
9 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Soliciting Gifts, Entertainment Opportunities, or Contributions – In your capacity as an employee of the firm, you may not solicit gifts, entertainment opportunities, or charitable or political contributions for yourself, or on behalf of clients, prospects, or others, from brokers, vendors, clients, or consultants with whom the firm conducts business or from companies in which the firm may invest.
Sourcing Entertainment Opportunities – You may not request tickets to entertainment events from the firm’s Trading department or any other Wellington Management department or employee, nor from any broker, vendor, company in which we may invest, or other organization with which the firm conducts business.
Outside Activities
While the firm recognizes that you may engage in business or charitable activities in your personal time, you must take steps to avoid conflicts of interest between your private interests and our clients’ interests. As a result, all significant outside business or charitable activities (e.g., additional employment, consulting work, directorships or officerships) must be approved by your business manager and by the Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, or Chair of the Ethics Committee prior to the acceptance of such a position (or if you are new, upon joining the firm). Approval will be granted only if it is determined that the activity does not present a significant conflict of interest. Directorships in public companies (or companies reasonably expected to become public companies) will generally not be authorized, while service with charitable organizations generally will be permitted.
Client Confidentiality
Any nonpublic information concerning our clients that you acquire in connection with your employment at the firm is confidential. This includes information regarding actual or contemplated investment decisions, portfolio composition, research recommendations, and client interests. You should not discuss client business, including the existence of a client relationship, with outsiders unless it is a necessary part of your job responsibilities.
10 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
How We Enforce Our Code of Ethics
Legal and Compliance is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Code of Ethics. Members of Legal and Compliance will periodically request certifications and review holdings and transaction reports for potential violations. They may also request additional information or reports.
It is our collective responsibility to uphold the Code of Ethics. In addition to the formal reporting requirements described in this Code of Ethics, you have a responsibility to report any violations of the Code. If you have any doubt as to the appropriateness of any activity, believe that you have violated the Code, or become aware of a violation of the Code by another individual, you should consult the manager of the Code of Ethics Team, Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, or Chair of the Ethics Committee.
Potential violations of the Code of Ethics will be investigated and considered by representatives of Legal and Compliance and/or the Ethics Committee. All violations of the Code of Ethics will be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. Violations are taken seriously and may result in sanctions or other consequences, including:
· | a warning |
· | referral to your business manager and/or senior management |
· | reversal of a trade or the return of a gift |
· | disgorgement of profits or of the value of a gift |
· | a limitation or restriction on personal investing |
· | termination of employment |
· | referral to civil or criminal authorities |
If you become aware of any potential conflicts of interest that you believe are not addressed by our Code of Ethics or other policies, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer, the General Counsel, or the manager of the Code of Ethics Team.
Exceptions from the Code of ethics
The Chief Compliance Officer may grant an exception from the Code, including preclearance, other trading restrictions, and certain reporting requirements on a case-by-case basis if it is determined that the proposed conduct involves no opportunity for abuse and does not conflict with client interests. Exceptions are expected to be rare. If you wish to seek an exception, you must submit a written request to the Code of Ethics Team describing the nature of the exception and the reason(s) it is being sought.
Closing
As a firm, we seek excellence in the people we employ, the products and services we offer, the way we meet our ethical and fiduciary responsibilities, and the working environment we create for ourselves. Our Code of Ethics embodies that commitment. Accordingly, each of us must take care that our actions fully meet the high standards of conduct and professional behavior we have adopted. Most importantly, we must all remember “client, firm, self” is our most fundamental guiding principle.
11 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Appendix A – Part 1
No Preclearance or Reporting Required:
· | Open-end investment funds not managed by Wellington Management 1 |
· | Interests in a variable annuity product in which the underlying assets are held in a fund not managed by Wellington Management |
· | Direct obligations of the US government (including obligations issued by GNMA and PEFCO) or the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, or the United Kingdom |
· | Cash |
· | Money market instruments or other short-term debt instruments rated P-1 or P-2, A-1 or A-2, or their equivalents 2 |
· | Bankers’ acceptances, CDs, commercial paper |
· | Wellington Trust Company Pools |
· | Wellington Sponsored Hedge Funds |
· | Securities futures and options on direct obligations of the US government or the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, or the United Kingdom, and associated derivatives |
· | Options, forwards, and futures on commodities and foreign exchange, and associated derivatives |
· | Transactions in approved managed accounts |
Reporting of Securities Transactions Required (no need to preclear and not subject to the 60-day holding period):
· | Open-end investment funds managed by Wellington Management 1 (other than money market funds) |
· | Interests in a variable annuity or insurance product in which the underlying assets are held in a fund managed by Wellington Management |
· | Futures and options on securities indices |
· | ETFs listed in Appendix A – Part 2 and derivatives on these securities |
· | Gifts of securities to you or a reportable account |
· | Gifts of securities from you or a reportable account |
· | Non-volitional transactions (splits, tender offers, mergers, stock dividends, dividend reinvestments, etc.) |
Preclearance and Reporting of Securities Transactions Required:
· | Bonds and notes (other than direct obligations of the US government or the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, or the United Kingdom, as well as bankers’ acceptances, CDs, commercial paper, and high-quality, short-term debt instruments) |
· | Stock (common and preferred) or other equity securities, including any security convertible into equity securities |
· | Closed-end funds |
· | ETFs not listed in Appendix A – Part 2 |
· | American Depositary Receipts |
· | Options on securities (but not their non-volitional exercise or expiration) |
· | Warrants |
· | Rights |
· | Unit investment trusts |
12 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Prohibited Investments and Activities:
· | Initial public offerings (IPOs) of any securities |
· | Single-stock futures 2 |
· | Options expiring within 60 days of purchase |
· | Securities being bought or sold on behalf of clients until one trading day after such buying or selling is completed or canceled |
· | Securities of an issuer that is the subject of a new, changed, or reissued but unchanged action recommendation from a global industry research or fixed income credit analyst until two business days following issuance or reissuance of the recommendation |
· | Securities of an issuer that is mentioned at the Morning Meeting or the Early Morning Meeting until two business days following the meeting |
· | Securities on the firmwide restricted list |
· | Profiting from any short-term (i.e., within 60 days) trading activity |
· | Securities of broker/dealers or their affiliates with which the firm conducts business |
· | Securities of any securities market or exchange on which the firm trades |
· | Using a derivative instrument to circumvent the requirements of the Code of Ethics |
· | Purchasing an equity security if your aggregate ownership of the equity security exceeds 0.05% of the total shares outstanding of the issuer |
13 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
Appendix A –
Part 2
ETFs Approved for Personal Trading Without Preclearance (but Requiring Reporting)
All regional/country exchange share listings of ETFs listed are also approved
This is a partial list. The complete and up-to-date list is available on the Code of Ethics System on the Intranet.
Ticker | Name |
United States: Equity | |
AAXJ | iShares MSCI All COUNTRY ASIA |
ACWI | iShares MSCI ACWI Index Fund |
BRF | Market Vectors Brazil Small-CA |
DIA | DIAMONDS Trust SERIES I |
DVY | iShares DJ Select Dividend |
ECH | iShares MSCI Chile Investable |
EEB | Claymore/BNY BRIC ETF |
EEM | iShares MSCI EMERGING MKT IN |
EFA | iShares MSCI EAFE INDEX FUND |
EFG | iShares MSCI EAFE GROWTH INX |
EFV | iShares MSCI EAFE VALUE INX |
EPI | Wisdomtree India Earnings Fund |
EPP | iShares MSCI PACIFIC EX JPN |
EWA | iShares MSCI AUSTRALIA INDEX |
EWC | iShares MSCI CANADA |
EWG | iShares MSCI GERMANY INDEX |
EWH | iShares MSCI HONG KONG INDEX |
EWJ | iShares MSCI JAPAN INDEX FD |
EWM | iShares MSCI MALAYSIA |
EWS | iShares MSCI SINGAPORE |
EWT | iShares MSCI TAIWAN INDEX FD |
EWU | iShares MSCI UNITED KINGDOM |
EWY | iShares MSCI SOUTH KOREA IND |
EZU | iShares MSCI EMU |
FXI | iShares FTSE/XINHUA CHINA 25 |
GDX | Market Vectors Gold Miners |
GDXJ | Market Vectors Gold Miners Min |
IBB | iShares NASDAQ BIOTECH INDX |
ICF | iShares COHEN & STEERS RLTY |
IEV | iShares S&P EUROPE 350 |
IGE | iShares GOLDMAN SACHS NAT RE |
IJH | iShares S&P Midcap 400 |
14 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
IJJ | iShares S&P Midcap 400/VALUE |
IJK | iShares S&P Midcap 400/GRWTH |
IJR | iShares S&P SmallCap 600 |
IJS | iShares S&P SmallCap 600/VAL |
IJT | iShares S&P SmallCap 600/GRO |
ILF | iShares S&P Latin Amer 40 IDX |
INP | iPath MSCI India Index ETN |
IOO | iShares S&P GLOBAL 100 |
IVE | iShares S&P 500 VALUE INDEX |
IVV | iShares S&P 500 INDEX FUND |
IVW | iShares S&P 500 GROWTH INDEX |
IWB | iShares Russell 1000 INDEX |
IWD | iShares Russell 1000 VALUE |
IWF | iShares Russell 1000 GROWTH |
IWM | iShares Russell 2000 |
IWN | iShares Russell 2000 VALUE |
IWO | iShares Russell 2000 GROWTH |
IWP | iShares Russell Midcap GRWTH |
IWR | iShares Russell Midcap INDEX |
IWS | iShares Russell Midcap VALUE |
IWV | iShares Russell 3000 INDEX |
IXC | iShares S&P GLBL ENERGY SECT |
IYR | iShares DJ US REAL ESTATE |
IYW | iShares DJ US TECHNOLOGY SEC |
MDY | Midcap SPDR Trust SERIES 1 |
MOO | Market Vectors AGRIBUSINESS |
OEF | iShares S&P 100 INDEX FUND |
PBW | PowerShares WILDERHILL CLEAN ENERGY |
PFF | iShares S&P PREF STK INDX FN |
PGX | Powershares Preferred Portfolio |
PHO | PowerSharesGLOBAL WATER |
QID | ProShares UltraShort QQQ |
QLD | ProShares Ultra QQQ |
QQQ | PowerShares QQQ |
RSP | Rydex S&P EQUAL WEIGHT ETF |
RSX | Market Vectors RUSSIA ETF |
RWM | ProShares Short Russell 2000 |
RWR | DJ Wilshire REIT ETF |
RWX | SPDR DJ WILS INTL RE |
15 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
SCZ | iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap In |
SDS | ProShares UltraShort S&P500 |
SDY | SPDR Divident ETF |
SH | ProShares Short S&P500 |
SKF | ProShares UltraShort FINANCIALS |
SPY | SPDR Trust SERIES 1 |
SRS | UltraShort REAL ESTATE ProShares |
SSO | ProShares Ultra S&P500 |
TWM | UltraShort Russell2000 ProShares |
UWM | ProShares Ultra Russell2000 |
UYG | ProShares Ultra FINANCIALS |
VB | Vanguard SMALL-CAP ETF |
VBK | Vanguard SMALL-CAP GRWTH ETF |
VBR | Vanguard SMALL-CAP VALUE ETF |
VEA | Vanguard EUROPE PACIFIC ETF |
VEU | Vanguard FTSE ALL-WORLD EX-U |
VGK | Vanguard EUROPEAN ETF |
VIG | Vanguard DIVIDEND APPREC ETF |
VNQ | Vanguard REIT ETF |
VO | Vanguard MID-CAP ETF |
VPL | Vanguard PACIFIC ETF |
VTI | Vanguard TOTAL STOCK MKT ETF |
VTV | Vanguard VALUE ETF |
VUG | Vanguard GROWTH ETF |
VV | Vanguard LARGE-CAP ETF |
VWO | Vanguard EMERGING MARKET ETF |
VXX | iPath S&P 500 VIX |
XLB | MATERIALS Select SECTOR SPDR |
XLE | ENERGY Select SECTOR SPDR |
XLF | FINANCIAL Select SECTOR SPDR |
XLI | INDUSTRIAL Select SECT SPDR |
XLK | TECHNOLOGY Select SECT SPDR |
XLP | CONSUMER STAPLES SPDR |
XLU | UTILITIES Select SECTOR SPDR |
XLV | HEALTH CARE Select SECTOR |
XLY | CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY Select SPDR |
XME | SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF |
XOP | S&P Oil & Gas Expland Prod |
16 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
17 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
GAZ | iPath DJ-AIG Natural Gas TR Sub-Index |
GLD | StreetTRACKS Gold Fund |
GLL | UltraShort Gold |
GSG | iShares S&P GSCI Commodity Index |
JJA | iPath DJ-AIG Agriculture TR Sub-Index |
JJC | iPath DJ-AIG Copper TR Sub-Index |
JJE | iPath DJ-AIG Energy TR Sub-Index |
JJG | iPath DJ-AIG Grains TR Sub-Index |
JJM | iPath DJ-AIG Industrial Metals TR Sub-Index |
JJN | iPath DJ-AIG Nickel TR Sub-Index |
JJS | iPath DJ-AIG Softs TR Sub-Index |
JJU | iPath DJ-AIG Aluminum TR Sub-Index |
SGG | iPath DJ-UBS Sugar Subindex TR |
SLV | iShares Silver Trust |
UCO | Ultra DJ-AIG Crude Oil |
UGA | United States Gasoline Fund |
UGL | Ultra Gold |
UHN | United States Heating Oil Fund |
UNG | United States Natural Gas Fund |
USO | United States Oil Fund |
ZSL | UltraShort Silver |
United States: Currency Trusts | |
DBV | Powershares DB G10 Currency Harvest Fund |
EUO | UltraShort Euro |
FXA | Australian Dollar |
FXB | British Pound |
FXC | Canadian Dollar |
FXE | Euro |
FXF | Swiss Franc |
FXM | Mexican Peso |
FXS | Swedish Krona |
FXY | Japanese Yen |
UDN | Powershares DB US Dollar Bearish Fund |
UUP | Powershares DB US Dollar Bullish Fund |
YCS | UltraShort Yen |
Australia: Equity | |
STW.AX | S&P/ASX 200 Index |
England: Equity | |
EUN LN | iShares DJ STOXX 50 |
18 |
Wellington Management
Code of Ethics
IEEM LN | iShares MSCI EMERGING MKTS |
FXC LN | iShares FTSE/XINHUA CHINA 25 |
IJPN LN | iShares MSCI JAPAN FUND |
ISF LN | iShares PLC-ISHARES FTSE 100 |
IUSA LN | iShares S&P 500 INDEX FUND |
IWRD LN | iShares MSCI WORLD |
England: Fixed Income | |
IEBC LN | iShares Barclays Capital Euro |
Hong Kong: Equity | |
2800 HK | TRACKER FUND OF HONG KONG |
2823 HK | iShares A50 CHINA TRACKER |
2827 HK | WISE - CSI 300 CHINA TRACKER |
2828 HK | HANG SENG H-SHARE IDX ETF |
2833 HK | HANG SENG INDEX ETF |
Japan: Equity | |
1305 JP | DAIWA ETF = TOPIX |
1306 JP | NOMURA ETF - TOPIX |
1308 JP | NIKKO ETF - TOPIX |
1320 JP | DAIWA ETF – NIKKEI 225 |
1321 JP | NOMURA ETF – NIKKEI 225 |
1330 JP | NIKKO ETF – 225 |
This appendix is current as of 23 June 2014, and may be amended at the discretion of the Ethics Committee.
19 |
Exhibit q
The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc. The Hartford Mutual Funds II, Inc. Hartford Series Fund, Inc. Hartford HLS Series Fund II, Inc. |
Hartford Funds NextShares Trust Hartford Funds Master Fund Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust Lattice Strategies Trust |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
November 6, 2018
Each of the undersigned persons do hereby constitute and appoint as their attorney-in-fact and agent Walter F. Garger, Thomas R. Phillips, and Alice A. Pellegrino and each of them, with full power to act without the other, as the true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full and several power of substitution, of such undersigned person with authority to take any appropriate action to execute in the name of and on behalf of such undersigned person, and to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), registration statements on Form N-1A and any amendments thereto (including without limitation pre- and post-effective amendments), and all applications for exemptive relief from state or federal regulations, and any and all amendments thereto, or any other forms of documents, including without limitation, any registration statement on Form N-14, and any and all amendments thereto, and to perform any and all such acts as such attorney-in-fact may deem necessary or advisable to enable the above-referenced investment companies that are registered with the Commission (the “Registrants”) to comply with the applicable laws of the United States, any individual state or similar jurisdiction of the United States, and in connection therewith to execute and file all requisite papers and documents, including but not limited to, applications, reports, notices, surety bonds, irrevocable consents and appointments of attorneys for service of process; granting to such attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully as the relevant Registrant and undersigned person might or could do herself, himself or itself or in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , each of the undersigned have executed this Power of Attorney in the capacity indicated to be effective as of the date first written above.
/s/ James E. Davey | Director/Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer | |
James E. Davey | ||
/s/ Amy N. Furlong | ||
Amy N. Furlong | Treasurer (Principal Financial and Principal Accounting Officer) | |
/s/ William P. Johnston | ||
William P. Johnston | Chairman of the Board, Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Hilary E. Ackermann | ||
Hilary E. Ackermann | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Robin C. Beery | ||
Robin C. Beery | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Lynn S. Birdsong | ||
Lynn S. Birdsong | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Christine R. Detrick | ||
Christine R. Detrick | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Duane E. Hill | ||
Duane E. Hill | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Phillip O. Peterson | ||
Phillip O. Peterson | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ Lemma W. Senbet | ||
Lemma W. Senbet | Director/Trustee | |
/s/ David Sung | Director/Trustee | |
David Sung |
The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc. The Hartford Mutual Funds II, Inc. Hartford Series Fund, Inc. Hartford HLS Series Fund II, Inc. |
Hartford Funds NextShares Trust Hartford Funds Master Fund Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust Lattice Strategies Trust |
Resolution Approving the Power of Attorney
Each of the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the above-referenced registrants approved the Power of Attorney, dated November 6, 2018, by adopting the following resolution:
RESOLVED , that the Power of Attorney, in substantially the form presented at this meeting, appointing Walter F. Garger, Thomas R. Phillips, and Alice A. Pellegrino, each with full power to act alone, as attorneys-in-fact and agents for each member of the Boards of Directors/Trustees of The Hartford Mutual Funds, Inc., The Hartford Mutual Funds II, Inc., Hartford Series Fund, Inc., Hartford HLS Series Fund II, Inc., Hartford Funds Master Fund, Hartford Funds NextShares Trust, Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust and Lattice Strategies Trust (each, a “Registrant”) and for each Registrant’s principal executive officer, and principal financial officer (including any appointed comptroller or principal accounting officer, if any) for the purpose of executing and filing for and on behalf of, each Registrant, including each member of the Registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees and the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, all requisite documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the offices of the securities administrators of the states and similar jurisdictions of the United States be, and herby is, approved; and it is
FURTHER RESOLVED , that the above-referenced persons appointed as attorneys-in-fact be, and they hereby are, authorized and empowered to take such action as is necessary to carry out the intent of the foregoing resolution, including, but not limited to, executing any required documents on behalf of each Registrant, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, and each member of the Registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees.