As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 29, 2017

 

Securities Act Registration No. 333-196273

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-22930

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  
Pre-Effective Amendment No. __ o
Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 x

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  
Amendment No. 36 x

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

 

USCF ETF Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland CA 94612

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(510) 522-9600

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

 

Carolyn M. Yu

Chief Legal Officer

USCF Advisers LLC

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530

Oakland, CA 94612

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

James M. Cain

Cynthia R. Beyea

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

700 Sixth Street NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: (202) 383-0100

Facsimile: (202) 637-3593

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after this filing becomes effective.

 

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

  o Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  o On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b).
  x 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  o On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  o 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  o On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

o This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.  

 
 

Prospectus

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund

(BUY)

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund

(BUYN)

 

November 29, 2017

 

USCF ETF TRUST

* Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”)

 

THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: • ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS  
   
FUND SUMMARY— USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund 1
   
FUND SUMMARY— USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund 6
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS 11
   
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGY, AND RISK INFORMATION 11
   
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION 18
   
MANAGEMENT 18
   
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT 20
   
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 21
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES 22
   
SHARE TRADING PRICES 23
   
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 23
   
INTRADAY INDICATIVE VALUE 23
   
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION 24
   
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 24
   
BOOK ENTRY 24
   
DELIVERY OF SHAREHOLDER DOCUMENTS — HOUSEHOLDING 24
   
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN 25
   
FREQUENT TRADING 25
   
INVESTMENTS BY REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES 25
   
TAX INFORMATION 25
   
FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 27
   
ADDITIONAL NOTICES 28
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 28
   
PRIVACY POLICY 29

 
 

FUND SUMMARY — USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund (for purposes of this Fund Summary, the “Fund”) seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the SummerHaven Private Equity Strategy Index SM (“SHPEI”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors may pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the table or example below. The fees and expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment )

Management Fees (1) 0.95%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses (2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.95%
   

(1)  The Fund pays USCF Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”) an annual unitary management fee based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets at the rate set forth above. The Adviser is responsible for all expenses of the Fund except expenses for taxes and governmental fees; brokerage fees; commissions and other transaction expenses; costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses; securities lending expenses; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses); and fees and expenses of any independent legal counsel.

(2) Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus.

 

Example

 

The following example is intended to help investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% per year and that operating expenses remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell shares of the Fund. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year   3 Years
$ 97   $ 303

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. Importantly, this rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s shares. The Fund is newly organized and, as a result, no portfolio turnover information is available as of the date of this Prospectus.  

1
 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

 

The Fund employs a “passive management” or “indexing” investment approach designed to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of SHPEI. SHPEI includes common stocks of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with market capitalizations of at least $100 million and lower than $10 billion at the time of index construction. The market capitalization range of SHPEI may fluctuate between rebalancing periods. The companies comprising SHPEI are listed on U.S. stock exchanges.

 

SHPEI attempts to replicate the long-term ( i.e. , 10 years or more) return characteristics of diversified private equity allocations. SHPEI is designed to include publicly-traded companies that possess characteristics similar to the companies that private equity firms have historically selected for investment, as well as companies that SummerHaven Index Management, LLC (“SHIM”), the index provider, believes private equity firms are likely to select for investment in the future. However, SHPEI does not include, and the Fund does not invest in, private equity funds or private equity of companies.

 

SHPEI is constructed using a proprietary methodology developed by SHIM and licensed to the Adviser. The proprietary methodology favors companies with low enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EV / EBITDA”) ratios; low net equity issuance; low market capitalization; and moderate profitability. From a universe of approximately 3,000 U.S. companies, SHIM applies proprietary screens to determine an investable universe. SHPEI includes the greater of 200 companies or 20% of such investable universe. SHPEI is equally weighted and rebalanced annually.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the common stocks comprising SHPEI. The Fund generally invests in substantially all of the common stocks comprising SHPEI and in approximately the same proportions as SHPEI. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of SHPEI, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or higher. However, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with SHPEI. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with SHPEI. For example, the performance of the Fund and SHPEI may diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and SHPEI resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the Fund but not to SHPEI.

 

In addition, the Fund may invest in cash, cash equivalents, and money market instruments. The Fund is diversified within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

Industry Concentration Policy.   The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets) in securities of issuers in any one industry or sector only to the extent that SHPEI reflects a concentration in that industry or sector. As of the date of this Prospectus, SHPEI is not concentrated.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below.

 

Market Risk.  The trading prices of equity securities fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or a specific market segment. The market value of portfolio holdings can be volatile and change quickly. The Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and market price, like market prices generally, may fluctuate significantly. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment.

Passive Investment Risk.  The Fund does not attempt to outperform SHPEI or take defensive positions in declining markets.

2
 

Correlation to Index Risk.  As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund may not closely track the performance of SHPEI for a variety of reasons. SHPEI’s or the Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of investments in private equity funds or direct investments in private equity.

 

Correlation to Private Equity Returns Risk . SHPEI’s or the Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of investments in private equity funds or direct investments in private equity due to assumptions in SHIM’s proprietary methodology that prove to be incorrect or asymmetries between investments in public equity versus private equity, such as the limited liquidity (or illiquidity), infrequency of valuations, and estimated valuations associated with private equity investments.

 

Private Equity Investing Risk. The Fund seeks to generate returns that mimic the returns of U.S. private equity funds, as measured by SHPEI. Because investing in private equity often carries a high degree of risk, the returns of private equity funds may be subject to greater volatility than the returns of funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. Similarly, the Fund’s returns may experience greater volatility than funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. The Fund does not invest in private equity funds nor does it invest directly in private equity.

 

Micro-, Small-, and Mid-Capitalization Risk.  The securities of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies because such smaller companies generally have a higher risk of failure. The Fund may experience difficulty in liquidating positions in smaller companies at favorable prices or times. Some securities of smaller companies may be illiquid. These risks are greater when investing in micro- and small-capitalization companies. Returns on investments in securities of smaller companies could be lower than the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.

 

Licensing Risk. The Fund relies on licenses that permit the Fund to use SHPEI and associated trade names and marks (the “Intellectual Property”) in connection with the name and investment strategies of the Fund. Such licenses may be terminated by the licensor and, as a result, the Fund may lose its ability to use the Intellectual Property.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that SHPEI is concentrated in or significantly exposed to a particular industry or sector, the Fund will be more susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry or sector. In such case, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political, or other conditions that have a negative impact on that industry or sector may adversely affect the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of industries or sectors.

 

Liquidity Risk.  The Fund may not always be able to liquidate its investments at the desired price or time (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. It may be difficult for the Fund to value illiquid holdings accurately. Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses at any time or from time to time.

 

Premium or Discount to NAV Risk.   As with all exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, particularly in times of market stress. Thus, an investor may pay significantly more (or less) than NAV when buying shares of the Fund in the secondary market, or receive significantly more (or less) than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. A premium or discount to NAV may be reflected in the spread between “bid” and “ask” prices that are quoted during the course of a trading day. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, an investor may sustain losses.

 

Fluctuation of NAV Risk.   The market prices of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Fund’s shares on NYSE Arca. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Fund’s shares will trade below, at, or above NAV.

3
 

Secondary Market Risk.  Although the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers and will incur the cost of the difference between “bid” and “ask” prices of the Fund’s shares.

 

New Fund Risk.  As a new fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

 

Newly Created Index Risk. SHPEI is newly created and has a limited history of performance. As such, it is uncertain how closely SHPEI may be able to track the performance of an actual portfolio of the constituent securities that comprise the index.

 

New Sub-Adviser Risk. Although the principals of the Sub-Adviser (as defined below) and the portfolio managers of the Fund have experience managing investments in the past, the Sub-Adviser is a newly-registered investment adviser and has no previous experience managing investments for an ETF or any other investment company, which may limit the Sub-Adviser’s effectiveness.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the Fund will receive collateral from the borrower equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there could be delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising rights to the collateral.

 

Fund Performance

 

The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Performance information for the Fund will be provided once it has annual returns for a full calendar year. Performance information, when available, will give some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance with a broad measure of market performance. Please remember that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of its future performance. It may perform better or worse in the future.

 

Management

Investment Adviser.  USCF Advisers LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Sub-Adviser. SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Andrew F Ngim (the Adviser) , a Management Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

Ashraf R. Rizvi (the Sub-Adviser) , a Partner and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

 

Kevin Sheehan (the Sub-Adviser) , Executive Director and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca, through a broker-dealer. The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

4
 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Baskets” and “Redemption Baskets,” respectively), which only certain institutions or large investors (typically, market makers or other broker-dealers) that have entered into an agreement with ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) may purchase or redeem. Such institutions and large investors are referred to herein as “Authorized Participants” or “APs.” Currently, Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Authorized Participants are required to pay a transaction fee of $350 to compensate the Fund for brokerage and transaction expenses when purchasing Creation Baskets or redeeming Redemption Baskets.

The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund and/or a designated amount of cash. To the extent that an Authorized Participant purchases a Creation Basket with cash or redeems a Redemption Basket for cash, the Authorized Participant will be subject to an additional charge no greater than 5.0%. See “Transaction Fees on Creation and Redemption Transactions.”

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms, and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

5
 

FUND SUMMARY — USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (for purposes of this Fund Summary, the “Fund”) seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the SummerHaven Private Equity Natural Resources Strategy Index SM (“SHPEN”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors may pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the table or example below. The fees and expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment )

Management Fees (1) 0.95%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses (2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.95%
   

(1)  The Fund pays USCF Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”) an annual unitary management fee based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets at the rate set forth above. The Adviser is responsible for all expenses of the Fund except expenses for taxes and governmental fees; brokerage fees; commissions and other transaction expenses; costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses; securities lending expenses; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses); and fees and expenses of any independent legal counsel.

(2) Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus.

 

Example

 

The following example is intended to help investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% per year and that operating expenses remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell shares of the Fund. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year   3 Years
$ 97   $ 303

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. Importantly, this rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s shares. The Fund is newly organized and, as a result, no portfolio turnover information is available as of the date of this Prospectus.

6
 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

 

The Fund employs a “passive management” or “indexing” investment approach designed to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of SHPEN. SHPEN includes common stocks of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization U.S. companies in the natural resources industry with market capitalizations of at least $100 million and lower than $10 billion at the time of index construction. The market capitalization range of SHPEN may fluctuate between rebalancing periods. The companies comprising SHPEN are listed on U.S. stock exchanges.

 

SHPEN attempts to replicate the long-term ( i.e. , 10 years or more) return characteristics of diversified natural resources private equity allocations. SHPEN is designed to include publicly-traded companies that possess characteristics similar to the companies that private equity firms focusing on natural resources investments have historically selected for investment, as well as companies that SummerHaven Index Management, LLC (“SHIM”), the index provider, believes private equity firms focusing on natural resources investments are likely to select for investment in the future. However, SHPEN does not include, and the Fund does not invest in, private equity funds or private equity of companies. The Fund does not invest directly in natural resource commodities.

 

SHPEN is constructed using a proprietary methodology developed by SHIM and licensed to the Adviser. The proprietary methodology favors companies with low enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EV / EBITDA”) ratios; low net equity issuance; low market capitalization; and moderate profitability. From a universe of approximately 600 U.S. companies, SHIM applies proprietary screens to determine an investable universe. SHPEN includes the greater of 80 companies or 40% of such investable universe. SHPEN is equally weighted and rebalanced annually.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the common stocks comprising SHPEN. The Fund generally invests in substantially all of the common stocks comprising SHPEN and in approximately the same proportions as SHPEN. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of SHPEN, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or higher. However, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with SHPEN. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with SHPEN. For example, the performance of the Fund and SHPEN may diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and SHPEN resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the Fund but not to SHPEN.

 

In addition, the Fund may invest in cash, cash equivalents, and money market instruments. The Fund is diversified within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

SHPEN includes natural resources companies in the following sectors, groups, and industries:

· Energy;
· Materials ( agricultural chemicals, cement and aggregates, containers and packaging manufacturing, forest and paper products, metals and mining, and steel producers only) ;
· Industrials ( transportation equipment manufacturing and machinery manufacturing only) ;
· Consumer discretionary (automotive manufacturing only); and
· Consumer staples (agricultural products and packaged food manufacturing only).

 

Industry Concentration Policy.   The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets) in securities of issuers in any one industry or sector only to the extent that SHPEN reflects a concentration in that industry or sector. SHPEN has been 100% concentrated in companies in the natural resources industry.

7
 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below.

 

Market Risk.  The trading prices of equity securities fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or a specific market segment. The market value of portfolio holdings can be volatile and change quickly. The Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and market price, like market prices generally, may fluctuate significantly. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment.

Passive Investment Risk.  The Fund does not attempt to outperform SHPEN or take defensive positions in declining markets.

Correlation to Index Risk.  As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund may not closely track the performance of SHPEN for a variety of reasons. SHPEN’s or the Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of investments in private equity funds or direct investments in private equity.

 

Correlation to Private Equity Returns Risk . SHEPN’s or the Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of investments in private equity funds or direct investments in private equity due to assumptions in SHIM’s proprietary methodology that prove to be incorrect or asymmetries between investments in public equity versus private equity, such as the limited liquidity (or illiquidity), infrequency of valuations, and estimated valuations associated with private equity investments.

 

Private Equity Investing Risk. The Fund seeks to generate returns that mimic the returns of U.S. private equity funds that focus on natural resource investments, as measured by SHPEN. Because investing in private equity often carries a high degree of risk, the returns of private equity funds may be subject to greater volatility than the returns of funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. Similarly, the Fund’s returns may experience greater volatility than funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. The Fund does not invest in private equity funds nor does it invest directly in private equity.

 

Micro-, Small-, and Mid-Capitalization Risk.  The securities of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies because such smaller companies generally have a higher risk of failure. The Fund may experience difficulty in liquidating positions in smaller companies at favorable prices or times. Some securities of smaller companies may be illiquid. These risks are greater when investing in micro- and small-capitalization companies. Returns on investments in securities of smaller companies could be lower than the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.

 

Risks of Investing in Natural Resources Companies. Investments in natural resources companies can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in the supply and demand for their specific products or services and for natural resources in general. Thus, the Fund’s investments in these companies may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in companies in other industries. Natural resources companies may also be affected by changes in exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies and incidents, changes in prices, the participation of speculators, international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, limitations on the liquidity of certain natural resources, taxes, and other government regulations. Companies in the energy sector can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels. Companies in the materials sector can be significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies, and consumer demand. Companies in the industrials sector can be significantly affected when worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector can be significantly affected by downturns in the market for discretionary goods and general economic downturns. Consumer staples companies are subject to government regulation affecting their products, which may negatively impact such companies’ performances. 

8
 

Licensing Risk. The Fund relies on licenses that permit the Fund to use SHPEN and associated trade names and marks (the “Intellectual Property”) in connection with the name and investment strategies of the Fund. Such licenses may be terminated by the licensor and, as a result, the Fund may lose its ability to use the Intellectual Property.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that SHPEN is concentrated in or significantly exposed to a particular industry or sector, the Fund will be more susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry or sector. In such case, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political, or other conditions that have a negative impact on that industry or sector may adversely affect the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of industries or sectors.

Liquidity Risk.  The Fund may not always be able to liquidate its investments at the desired price or time (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them . It may be difficult for the Fund to value illiquid holdings accurately . Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses at any time or from time to time.

 

Premium or Discount to NAV Risk.   As with all exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, particularly in times of market stress. Thus, an investor may pay significantly more (or less) than NAV when buying shares of the Fund in the secondary market, or receive significantly more (or less) than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. A premium or discount to NAV may be reflected in the spread between “bid” and “ask” prices that are quoted during the course of a trading day. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, an investor may sustain losses.

 

Fluctuation of NAV Risk.   The market prices of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Fund’s shares on NYSE Arca. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Fund’s shares will trade below, at, or above NAV.

Secondary Market Risk.  Although the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers and will incur the cost of the difference between “bid” and “ask” prices of the Fund’s shares.

New Fund Risk.  As a new fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

Newly Created Index Risk. SHPEN is newly created and has a limited history of performance. As such, it is uncertain how closely SHPEN may be able to track the performance of an actual portfolio of the constituent securities that comprise the index.

New Sub-Adviser Risk. Although the principals of the Sub-Adviser (as defined below) and the portfolio managers of the Fund have experience managing investments in the past, the Sub-Adviser is a newly-registered investment adviser and has no previous experience managing investments for an ETF or any other investment company, which may limit the Sub-Adviser’s effectiveness.

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the Fund will receive collateral from the borrower equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there could be delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising rights to the collateral.

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Fund Performance

 

The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Performance information for the Fund will be provided once it has annual returns for a full calendar year. Performance information, when available, will give some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance with a broad measure of market performance. Please remember that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of its future performance. It may perform better or worse in the future.

 

Management

Investment Adviser.  USCF Advisers LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Sub-Adviser. SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Andrew F Ngim (the Adviser) , a Management Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

Ashraf R. Rizvi (the Sub-Adviser) , a Partner and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

 

Kevin Sheehan (the Sub-Adviser) , Executive Director and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund began operations in November 2017.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca, through a broker-dealer. The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Baskets” and “Redemption Baskets,” respectively), which only certain institutions or large investors (typically, market makers or other broker-dealers) that have entered into an agreement with ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) may purchase or redeem. Such institutions and large investors are referred to herein as “Authorized Participants” or “APs.” Currently, Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Authorized Participants are required to pay a transaction fee of $350 to compensate the Fund for brokerage and transaction expenses when purchasing Creation Baskets or redeeming Redemption Baskets.

The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund and/or a designated amount of cash. To the extent that an Authorized Participant purchases a Creation Basket with cash or redeems a Redemption Basket for cash, the Authorized Participant will be subject to an additional charge no greater than 5.0%. See “Transaction Fees on Creation and Redemption Transactions.” 

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains.

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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms, and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

 

Overview

 

USCF ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is registered under the 1940 Act and consists of separate investment portfolios or “funds” that are ETFs. An ETF is a fund whose shares are listed on a stock exchange and traded like equity securities at market prices. ETFs allow you to buy or sell shares that represent the collective performance of a selected group of securities. ETFs are designed to add the flexibility, ease, and liquidity of stock-like trading to the benefits of traditional fund investments.

 

This Prospectus provides the information you need to make an informed decision about investing in the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund (or the “PE Fund”) or the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (or the “NR Fund”) (each, a “Fund, and collectively, the “Funds”). Each Fund is an ETF. This Prospectus contains important facts about the Trust as a whole and the Funds in particular.

 

Tax Advantaged Product Structure

 

Unlike interests in many conventional mutual funds, each Fund’s shares are traded throughout the day on a national securities exchange, whereas mutual fund interests are typically only bought and sold at the closing NAV. The shares have been designed to be created and redeemed, principally in-kind, in Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets, respectively, at each day’s next calculated NAV. These arrangements are designed to protect a Fund’s ongoing shareholders from adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash creation and redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on shareholders because of the mutual fund’s need to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet fund redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains for the shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the in-kind redemption mechanism utilized by most ETFs, including the Funds, generally will not lead to a taxable event for the Funds or their shareholders.

 

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGY, AND RISK INFORMATION

 

Investment Objectives

 

Because each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy, a Fund’s investment objective may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon 60 days’ written notice to the Fund’s shareholders.

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund. The PE Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of SHPEI.

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund. The NR Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of SHPEN.

 

Additional Information about the Indexes

  

SHPEI and SHPEN (each, an “Index,” and collectively, the “Indexes”) are sponsored by SHIM, the index provider. SHIM is an affiliate of the Sub-Adviser (they are under common control), and as a result is affiliated with the Trust, the Funds, the Adviser, and the Distributor. The Indexes and associated trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the exclusive property of SHIM, which has licensed both Indexes and marks for use by the Adviser on behalf of the Funds. SHIM is solely responsible for determining the investments included in, and the calculation of, both Indexes.   SHIM makes no representations regarding the appropriateness of each Fund’s investments for the purpose of tracking the performance of its Index or otherwise.

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Each Index’s daily values are compiled and distributed by NYSE Arca as the index calculation agent. NYSE Arca is not an affiliate of the Trust, the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, SHIM, or any of their respective affiliates. NYSE Arca publishes information regarding the market value of each Index.

 

On an annual basis, in or about June of each year, SHIM uses a proprietary screen to evaluate whether to add, remove, or retain stocks in each Index. The factors that are taken into account by the algorithm include market capitalization; stock price; enterprise value; earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization; daily trading volume; equity issuance; and profitability.

There are limited scenarios in which a stock may be removed from an Index prior to the annual rebalancing period. When a component company merges, delists, or is acquired, the company’s common stock will be removed from the Index. If the company merges or is acquired, the common stock of the resulting company may then be included in the Index, which SHIM will evaluate using its proprietary algorithm.

In addition, SHIM will remove a component company from SHPEI or SHPEN prior to the annual rebalancing period under the following circumstances:

  (i) When the company has declared bankruptcy;
  (ii) When the company’s common stock is delisted from a U.S. exchange;
  (iii) When the company’s common stock no longer trades on an eligible U.S. exchange, including NYSE, NYSE MKT LLC, NASDAQ, NYSE Arca, BATS, or IEX (trading of ADRs is not considered “trading on an eligible U.S. exchange”); or
  (iv)     When the company’s form or structure is changed to a form or structure that is not eligible for inclusion in the Index, including a real estate investment trust, business development company, limited partnership, special-purpose acquisition company, blank-check company, royalty trust, or limited liability company.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Each Fund employs a “passive management” or “indexing” investment approach designed to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of its Index. Each Index includes common stocks of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with market capitalizations of at least $100 million and lower than $10 billion at the time of index construction. The market capitalization range of each Index may fluctuate between rebalancing periods. The companies comprising each Index are listed on U.S. stock exchanges.

 

SHPEI attempts to replicate the long-term ( i.e. , 10 years or more) return characteristics of diversified private equity allocations. SHPEI is designed to include publicly-traded companies that possess characteristics similar to the companies that private equity firms have historically selected for investment, as well as companies that SHIM believes private equity firms are likely to select for investment in the future. From a universe of approximately 3,000 U.S. companies, SHIM applies proprietary screens to determine an investable universe. SHPEI includes the greater of 200 companies or 20% of such investable universe. SHPEI does not include, and the PE Fund does not invest in, private equity funds or private equity of companies.

 

SHPEN attempts to replicate the long-term ( i.e. , 10 years or more) return characteristics of diversified natural resources private equity allocations. SHPEN is designed to include publicly-traded companies that possess characteristics similar to the companies that private equity firms focusing on natural resources investments have historically selected for investment, as well as companies that SHIM believes private equity firms focusing on natural resources investments are likely to select for investment in the future. From a universe of approximately 600 U.S. companies, SHIM applies proprietary screens to determine an investable universe. SHPEN includes the greater of 80 companies or 40% of such investable universe. SHPEN does not include, and the NR Fund does not invest in, private equity funds or private equity of companies. The NR Fund does not invest directly in natural resource commodities .

 

SHPEN includes natural resources companies in the following sectors, groups, and industries:

· Energy;
· Materials ( agricultural chemicals, cement and aggregates, containers and packaging manufacturing, forest and paper products, metals and mining, and steel producers only) ;
· Industrials ( transportation equipment manufacturing and machinery manufacturing only) ;
· Consumer discretionary (automotive manufacturing only); and
· Consumer staples (agricultural products and packaged food manufacturing only).
     

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Each Index is constructed using a proprietary methodology developed by SHIM and licensed to the Adviser. The proprietary methodology favors companies with low EV / EBITDA ratios, low net equity issuance, low market capitalization, and moderate profitability. Each Index is equally weighted and rebalanced annually.

 

Under normal market conditions, each Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the common stocks comprising its Index. Each Fund generally invests in substantially all of the common stocks comprising its Index and in approximately the same proportions as its Index. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between each Fund’s performance and that of its Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or higher. However, there can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index. A number of factors may affect a Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with its Index. For example, the performance of a Fund and its Index may diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the Fund but not to the Index.

 

In addition, each Fund may invest in cash, cash equivalents, and money market instruments. Each Fund is diversified within the meaning of the 1940 Act.

 

Industry Concentration Policies. Each Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets) in securities of issuers in any one industry or sector only to the extent that its Index reflects a concentration in that industry or sector.

SHPEI is not concentrated as of the date of this Prospectus.

SHPEN has been, and is expected to remain, 100% concentrated in companies in the natural resources industry.

Other Investment Information about the Funds

Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed one-third (33⅓%) of the value of its total assets via a securities lending program through its securities lending agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Company (“BBH”), to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. The securities lending program allows each Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. Each Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security that is at least equal to the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day. In the securities lending program, the borrower generally has the right to vote the loaned securities. However, each Fund may call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund’s economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Each Fund may terminate security loans at any time.

Each Fund may use derivative instruments such as futures, options, and swap contracts to seek returns on the Fund’s uninvested cash assets to help it better track its Index. A Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. A Fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the Fund’s performance, increase the Fund’s volatility, and could cause the Fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund.

Additional Principal Risk Information about the Funds

This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each Fund Summary. To the extent applicable to a particular Fund, each risk factor below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices. The following table indicates the principal risk factors that apply to a particular Fund, and the risk factors are described thereafter.

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Risk Factor USCF SummerHaven
SHPEI Index Fund

USCF SummerHaven
SHPEN Index Fund

Market Risk · ·
Passive Investment Risk · ·
Correlation to Index Risk · ·
Correlation to Private Equity Returns Risk · ·
Private Equity Investing Risk · ·
Micro-, Small-, and Mid-Capitalization Risk · ·
Risks of Investing in Natural Resources Companies   ·
Licensing Risk · ·
Industry Concentration Risk · ·
Liquidity Risk · ·
Premium or Discount to NAV Risk · ·
Fluctuation of NAV · ·
Secondary Market Risk · ·
New Fund Risk · ·
Newly Created Index Risk · ·
New Sub-Adviser Risk · ·
Securities Lending Risk · ·

 

Market Risk (Each Fund).  The trading prices of equity securities and other financial instruments fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market, and economic developments, as well as events that impact specific issuers. The market value of portfolio holdings can be volatile and change quickly. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like market prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment.

 

Passive Investment Risk (Each Fund).   Each Fund invests in the securities included in its Index. Neither Fund attempts to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, a Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the economy or the stock market to a greater extent than a fund that was able to successfully employ defensive strategies in such periods of decline. A Fund’s performance may also be positively affected by general gains in the economy or the stock market to a lesser extent than a fund that was able to employ strategies to participate in such periods of gains.

 

Correlation to Index Risk (Each Fund).   As with all index funds, the performance of a Fund may not closely track the performance of its Index for a variety of reasons. There are a number of factors that may contribute to a Fund’s tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of its Index, regulatory policies, and portfolio turnover rate. Also, at any particular time that a Fund’s assets include cash, cash equivalents, or money market instruments, the Fund’s returns may inadequately track the return that could have been generated by stocks included in its Index. Tracking error may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected. 

 

Correlation to Private Equity Returns Risk (Each Fund) . An Index’s or a Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of investments in private equity funds or direct investments in private equity due to assumptions in SHIM’s proprietary methodology that prove to be incorrect or asymmetries between investments in public equity versus private equity, such as the limited liquidity (or illiquidity), infrequency of valuations, and estimated valuations associated with private equity investments.

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Private Equity Investing Risk (Each Fund). Each Fund seeks to generate returns that mimic the returns of U.S. private equity funds, as measured by its Index. Because investing in private equity often carries a high degree of risk, the returns of private equity funds may be subject to greater volatility than the returns of funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. Similarly, a Fund’s returns may experience greater volatility than funds that invest in larger, more established public companies. Neither Fund invests in private equity funds, nor does a Fund invest directly in private equity.

Micro-, Small-, and Mid-Capitalization Risk (Each Fund).  The securities of micro-, small-, and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies because such smaller companies generally have a higher risk of failure . Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; may lack the competitive strength of larger companies; and may depend on a small number of key employees. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely-held securities. A Fund may experience difficulty in liquidating positions in these securities at favorable prices or times. Some securities of smaller companies may be illiquid. These risks are greater when investing in micro- and small-capitalization companies. There may be less publicly-available information about smaller companies. Returns on investments in securities of smaller companies could be lower than the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.

 

Risks of Investing in Natural Resources Companies (NR Fund). Investments in natural resources companies can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in the supply and demand for their specific products or services and for natural resources in general. Thus, the NR Fund’s investments in these companies may subject the NR Fund to greater volatility than investments in companies in other industries. Natural resources companies may also be affected by changes in exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies and incidents, changes in prices, the participation of speculators, international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, limitations on the liquidity of certain natural resources, taxes, and other government regulations. Additional specific sector risks include the following:

 

Energy Sector. Companies in the energy sector can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels. Such fluctuations can be the result of geopolitical events, energy conservation, use of alternative fuel sources, the success of exploration projects, weather or meteorological events, taxes, increased governmental or environmental regulation, resource depletion, price controls, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, or terrorist threats or attacks, among other factors. Markets for various energy commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Energy commodities have had significant price swings in recent years. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new supply sources, through the development of existing supply sources, through acquisitions, or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. Factors adversely affecting producers, refiners, distributors, or others in the energy sector may adversely affect companies that service or supply those entities, either because demand for those services or products is curtailed, or those services or products come under price pressure.

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Materials Sector (Agricultural Chemicals, Cement and Aggregates, Containers and Packaging Manufacturing, Forest and Paper Products, Metals and Mining, and Steel Producers Only). Companies in the materials sector can be significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies, and consumer demand. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Risks to companies in the materials sector may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.  In particular, metals and mining companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. Risks of metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments.

 

Industrials Sector (Transportation Equipment Manufacturing and Machinery Manufacturing Only).   Companies in the industrials sector can be significantly affected when worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. In particular, transportation equipment and machinery manufacturing companies can be affected by economic downturns and falls in commodity prices, which result in less demand for equipment and machinery.

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector (Automotive Manufacturing Only). Companies in the consumer discretionary sector can be significantly affected by downturns in the market for discretionary goods and general economic downturns. The consumer discretionary sector, in particular automotive manufacturing companies, can be significantly impacted by downturns in the market for automobiles and other transportation equipment and changes in energy prices.

 

Consumer Staples Sector (Agricultural Products and Packaged Food Manufacturing Only). Consumer staples companies are subject to government regulation affecting their products, which may negatively impact such companies’ performances. Economic forces, including forces affecting agricultural markets, as well as government policies and regulations affecting agriculture and food manufacturing companies, could adversely impact the NR Fund’s investments. Agricultural and livestock production and trade flows are significantly affected by government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting agriculture and food manufacturing companies, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies, and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities, commodity products, and livestock can influence agriculture company profitability, the planting/raising of certain crops/livestock versus other uses of resources, the location and size of crop and livestock production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded, and the volume and types of imports and exports. In addition, companies in the agriculture sector must comply with a broad range of environmental laws and regulations. Additional or more stringent environmental laws and regulations may be enacted in the future and such changes could have a material adverse effect on the business of such companies. In addition, agriculture and food manufacturing companies may be significantly affected by adverse weather, pollution, and disease that could limit or halt production.

 

Licensing Risk (Each Fund). Each Fund relies on licenses that permit the Fund to use Intellectual Property in connection with the name and investment strategies of the Fund. Such licenses may be terminated by the licensor and, as a result, a Fund may lose its ability to use the Intellectual Property. There is also no guarantee that the licensor has all rights to license the Intellectual Property for use by a Fund. Accordingly, in the event a license is terminated or a licensor does not have rights to license the Intellectual Property, it may have a significant affect on the operation of a Fund and may result in changes in the investment policies or closure of a Fund.

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Industry Concentration Risk (Each Fund). To the extent that a Fund’s Index is concentrated in or significantly exposed to a particular industry or sector, the Fund will be more susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry or sector. In such case, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political, or other conditions that have a negative impact on that industry or sector may adversely affect the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of industries or sectors.

Liquidity Risk (Each Fund).  A Fund may not always be able to liquidate its investments at the desired price or time (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which a Fund currently values them. It may be difficult for a Fund to value illiquid securities accurately. It is also difficult to execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. The market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses at any time or from time to time. Each Fund does not intend at this time to establish a credit facility, which could provide an additional source of liquidity. Instead, each Fund relies only on its assets for liquidity. Disposal of illiquid securities may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for liquid securities.

Premium or Discount to NAV Risk (Each Fund).  As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of a Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, including due to supply and demand of the Fund’s shares and/or during periods of market volatility. Thus, you may pay significantly more (or less) than NAV when you buy shares of a Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive significantly more (or less) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. A premium or discount to NAV may be reflected in the spread between “bid and ask” prices that are quoted during the course of a trading day. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, an investor may sustain losses. In stressed market conditions, the market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings. This adverse effect on the liquidity for the ETF’s shares could, in turn, lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Fluctuation of NAV Risk (Each Fund).  The market prices of a Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Fund’s shares on NYSE Arca. The Adviser cannot 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. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of Fund shares during periods of market volatility. However, given that the shares can be purchased and redeemed in Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets, respectively (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of a Fund’s shares should not be sustained over long periods. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of Fund shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of Fund shares, then the investor may sustain losses.  

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Secondary Market Risk (Each Fund).   Although each Fund’s shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or other authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, and this could, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of a Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. Trading in shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NYSE Arca, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on NYSE Arca is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NYSE Arca “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that Fund shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange.

New Fund Risk (Each Fund). As a new fund, there can be no assurance that a Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. A Fund may experience more difficulty achieving its investment objectives than it otherwise would at higher asset levels, or a Fund may ultimately liquidate at an inopportune time for investors. A liquidation of a Fund may also result in adverse tax consequences. Additionally, the Adviser has limited experience managing ETFs (although the Adviser has prior experience managing commodity exchange-traded funds, a fixed income ETF, two equity ETFs, a large cap mutual fund, and a commodity strategy mutual fund).

Newly Created Index Risk (Each Fund). Each Index is newly created and has a limited history of performance. As such, it is uncertain how closely an Index may be able to track the performance of an actual portfolio of the constituent securities that comprise the Index.

 

New Sub-Adviser Risk (Each Fund). Although the principals of the Sub-Adviser and the portfolio managers of the Fund have experience managing investments in the past, the Sub-Adviser is a newly-registered investment adviser and has no previous experience managing investments for an ETF or any other investment company, which may limit the Sub-Adviser’s effectiveness. Investment companies and their advisers are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and the Internal Revenue Code that do not apply to an adviser’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing an investment company from which to judge the Sub-Adviser. This may also result in lower than expected performance, operational and investment inefficiencies, and/or errors.

 

Securities Lending Risk (Each Fund). The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the Fund will receive collateral from the borrower equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there could be delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising rights to the collateral.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

 

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Adviser

 

The Adviser has been registered as an investment adviser with the SEC since July 2, 2014, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wainwright Holdings, Inc. (“Wainwright”). Wainwright is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Concierge Technologies, Inc., a company publicly traded under the ticker symbol “CNCG” (“Concierge”). Mr. Nicholas Gerber, along with certain family members and certain other shareholders, own the majority of the shares in Concierge. Wainwright continues to operate its business as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Concierge.

 

The Adviser’s offices are located at 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland, CA 94612. As of June 30, 2017, the Adviser and its affiliates had approximately $4.5 billion in assets under management. 

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The Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and provides an investment program for each Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the retention of sub-advisers to manage the investment of the Funds’ assets in conformity with their respective investment policies if the Adviser does not provide those services directly. The Adviser has arranged for custody, distribution, fund administration, transfer agency, and all other services necessary for each Fund to operate. The Adviser bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services and the expenses of the members of the Board who are affiliated with the Adviser. The Adviser may make payments from its own resources to broker-dealers and other financial institutions in connection with the sale of Fund shares.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates deal, trade, and invest for their own accounts in the type of investments in which the Funds may also invest. The Adviser does not use inside information in making investment decisions on behalf of the Funds.

 

Sub-Adviser

 

The Sub-Adviser has been registered as an investment adviser with the SEC since September 12, 2017. The Sub-Adviser’s offices are located at 1266 E Main Street, 4th floor, Stamford, CT 06902. As of October 1, 2017, the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates had approximately $1.4 billion in assets under management. Subject to the Adviser’s oversight and along with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser supervises and manages the investment portfolio of each Fund and directs the purchase and sale of each Fund’s investments. The Sub-Adviser and its affiliates deal, trade, and invest for their own accounts in the type of investments in which the Funds may also invest. The Sub-Adviser does not use inside information in making investment decisions on behalf of the Funds.

 

Advisory Agreements

 

The Adviser serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Sub-Adviser serves as the sub-adviser to each Fund pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”).

 

The Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement were approved by the Board at the September 22, 2017 meeting of the Board. The basis for the Board’s approval of these agreements will be explained in the Funds’ first semi-annual reports to shareholders for the period ended December 31, 2017.

 

Management Fees

 

Each Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee as compensation for its services and its assumption of Fund expenses. The Adviser is responsible for all expenses of the Fund except expenses for taxes and governmental fees; brokerage fees; commissions and other transaction expenses; costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses; securities lending expenses; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses); and fees and expenses of any independent legal counsel. The Adviser may voluntarily waive any portion of its management fee from time to time, and may discontinue or modify any such voluntary limitations in the future at its discretion. The following table lists the total management fee paid by each Fund.

 

Fund Management Fee
USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund 0.95%
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund 0.95%

 

The Sub-Adviser receives a management fee equal to a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the services it provides to each Fund. The Sub-Adviser’s fees are calculated daily and paid monthly by the Adviser out of its management fees. The following table lists the sub-advisory fees paid to the Sub-Adviser. 

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Fund Sub-Advisory Fee
USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund 0.06%
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund 0.06%

 

Manager of Managers Structure

 

The Adviser has applied for an exemptive order from the SEC to operate under a manager of managers structure that would permit the Adviser, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisers (including the Sub-Adviser), enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of each Fund without shareholder approval (the “Manager of Managers Structure”). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Adviser will have ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight of the Board, for overseeing the Trust’s sub-advisers and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order would not apply to any sub-adviser that is affiliated with the Adviser. Notwithstanding the SEC exemptive order, adoption of the Manager of Managers Structure by a Fund would also require prior shareholder approval. Such approval has already been obtained for each Fund from its initial shareholder. Thus, if the requested SEC order is obtained, the Funds will begin to operate under the Manager of Managers Structure immediately.

 

The Manager of Managers Structure will enable the Trust to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of each Fund under the Manager of Managers Structure will not: (1) permit management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser to be increased without shareholder approval; or (2) diminish the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Fund, including the Adviser’s overall responsibility for overseeing the portfolio management services furnished by its sub-advisers. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

 

The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (subject to the Adviser’s oversight) supervise and manage the investment portfolio of each Fund and direct the purchase and sale of each Fund’s investments. The Portfolio Managers utilize a team of investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of the Funds. The Portfolio Managers and their team of investment professionals meet regularly to review portfolio holdings and to discuss purchase and sale activity.

The persons primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio are listed below. The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of shares in the Funds.

The persons primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolios are: 

Mr. Andrew F Ngim , 56, co-founded USCF in 2005 and has served as a Management Director since May 2005 and, since August 15, 2016, has served as the Chief Operating Officer of USCF. Mr. Ngim has served as the portfolio manager for United States Commodity Index Fund, United States Copper Index Fund, and United States Agriculture Index Fund since January 2013. Mr. Ngim also served as USCF’s Treasurer from June 2005 to February 2012. In addition, he has been on the Board of Managers and has served as the Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer of USCF Advisers since its inception in June 2013. Prior to and concurrent with his services to USCF and USCF Advisers, from January 1999 to January 2013, Mr. Ngim served as a Managing Director for Ameristock Corporation, a California-based investment adviser, which he co-founded in March 1995, and was Co-Portfolio Manager of Ameristock Mutual Fund, Inc. from January 2000 to January 2013. Mr. Ngim also served as portfolio manager of the Stock Split Index Fund (from September 2014 to September 2017) and the USCF Restaurant Leaders Fund (from November 2016 to September 2017), each of which were series of the USCF ETF Trust, as well as a Management Trustee of the USCF ETF Trust from August 2014 to the present. Mr. Ngim has served as the portfolio manager of the USCF Commodity Strategy Fund, a series of USCF Mutual Funds Trust, since its inception in 2017. Mr. Ngim has been a principal of USCF listed with the CFTC and NFA since November 2005. Mr. Ngim earned his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. 

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Ashraf R. Rizvi , 54, Co-Founder/Partner and Head of Trading at SummerHaven since 2008, is responsible for the day to day management of the firm. Previously, Mr. Rizvi was Deputy Head of Global Commodities and Head of Commodities Trading at UBS Investment Bank. He also held positions of Global Head of Metals, Global Head of Fixed Income Repo and Head of Precious Metals Rate & Forwards Trading. Mr. Rizvi worked at UBS AG and its predecessors for over 13 years. Prior to joining UBS (previously known as Swiss Bank Corporation), he was Head of FX Options Trading for the Americas at Credit Suisse. Prior to that, he was an FX Options trader at Susquehanna Investment Group. Prior to working at Susquehanna, Mr. Rizvi was a trader on various exchanges in Philadelphia, Chicago and New York for a variety of local trading groups. He received his BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Rizvi is a Board Member of the Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research and a member of the Undergraduate Board at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Kevin Sheehan , 41, is Executive Director in the Trading department at SummerHaven, responsible for all day to day trading activities. He has been at SummerHaven since 2011. Prior to joining SummerHaven Mr. Sheehan was a trader at Indus Capital. Mr. Sheehan has over 10 years trading experience. He also served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995 to 1999. Mr. Sheehan received his BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Fund Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, and Securities Lending Agent

 

BBH, located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110-1548, serves as each Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent, and securities lending agent.

 

Under a fund administration and accounting agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), BBH serves as administrator for each Fund. Under the Administration Agreement, BBH provides necessary administrative, tax, legal, and accounting services and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of each Fund. In addition, BBH makes available the office space, equipment, personnel, and facilities to provide such services.

BBH supervises the overall administration of each Fund, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by each Fund with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance and books and records of each Fund.

 

Index Provider

 

SHIM, an affiliate of the Fund, owns and maintains the Indexes. The Adviser and SHIM have entered into a licensing agreement for the Trust’s use of the Indexes, for which the Adviser pays SHIM a licensing fee. The licensing fee is separate from the fees paid to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services provided to the Funds.

 

Investors cannot be assured of the continuation of the licensing agreement between SHIM and the Adviser for use of the Indexes. Should the agreement between SHIM and the Adviser be terminated, the Adviser and the Board will consider available alternatives, including finding replacement indexes or liquidating the Funds. Termination of the licensing agreement may have an adverse effect on the performance and NAV of the Funds’ shares.

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Distributor

 

ALPS Distributors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203, serves as the distributor of Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets for the Funds on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Spicer Jeffries LLP, located at 5251 S. Quebec St., Suite 200 Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust and the Funds.

 

Legal Counsel

 

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, 700 Sixth Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001-3980, serves as counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES

 

Trading Fund Shares

 

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Funds through brokers. Shares of the Funds trade on NYSE Arca and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly-traded securities. When buying or selling shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shares of the Funds trade under the following trading symbols.

 

Fund NYSE Arca, Inc. Trading Symbol
USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund BUY
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund BUYN

 

Transaction Fees on Creation and Redemption Transactions

 

Authorized Participants are required to pay a transaction fee of $350 to compensate the Fund for brokerage and transaction expenses when purchasing Creation Baskets or redeeming Redemption Baskets. The transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant purchases or redeems a Creation Basked or redeems a Redemption Basket, respectively.

 

Each Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund and/or a designated amount of cash. To the extent that an Authorized Participant purchases a Creation Basket with cash or redeems a Redemption Basket for cash, the Authorized Participant will be subject to an additional charge no greater than 5.0%. This charge is intended to compensate the Funds for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement, and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of costs and expenses).

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The following table shows the transaction fee and maximum additional charges for creations and redemptions by Authorized Participants (as described above):

Creation and Redemption
Basket Size
Standard
Creation/Redemption
Transaction Fee
Maximum Additional
Charge for Creations
Maximum Additional
Charge for Redemptions
50,000 $ 350 5.0%* 5.0%*
       

* As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Basket or Redemption Basket, inclusive, in the case of redemptions, of the standard redemption transaction fee.

 

SHARE TRADING PRICES

 

Transactions in a Fund’s shares will be priced at NAV only if you are an institutional investor ( e.g. , broker-dealer) that has signed an agreement with the Distributor and you thereafter purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund in Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. All other investors buy and sell shares of a Fund through brokers at prices established throughout the day in the secondary market. As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions, and other factors. Accordingly, the price most investors pay or receive when they buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more or less than the NAV of such shares.

The approximate value of shares of each Fund is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by NYSE Arca or by other information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once per day. The approximate value generally is determined by using current market quotations, price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities and instruments held by a Fund, and/or amortized cost for securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less. The Funds, the Adviser, and their affiliates are not involved in, and are not responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value and make no warranty as to its accuracy.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The NAV of a Fund’s shares is calculated each day the national securities exchanges are open for trading as of the close of regular trading on NYSE Arca, generally 4:00 p.m. New York time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of the Fund’s outstanding shares.

In calculating its NAV, a Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. Debt obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.

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

 

INTRADAY INDICATIVE VALUE

 

The approximate value of a Fund’s investments on a per-share basis, also known as the Indicative Intra-day Value (“IIV”), is disseminated by NYSE Arca every 15 seconds during hours of trading. The IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV because the IIV is calculated by an independent third-party and may not be calculated in the same manner as NAV, which is computed once per day.

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An independent third-party calculator calculates the IIV for each Fund during hours of trading on NYSE Arca by dividing the Fund’s “Estimated Fund Value” as of the time of the calculation by the total number of the Fund’s outstanding shares. “Estimated Fund Value” is the sum of the estimated amount of cash held in the Fund’s portfolio, the estimated amount of accrued interest owed to the Fund, and the estimated market value of the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, minus the estimated amount of the Fund’s liabilities. A Fund’s IIV will be calculated based on the same portfolio holdings disclosed on www.uscfinvestments.com . In determining the estimated value for each of the component securities, the IIV will use last sale, market prices, or other methods that would be considered appropriate for pricing equity securities held by registered investment companies.

Each Fund provides the independent third-party calculator with information to calculate IIV, but the Funds are not involved in the actual calculation of the IIV and are not responsible for the calculation or dissemination of the IIV. Each Fund makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the IIV.

 

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

 

Information regarding the extent and frequency with which market prices of a Fund’s shares have tracked the Fund’s NAV for the most recently completed calendar year and the quarter thereafter will be available without charge at www.uscfinvestments.com .

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Each Fund intends to pay out dividends on a quarterly basis. Nonetheless, each Fund may not make a dividend payment every quarter. Each Fund intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. Each Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

 

BOOK ENTRY

 

Shares of the Funds are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Funds.

Investors owning shares of the Funds are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares of the Funds. Participants include DTC, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form. Your broker will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales, and tax information.

 

DELIVERY OF SHAREHOLDER DOCUMENTS – HOUSEHOLDING

 

Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for each Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer. 

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DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Baskets of the Fund or the provision of investor services. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future by a Fund, they will be paid out of the Fund’s assets. Over time, these fees will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund, and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges. Shareholders of a Fund would be provided with at least 60 days’ advance notice before the Fund began charging a Rule 12b-1 fee.

 

FREQUENT TRADING

 

Shares of a Fund may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets by Authorized Participants. The vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases of Creation Baskets by APs, in-kind redemptions of Redemption Baskets by APs, and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent trading.

Cash purchases of Creation Baskets and cash redemptions of Redemption Baskets, however, can be harmful to the transacting Fund. Such transactions may disrupt portfolio management, cause dilution, and increase transaction costs, all of which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may become magnified as the frequency of cash purchases of Creation Baskets and cash redemptions of Redemption Baskets by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential negative consequences, each Fund employs fair valuation pricing and imposes transaction fees on purchases of Creation Baskets and redemptions of Redemption Baskets to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. In addition, if in the discretion of the Adviser, it is determined necessary or appropriate, the Adviser will monitor trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading, and in such case, each Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund or otherwise not in the best interests of the Fund.

Given the manner in which shares of the Funds are purchased and sold by shareholders, no Fund imposes restrictions on the frequency of purchase or sale of its shares on the secondary market. In determining not to restrict the frequency of purchases or sales, the Board determined that it is unlikely that (a) market timing would be attempted by a Fund’s shareholders and (b) any attempts to market time by a Fund’s shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

INVESTMENTS BY REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of any Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that any such investment company enter into an agreement with any Fund in which it invests.

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. Your investment in a Fund may have tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws, in light of your unique circumstances. Additional tax information is contained in the SAI, which is incorporated herein and made a part of this Prospectus.

25
 

Each Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). To qualify as a RIC, each Fund must meet a number of requirements, including requirements as to the source of its income and the diversification of its assets. If a Fund meets those requirements, as well as certain minimum distribution requirements, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements (and, assuming certain relief provisions are not available), such Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would result in a material reduction in Fund income and gains available for distribution to shareholders. The remainder of this summary assumes that the Fund will qualify as a RIC and meet the minimum distribution requirements.

Unless your investment in shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions or when you redeem shares. If you hold your investment in shares through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, you should consult your own tax adviser to determine the tax consequences to you of an investment in shares.

 

Taxes on Dividends and Distributions

 

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income to the extent of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your Fund shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by such Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses) that are properly reported by such Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For noncorporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at reduced maximum rates. Distributions of short-term capital gain will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income properly reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at the same rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding periods and other requirements are met by the Fund and the shareholder. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will first be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the shares, and thereafter, as gain from the sale of shares. A shareholder’s basis in its shares will be reduced by the amount of any distribution treated as a non-taxable return of capital.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid for your shares).

 

Distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends and dividends properly reported by us as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends) paid to individual shareholders that are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. or to foreign entities will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies.

 

The Trust (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which shareholders own Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. In addition, even if shareholders have provided appropriate certifications to the intermediary through which they hold shares, such withholding may apply if the intermediary is a foreign intermediary unless such foreign intermediary either enters into an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service regarding reporting or is located in a jurisdiction that has entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Internal Revenue Service and such foreign intermediary is in compliance with the terms of such intergovernmental agreement and any enabling legislation or administrative actions.

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Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on a sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that Capital Gain Dividends were paid with respect to such shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited depending on your circumstances.

 

Additional Medicare Tax

 

Dividends and distributions from a Fund and capital gain on the sale of Fund shares are generally taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates, and trusts.

 

Taxes on Creation and Redemption of Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets

 

An AP that exchanges securities for Creation Baskets generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the fair market value of the Creation Baskets at the time of the exchange and any amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any amount of cash paid. An AP who redeems Redemption Baskets will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities plus the amount of any cash received for such Redemption Baskets and (ii) the AP’s basis in the Redemption Baskets. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss that is realized by an AP upon an exchange of securities for shares cannot be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Persons exchanging securities or non-U.S. currency for Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets should consult their own tax adviser with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

  

FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Adviser maintains a website for the Funds at www.uscfinvestments.com . The website for the Funds contains the following information for each Fund on a per-share basis: (1) the prior business day’s NAV; (2) the reported midpoint of the bid-ask spread at the time of NAV calculation (the “Bid-Ask Price”); (3) a calculation of the premium or discount of the Bid-Ask Price against such NAV; and (4) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the Bid-Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters (or for the life of the Fund, if shorter). In addition, on each business day, before the commencement of trading in shares on NYSE Arca, each Fund will disclose on www.uscfinvestments.com the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis for the calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.

A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the SAI.

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ADDITIONAL NOTICES

 

Shares of the Trust are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by NYSE Arca. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of any fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to track an index or the ability of any index to track market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for and has not participated in the compilation of the Indexes; the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of Fund shares to be issued; nor the determination or calculation of the equation by which Fund shares are redeemable.

NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of Fund shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of Fund shares.

NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the data included in any Index. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust, the Funds, owners of Fund shares, or any other person or entity from the use of an Index or the data included in an Index. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

The Adviser and the Funds make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Fund shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Indexes to track market performance. SHIM has no obligation to take the needs of the Funds or the owners of Fund shares into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the Indexes. The Adviser is not responsible for, and has not participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of Fund shares to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Fund shares are redeemable. The Funds, the Adviser, and SHIM do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Indexes or the data included therein, and shall have no liability in connection with the Indexes or their calculation. SHIM shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the Indexes.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Funds are newly organized and therefore, have not yet had any operations as of the date of this Prospectus.

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PRIVACY POLICY

 

FACTS WHAT DO USCF ADVISERS LLC (THE “COMPANY”), THE USCF ETF TRUST AND THE USCF MUTUAL FUNDS TRUST (EACH A “TRUST” AND TOGETHER, THE “TRUSTS”) DO WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

•       Social Security number

•       account balances

•       account transactions

•       transaction history

•       wire transfer instructions

•       checking account information

When you are  no longer  our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Company and the Trusts choose to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

 

Reasons we can share your personal information Do we share? Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes -

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes No

For our marketing purposes -

to offer our products and services to you

No We don’t share
For joint marketing with other financial companies No We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes -

information about your transactions and experiences

Yes No

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes -

information about your creditworthiness

No We don’t share
For our affiliates to market to you No We don’t share
For non-affiliates to market to you No We don’t share
Questions? Call 1-800-394-5065 or go to  www.uscfinvestments.com

29
 
What we do  
How do the Company and the Trusts protect my personal information? To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.
How do the Company and the Trusts collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

•    open an account

•    provide account information

•    give us your contact information

•    make a wire transfer

•    tell us where to send the money

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

•    sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your creditworthiness

•    affiliates from using your information to market to you

•    sharing for non-affiliates to market to you

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions  
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and non-financial companies.

 

•     Our affiliates include companies which are subsidiaries of Wainwright Holdings, Inc., such as United States Commodity Funds LLC.

Non-affiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and non-financial companies.

 

•     The Company and the Trusts do not share with non-affiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

•     The Company and the Trusts do not conduct joint marketing.

30
 

USCF ETF Trust

 

The SAI provides additional detailed information about the Funds. The Trust has electronically filed the SAI with the SEC. It is incorporated by reference in this Prospectus.

Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year, as applicable.

To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on a Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports, as applicable, free of charge, please:

   
Call: 1-800-920-0259
  Monday through Friday
  8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Write:   USCF ETF Trust
  c/o ALPS Distributors, Inc.
  1290 Broadway, Suite 1100
  Denver, Colorado 80203
Visit: www.uscfinvestments.com

Information about the Funds (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov , and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Funds or their shares not contained in this Prospectus, and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.

USCF ETF Trust
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530
Oakland, CA 94612

The Funds are distributed by
ALPS Distributors, Inc.
1290 Broadway, Suite 1100
Denver, Colorado 80203

USCF Advisers ®  is a registered mark of United States Commodity Funds LLC

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22930

31
 

Statement of Additional Information

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund

(BUY)

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund

(BUYN)

 

November 29, 2017 

 

USCF ETF TRUST

  * Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current combined Prospectus (the “Prospectus”), dated November 29, 2017, for the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (the “Funds”), each a series of USCF ETF Trust (the “Trust”). A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1-800-920-0259 or visiting www.uscfinvestments.com , or writing to the Trust, c/o ALPS Distributors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

 

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. Audited financial statements are not presented for the Funds because the Funds are newly formed and have not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this SAI and the Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust. This SAI does not constitute an offer to sell securities.

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
   
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS 1
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 1
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES 2
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 3
MANAGEMENT 5
PROXY VOTING POLICES 12
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 12
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 12
MANAGEMENT SERVICES 12
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 15
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE 17
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 18
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES 19
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION AND REDEMPTION BASKETS 21
CONTINUOUS OFFERING 24
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 25
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 26
TAXATION 26
OTHER INFORMATION 34
APPENDIX A - SUMMERHAVEN PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES A-1
 
 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with a Declaration of Trust dated November 6, 2013. The Declaration of Trust was amended and restated on June 16, 2014. The Trust is authorized to have multiple segregated series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). The Trust currently consists of multiple series. This SAI relates only to the Funds. Other series may be added to the Trust in the future. The shares of the Funds are referred to herein as “shares.” The offering of shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”).

 

Each Fund is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act.

 

The Funds are managed by USCF Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”). The Adviser has been registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) since July 2, 2014, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wainwright Holdings, Inc. (“Wainwright”). Wainwright is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Concierge Technologies, Inc., a company publicly traded under the ticker symbol “CNCG” (“Concierge”). Mr. Nicholas Gerber, along with certain family members and certain other shareholders, own the majority of the shares in Concierge. Wainwright continues to operate its business as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Concierge.

 

Shares trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Listing Exchange”) at market prices that may be below, at, or above the shares’ respective net asset values (“NAVs”). Each Fund’s share price will fluctuate with market, economic and, to the extent applicable, foreign exchange conditions. No Fund should be relied upon as a complete investment program.

 

Each Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Baskets” and “Redemption Baskets,” respectively), which only certain institutions or large investors (typically, market makers or other broker-dealers) that have entered into an agreement with ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) may purchase or redeem. Each Fund generally offers and issues Creation Baskets in exchange for baskets of investments included in the Fund’s portfolio (“Deposit Securities”). Each Fund generally redeems Redemption Baskets in exchange for Deposit Securities.

 

Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets are aggregations of stipulated “blocks” of shares, and each block is currently 50,000 shares. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may lower the number of shares in the Fund’s Redemption Basket.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

There can be no assurance that a Fund will continue to meet the Listing Exchange’s requirements for listing shares. The Listing Exchange will consider the suspension of trading and delisting of a Fund’s shares if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares; (ii) the value of the Fund’s Index is no longer calculated or available; (iii) the Fund fails to satisfy applicable continued listing requirements of the Listing Exchange; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Listing Exchange, makes further trading on the Listing Exchange inadvisable.

 

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Listing Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

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

1
 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

 

Investment Objectives

 

Each Fund has a distinct investment objective. The Funds’ investment objectives are disclosed in the Prospectus. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s objective will be achieved. The investment objective of each Fund, and all other investment policies and practices of each Fund, are considered by the Trust not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without shareholder approval. Additional information about the Funds, their policies, and the investment instruments that they may hold, is provided below.

  

Fundamental Investment Policies

 

The investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust as fundamental policies. These policies cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a Fund means the lesser of the vote of (i) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.

 

If any percentage restriction described below is complied with at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in the value will not constitute a violation of such restriction, except that certain percentage limitations will be observed continuously in accordance with applicable law.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund may not:

 

A. Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by applicable law. To the extent that the Fund borrows money, asset coverage of at least 300% (as defined in the 1940 Act), inclusive of any amounts borrowed, must be maintained at all times.

 

B. Make loans except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. For example, Sections 17 and 18 of the 1940 Act relate to certain transactions and the capital structure of investment companies. Such provisions can inhibit an investment company’s ability to make loans.

 

C. Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.

 

D. Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities or other investments that are secured by real estate or invest in securities or other instruments issued by issuers that invest in real estate.

 

E. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except as permitted under the 1940 Act or unless acquired as result of ownership of securities or other instruments issued by persons that purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts. This restriction shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling, and entering into financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rate, and currencies), options on financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates, and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts, or other derivative instruments that are not related to physical commodities. Notwithstanding this fundamental policy, the Fund may invest in derivatives only to the extent permitted by exemptive relief granted by the SEC.
2
 

F. Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief granted by the SEC. Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act regulates the requisite asset coverage and permissible classes; such restrictions have been interpreted by the SEC Staff and subsequent rules and regulations have been issued.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund may purchase any security that would cause the Fund to concentrate 25% or more of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index that the Fund seeks to track (which may be changed) is concentrated in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in that particular industry or group of industries. The Fund will not concentrate in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in any particular industry or group of industries at any time when the Index that the Fund seeks to track is not so concentrated. This policy does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or repurchase agreements secured thereby, or futures and options transactions issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. There is no limit on the percentage of assets that a Fund may invest in any particular industry or group of industries; each Fund will be concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries to the same extent as its Index.

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

The Prospectus discloses the principal investment strategies and principal investment risks of the Funds. This section of the SAI provides additional information about the Funds’ investment strategies and their investment risks. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

  

Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving a Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause a Fund to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent a Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. The Trust and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cybersecurity. A breach in cybersecurity refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Trust to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cybersecurity include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity breaches affecting the Trust or its service providers may adversely impact the Trust. For instance, cybersecurity breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Trust’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Trust to regulatory fines or financial losses, and/or cause reputational damage. The Trust may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Trust may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Trust’s investment in such companies to lose value.   

Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rate paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer durations. Duration measures the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to changes in interest rates.

 

Certain of a Fund’s investments may be valued, in part, by reference to the relative relationship between interest rates on tax-exempt securities and taxable securities, respectively. When the market for tax-exempt securities underperforms (or outperforms) the market for taxable securities, the value of these investments may be negatively affected (or positively affected).

3
 

Non-U.S. Investment Risk. Foreign investments pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Investments in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors. Information about foreign investments may not be as available or reliable as information on investments in the United States. This may prevent a Fund from obtaining information concerning foreign investments that is as frequent, extensive, and reliable as the available information on investments in the United States. Foreign countries may have restrictions on foreign ownership of investments or may impose exchange controls, capital flow restrictions, or repatriation restrictions which could adversely affect the liquidity of a Fund’s investments.

Short Selling Risk. A short sale by a Fund involves borrowing securities from a lender which are then sold in the open market. At a future date, the securities are repurchased by the Fund and returned to the lender. While the securities are borrowed, the proceeds from the sale are deposited with the lender and the Fund pays interest to the lender. If the value of the securities declines between the time that the Fund borrows the securities and the time it repurchases and returns the securities to the lender, the Fund makes a profit on the difference (less any interest the Fund is required to pay the lender). Short selling involves risk.

 

There is no assurance that securities will decline in value during the period of the short sale and make a profit for a Fund. Securities sold short may instead appreciate in value creating a loss for a Fund. A Fund also may experience difficulties repurchasing and returning the borrowed securities if a liquid market for the securities does not exist. The lender may also recall borrowed securities at any time. The lender from whom a Fund has borrowed securities may go bankrupt, and the Fund may lose the collateral it has deposited with the lender. The Funds will adhere to controls and limits that are intended to offset these risks by short selling only liquid securities and by limiting the amount of exposure for short sales.

 

Risk Related to the Economy. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the stock market based on negative developments in the U.S. and global economies. Lower-grade corporate bond returns are sensitive to changes in the economy.

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities. A Fund may lend portfolio securities constituting up to 33 1 / 3 % of its total assets (as permitted by the 1940 Act) to unaffiliated broker-dealers, banks, or other recognized institutional borrowers of securities, provided that the borrower at all times maintains with the Fund cash, U.S. government securities, or equivalent collateral or provides an irrevocable letter of credit in favor of the Fund equal in value to at least 100% of the value of the securities loaned. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the Fund an amount equivalent to any dividends or interest paid on such securities, and the Fund may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income (to be retained by the Fund) from a borrower who delivered equivalent collateral or provided a letter of credit. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower. A Fund may invest any cash collateral and earn additional income, or it may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower who has delivered equivalent collateral or a letter of credit. A Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the income earned on the cash to the borrower or placing broker. Each Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, but could terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that were considered important with respect to the investment.

 

The primary risk in securities lending is a default by the borrower during a sharp rise in the price of the borrowed security resulting in a deficiency in the collateral posted by the borrower. Each Fund will seek to minimize this risk by requiring that the value of the securities loaned be computed each day and additional collateral be furnished each day if required.

 

Treasuries. A Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations (“Treasuries”) and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. Treasuries are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. 

4
 

Money Market Instruments. A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis. The instruments in which a Fund may invest include: (1) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. government; (2) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits, and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (3) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, Inc., a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; and (4) money market mutual funds. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

  

MANAGEMENT

 

Board Responsibilities

 

The business of the Trust is overseen by the Board in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by the service providers of the Trust such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, and BBH. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, therefore, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks such as events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance, or reputation of the Trust or the Funds. The Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the inception of an investment portfolio, at which time the Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the investment portfolio. Additionally, the Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, the firm’s investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board oversees the risk management of the investment portfolio’s operations, in part, by requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the service providers, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee of the Board, oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage the risks to which the Funds may be exposed.

 

Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers of the Trust employ a variety of processes, procedures, and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Funds to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

 

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

5
 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust

 

Set forth below is the name, date of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, principal occupations and other directorships for a minimum of the last five years of each person currently serving as a member of the Board or as an executive officer of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

The Board is currently comprised of seven Trustees. The Chairman of the Board, Nicholas D. Gerber, and Messrs. Andrew F Ngim and Stuart P. Crumbaugh are “interested persons” of the Trust, as that term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, because of their affiliation with the Adviser. They are referred to herein as “Interested Trustees.” The Chairman’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as liaison between the Trustees and the Adviser, counsel, and other service providers generally between meetings. The Chairman may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time.

 

Messrs. Thomas E. Gard, Jeremy Henderson, John D. Schwartz, and H. Abram Wilson, and their immediate family members, have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or the Distributor or any of their affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser or the Distributor. These Trustees are not interested persons of the Trust and are referred to herein as “Independent Trustees.” Mr. Henderson serves as the lead Independent Trustee. The lead Independent Trustee’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Independent Trustees and to act as liaison between the Independent Trustees and the Adviser, counsel, and other service providers generally between meetings. The lead Independent Trustee may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time.

 

There is an Audit Committee and Nominating Committee of the Board, each of which is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The chair for each Committee is responsible for running the Committee meetings, formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinating with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of such Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter.

6
 

The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust and the Funds. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a majority of the Board, the assets under management of the Trust, the number of portfolios overseen by the Board, the total number of Trustees on the Board, and the number of the Trust’s service providers and the nature of the services that they provide.

 

Independent Trustees

 

Name and Age (1)   Position(s)
Held with
Trust
  Term of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served (2)
  Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
  Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
  Other
Directorships
Held by 
Trustee
(Past 5 Years)
Thomas E. Gard 
Year of Birth: 1959
  Independent Trustee   Since 2015   Partner Armanino LLP 1995 to present; Member of Armanino Executive Committee 2001 to Present; Partner in Charge of Armanino LLP Audit Department December 2004-2013.   3   None
                     
Jeremy Henderson
Year of Birth: 1956
  Independent Trustee   Since 2014   Mr. Henderson has been retired from 2007 to present; Managing Director – Societe Generale 1991-2007.   3   None
                     
John D. Schwartz 
Year of Birth: 1968
  Independent Trustee   Since 2014   President – Sam CLAR Office Furniture 1996 to present.   3   None
                     
H. Abram Wilson 
Year of Birth: 1946
  Independent Trustee   Since 2014   San Ramon City, CA Councilmember 1999-2011, including Mayor of San Ramon City, CA from 2002-2009. Mr. Wilson has been retired from 2011 to present.   3   None

7
 

Interested Trustees and Officers of the Trust

 

Name and Age (1)   Position(s)
Held with
Trust
  Term of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served (2)
  Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
  Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
  Other
Directorships
Held by 
Trustee
(Past 5 Years)
Nicholas D. Gerber (3)
Year of Birth:  1962
  Chairman and Trustee  

Since

2014

  Chairman of the Board of Directors of United States Commodity Funds LLC (“USCF”) since 2005;  President and Chief Executive Officer of USCF from 2005 through June 2015; Vice President of USCF since June 2015; Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary of Concierge Technologies, Inc. since January 26, 2015; Co-founder of Ameristock Corporation, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, from March 1995 until January 2013; and Portfolio Manager of the Ameristock Mutual Fund, Inc. a mutual fund registered under the 1940 Act, from August 1995 to January 2013.   3   Management Director of United States Commodity Funds LLC, which is the sponsor of a family of commodity pools whose shares are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, from June 2005 - present; Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary, Chairman of the Board of Concierge Technologies, Inc. from January 26, 2015 - present.
                     

John P. Love

Year of Birth: 1971

 

President,

Principal

Executive

Officer

 

Since

2015

  Chief Executive Officer and President of USCF since June 2015; Senior Portfolio Manager of USCF from March 2010 to June 2015; Portfolio manager of USCF April 2006 to March 2010; President of USCF Advisers LLC since June 2015.   N/A   N/A
                     
Stuart P. Crumbaugh (3)
Year of Birth:  1963
 

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting  

Officer), Treasurer, and Trustee

 

Since

2015

  Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting Officer), Treasurer and Secretary of USCF Advisers LLC and United States Commodity Funds LLC from April 2015 - Present; Sikka Software Corporation – Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer from March 2014 to April 2015; Vice President, Corporate Controller and Treasurer – Auction.com, LLC December 2012 - December 2013; Chief Financial Officer IP Infusion Inc., March 2011 - September 2012; Consultant January 2010 - February 2011.   3   None.
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Andrew F Ngim (3)
Year of Birth:  1960
  Trustee   Trustee from 2014 to February 2015 and May 2015 to Present.   Co-founded USCF in 2005 and has served as a Management Director since May 2005 and Chief Operating Officer since September 2016; Portfolio Manager for the United States Commodity Index Funds Trust since January 2013; Treasurer of USCF from June 2005 – February 2012; Prior to and concurrent with his services to USCF, from January 1999 to January 2013, Mr. Ngim served as Managing Director for Ameristock Corporation which he co-founded in March 1995 and was Co-Portfolio manager of Ameristock Mutual Fund, Inc. from January 2000 to January 2013; Portfolio Manager for USCF ETF Trust since 2014.   5   Management Director of United States Commodity Funds LLC, which is the sponsor of a family of commodity pools whose shares are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, from June 2005 – present.
                     
Carolyn M. Yu 
Year of Birth:  1958
  Chief Legal Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and AML Officer   Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary from May 2015 - Present; Chief Compliance Officer, since February  2015; AML Officer since 2014.   General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of USCF since May 2015 and February 2013, respectively; since May 2015, Ms. Yu has served as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of USCF Advisers LLC; from August 2011 through April 2015, Ms. Yu served as Associate Counsel of USCF; from June 2014 to February 2015, Ms. Yu served as Associate Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for USCF ETF Trust.   N/A   N/A
                     

Daphne G. Frydman

Year of Birth: 1974

  Assistant Secretary   Since 2016   Deputy General Counsel of USCF since May 2016; Assistant Secretary of USCF ETF Trust since October 2016; Partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP from January 2011 to April 2016; and counsel and associate at the same from 2009 to 2010 and from 2001 to 2008, respectively.   N/A   N/A
(1) The address of each Trustee and officer is c/o USCF ETF Trust, 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland, California 94612.
(2) The Trustees and officers serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
(3) Messrs. Gerber, Crumbaugh, and Ngim are “interested persons” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) because of their affiliation with the Adviser.

9
 

Description of Standing Board Committees

 

Audit Committee.  The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the Trust’s independent auditors, including the resolution of disagreements regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors.

 

The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation, to (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal control over financial reporting of certain third-party service providers; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Funds’ financial statements and the independent auditors thereof; (iii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting, and independent audits; (iv) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence, and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. Each of the Independent Trustees serves on the Trust’s Audit Committee. Mr. Henderson is the chairperson of the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, the Audit Committee met two (2) times.

 

Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee has been established to: (i) assist the Board in matters involving mutual fund governance and industry practices; (ii) select and nominate candidates for appointment or election to serve as Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, the Adviser, or the Distributor (as the term “interested persons” is defined in the 1940 Act); and (iii) advise the Board on ways to improve its effectiveness. As stated above, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the occurrence of certain events. In filling Board vacancies, the Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Nominee recommendations should be submitted to the Trust at its mailing address stated in the Prospectus and should be directed to the attention of the USCF ETF Trust Nominating Committee. The following Independent Trustees serve on the Trust’s Nominating Committee: Messrs. Gard, Wilson, and Schwartz. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, the Nominating Committee met zero (0) times.

  

Individual Trustee Qualifications

 

The Trust has concluded that the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their collective ability to review and understand information about the Trust and the Funds, to identify and request information that they deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and service providers regarding the operation and administration of the Trust and the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interest of the Funds’ shareholders. 

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The Trust has also concluded that the Trustees should serve on the Board based on their individual experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills. In concluding that Thomas E. Gard should serve as a Trustee, the Board considered his extensive accounting background, including the fact that he served as the partner-in-charge of Armanino LLP’s audit department for over 10 years. In concluding that Jeremy Henderson should serve as a Trustee, the Board considered his extensive business background, including the fact that he served as a managing director at Societe Generale for 16 years. In concluding that John D. Schwartz should serve as Trustee, the Board considered his extensive business background and the number of years for which he has served in a senior executive position. In concluding that H. Abram Wilson should serve as Trustee, the Board considered his past experience as a banker and federal funds trader and his role in serving on San Ramon’s finance committee. In concluding that Nicholas D. Gerber should serve as a Trustee, the Board considered his broad business experiences in the industry including: forming and managing investment companies and commodity pools, raising capital for such entities, and founding and managing non-finance related companies. In concluding that Stuart P. Crumbaugh should serve as a Trustee, the Board considered his background in accounting and finance, as well as his experience as an Independent Trustee of the Trust. In concluding that Andrew F Ngim should serve as a Trustee, the Board considered his background as a portfolio manager for the Ameristock Mutual Fund, as well as his experience with United States Commodity Funds LLC.

 

Trustees’ Ownership of Fund Shares

 

The Funds are newly formed and did not have any shares outstanding as of the date of this SAI. The Trustees do not own shares of any series of USCF ETF Trust or USCF Mutual Funds Trust, which belong to the same fund complex.

 

Board Compensation

 

Each Independent Trustee receives an annual retainer of $2,000. For each in-person Board Meeting, each Independent Trustee receives $2,000. For each telephonic meeting, each Independent Trustee receives $500. The Chair of the Audit Committee receives an annual retainer of $500 at the beginning of the Trust’s fiscal year on July 1. In addition, the Independent Trustees are reimbursed for all reasonable travel expenses relating to their attendance at the Board Meetings.

 

The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Trust during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plan.

 

Name of Person, Position Aggregate Compensation
from the Trust
Total Compensation from Fund
Complex Paid to Trustees
Independent Trustees
Thomas E. Gard $ 15,000 $ 17,500
Jeremy Henderson $ 15,000 $ 18,000
John D. Schwartz $ 15,000 $ 17,500
H. Abram Wilson $ 15,000 $ 17,500
Interested Trustees
Nicholas D. Gerber $ 0 $ 0
Stuart P. Crumbaugh $ 0 $ 0
Andrew F Ngim $ 0 $ 0

 

Code of Ethics

 

The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permit personnel subject to their particular codes of ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. 

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PROXY VOTING POLICES

 

The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Funds is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds to the Adviser, and the Adviser has further delegated such responsibility to the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, a summary of which is included in Appendix A to this SAI. The Board will periodically review the Funds’ proxy voting records.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Funds’ complete proxy voting records on Form N-PX during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The Funds’ Form N-PX filing will be available at no charge upon request by calling 1-866-909-9473. It will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

The Funds are newly formed and did not have any shares outstanding as of the date of this SAI.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Changes may be made in a Fund’s portfolio consistent with the investment objective and corresponding investment policies of the Fund when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio holdings for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio holdings owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the holdings in a Fund’s portfolio holdings, with the exception of holdings whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.

 

The Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, so they do not have portfolio turnover rates to report.

 

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section of the Prospectus entitled “Management.”

 

Adviser

 

The Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Funds and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust pursuant to the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”).

 

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board, provides an investment program for each Fund. The Adviser is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the retention of sub-advisers to manage the investment of the Funds’ assets in conformity with their respective investment policies if the Adviser does not provide these services directly. The Adviser also arranges for the provision of distribution, transfer agency, custody, administration, and all other services necessary for the Funds to operate. 

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In addition to providing advisory services, the Adviser also: (i) supervises all non-advisory operations of the Funds; (ii) provides personnel to perform such executive, administrative, and clerical services as are reasonably necessary to provide effective administration of the Funds; (iii) arranges for (a) the preparation of all required tax returns, (b) the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders, (c) the periodic updating of the Trust’s registration statement, and (d) the preparation of reports to be filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (iv) maintains the Fund’s records; and (v) provides office space and all necessary office equipment and services.

 

The Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year with respect to a particular Fund provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Board, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

  

The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically if “assigned” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement is also terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

 

Sub-Adviser

 

The Sub-Adviser (along with the Adviser and subject to the Adviser’s oversight) supervises and manages the investment portfolio of each Fund and directs the purchase and sale of each Fund’s investments. The Sub-Adviser serves as the sub-adviser to each Fund pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”).

 

The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides for an initial two-year term after the date the Funds commenced operations. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to a particular Fund from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Board, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Board, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically if “assigned” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Sub-Advisory Agreement is also terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser or by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

 

Advisory Fees

 

The Funds are newly formed and have not paid any advisory fees as of the date of this SAI.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The persons primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds are Andrew F Ngim, a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of USCF; Ashraf R. Rizvi, a Partner and Portfolio Manager of SummerHaven; and Kevin Sheehan, Executive Director and Portfolio Manager of SummerHaven.

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The following table provides information about the other accounts for which Messrs. Ngim, Rizvi, and Sheehan are primarily responsible. The reporting information is provided as of June 30, 2017:

    Andrew F Ngim  
Registered Investment Companies        
Number of Accounts     1  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 2.61  
Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance Fee     0  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 0  
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles        
Number of Accounts     3  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 501.64  
Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance Fee     0  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 0  
Other Accounts        
Number of Accounts     0  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 0  
Number of Accounts Subject to Performance     0  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 0  

 

    Ashraf R. Rizvi   Kevin Sheehan  
Registered Investment Companies            
Number of Accounts     4   4  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 506.29   506.29  
Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance Fee     0   0  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 0   0  
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles            
Number of Accounts     4   4  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 947.66   947.66  
Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance Fee     3   3  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 947.66   947.66  
Other Accounts            
Number of Accounts     1   1  
Total Assets (in millions)   $ 32.24   32.24  
Number of Accounts Subject to Performance     1   1  
Total Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions)   $ 32.24   32.24  

 

Material Conflicts of Interest – The Adviser

 

Because the portfolio managers manage multiple portfolios for multiple clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. Each portfolio manager may manage portfolios having substantially the same investment style as a Fund. However, the portfolios managed by a portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions identical to those of the Funds managed by the portfolio manager due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The portfolio manager may purchase or sell short securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased or sold short for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased or sold short for other portfolios. A portfolio manager may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of a Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for a Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact a Fund depending on market conditions. For example, a portfolio manager may purchase a security in one portfolio while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures that are, or have the potential to be, higher than the advisory fees paid by the Funds, which can cause potential conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Funds and the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for the portfolio manager does not generally provide incentive to favor one account over another because that part of a manager’s bonus based on performance is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors considered in determining the portfolio manager’s bonus and there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed (see “Compensation – The Adviser”). In addition, current trading practices do not allow the Adviser to intentionally favor one portfolio over another as trades are executed as trade orders are received. Portfolio rebalancing dates also generally vary from portfolio to portfolio. 

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Material Conflicts of Interest – The Sub-Adviser

 

Because the Sub-Adviser manages multiple portfolios or accounts for multiple clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. The Sub-Adviser will devote so much of its time and effort to the affairs of each Fund as may, in its judgment, be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Fund, and may conduct any other business, including any business within the securities industry, whether or not such business is in competition with the Fund. The Sub-Adviser may manage portfolios or accounts having substantially the same investment style as a Fund. However, the portfolios managed by the Sub-Adviser may not have portfolio compositions identical to those of the Funds due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The Sub-Adviser may purchase or sell short securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased or sold short for one portfolio or account may vary from the performance of securities purchased or sold short for other portfolios or accounts. The Sub-Adviser may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of a Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for a Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact a Fund depending on market conditions. For example, the Sub-Adviser may purchase a security in one portfolio or account while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio or account. To the extent a particular investment is suitable for both a Fund and other clients of the Sub-Adviser, such investments will be allocated between the Fund and the other clients pro rata based on assets under management or in some other manner that the Sub-Adviser determines is fair and equitable under the circumstances to all clients, including the Fund. From the standpoint of a Fund, simultaneous identical portfolio transactions for the Fund and the other clients may tend to decrease the prices received, and increase the prices required to be paid, by the Fund for its portfolio sales and purchases. In addition, some of these portfolios or accounts have fee structures that are, or have the potential to be, higher than the advisory fees paid by the Funds, which can cause potential conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Funds and the other accounts.

 

Compensation – The Adviser

 

The Adviser compensates its portfolio management personnel through cash remuneration. The cash portion consists of market-based base salary and a year-end discretionary bonus. Base salary is determined by the employee’s experience and performance in the role, taking into account the ongoing compensation benchmark analyses. Base salary is generally a fixed amount that may change as a result of an annual review, upon assumption of new duties, or when a market adjustment of the position occurs. The discretionary cash component is driven by both individual performance and the performance of the firm overall, as measured by assets under management, revenues, and profitability.

 

Compensation – The Sub-Adviser

 

The Sub-Adviser compensates its non-partner level portfolio management personnel through cash remuneration. The cash portion consists of market-based base salary and a year-end discretionary bonus. Base salary is determined by the employee’s experience and performance in the role. Base salary is generally a fixed amount that may change as a result of an annual review, upon assumption of new duties, or when a market adjustment of the position occurs. The discretionary cash component is driven by both individual performance and the performance of the firm overall, as measured by assets under management, revenues, and profitability. Partner-level portfolio management personnel receive a base salary and an allocated portion of the annual profits of the Sub-Adviser.

 

Ownership of Securities

 

The portfolio managers do not own shares of the Funds.

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, and Securities Lending Agent

 

Under the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), BBH serves as Administrator for the Fund. BBH’s principal address is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1548. Under the Administration Agreement, BBH provides necessary administrative, legal, tax, accounting services, and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds. In addition, BBH makes available the office space, equipment, personnel, and facilities required to provide such services. 

15
 

BBH supervises the overall administration of the Trust and the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by the Funds with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds.

 

BBH serves as custodian of the Funds’ assets. BBH has agreed to (1) make receipts and disbursements of money on behalf of the Funds; (2) collect and receive all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Funds’ portfolio investments; (3) respond to correspondence from Fund shareholders and others relating to its duties; and (4) make periodic reports to the Funds concerning the Funds’ operations. BBH does not exercise any supervisory function over the purchase and sale of securities.

 

BBH serves as transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Funds. BBH has agreed to (1) issue and redeem shares of the Funds; (2) make dividend and other distributions to shareholders of the Funds; (3) respond to correspondence by Fund shareholders and others relating to its duties; (4) maintain shareholder accounts; and (5) make periodic reports to the Funds.

 

As compensation for the foregoing services, BBH receives certain out of pocket costs, transaction fees, and asset based fees, which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Trust.

 

BBH also serves as the Trust’s securities lending agent pursuant to a securities lending authorization agreement. As compensation for providing securities lending services, BBH receives a portion of the income earned by the Funds on collateral investments in connection with the lending program.

 

The following table sets forth the compensation received by BBH for its roles as administrator, custodian, transfer agent, and securities lending agent during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. These amounts relate to the Stock Split Index Fund and the USCF Restaurant Leaders Fund, but not the Funds, which were not in existence as of the end of the last fiscal year.

 

Fiscal Year     Total 
Compensation
Received
 
2017       $      244,221  

 

Distributor

 

ALPS Distributors, Inc., the Distributor, is located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in whole Creation Baskets, as described in the section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Baskets.” The Distributor also acts as an agent for the Trust. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to persons purchasing shares in Creation Baskets and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

 

As compensation for the foregoing services, the Distributor receives certain out of pocket costs, transaction fees, and asset based fees, all of which are paid by the Adviser out of its own assets. The Distributor receives no compensation from the Trust.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of the Funds. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments. 

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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Spicer Jeffries LLP (“Spicer Jeffries”), located at 5251 S. Quebec St., Suite 200 Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust. Spicer Jeffries performs the annual audit of the financial statements of the Funds; prepares the Funds’ federal, state, and excise tax returns; and advises the Funds on matters of accounting and federal and state income taxation.

 

Legal Counsel

 

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, 700 Sixth Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001-3980, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

 

Subject to the general supervision by the Board, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser are responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions (which may be affiliates of the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser), and the negotiation of brokerage commissions. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealers who receive compensation for their services in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder. Compensation may also be paid in connection with riskless principal transactions (in NASDAQ or over-the-counter securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency NASDAQ or over-the-counter transactions executed with an electronic communications network or an alternative trading system.

 

The Funds will give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions in implementing trading policy. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are traded on an exchange, each Fund’s policy will be to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser believe that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high quality of brokerage services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will rely upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations will be necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar for those services is not ascertainable.

 

The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser do not consider sales of shares by broker-dealers as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions.

 

As permitted by Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a securities transaction for the Fund that is in excess of the commission which another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction, if the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser makes a good faith determination that the broker’s commission paid by the Fund is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or the Adviser’s or the Sub-Adviser’s overall responsibilities to the Fund and its other investment advisory clients. The practice of using a portion of a Fund’s commission dollars to pay for brokerage and research services provided to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser is sometimes referred to as “soft dollars.” Section 28(e) is sometimes referred to as a “safe harbor,” because it permits this practice, subject to a number of restrictions, including the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s compliance with certain procedural requirements and limitations on the type of brokerage and research services that qualify for the safe harbor. 

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Research products and services may include, but are not limited to, general economic, political, business, and market information and reviews; industry and company information and reviews; evaluations of securities and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities; financial data on a company or companies; performance and risk measuring services and analysis; stock price quotation services; computerized historical financial databases and related software; credit rating services; analysis of corporate responsibility issues; brokerage analysts’ earnings estimates; computerized links to current market data; software dedicated to research; and portfolio modeling. Research services may be provided in the form of reports, computer-generated data feeds and other services, telephone contacts, and personal meetings with securities analysts, as well as in the form of meetings arranged with corporate officers and industry spokespersons, economists, academics, and governmental representatives. Brokerage products and services assist in the execution, clearance, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as functions incidental thereto, including but not limited to related communication and connectivity services and equipment, software related to order routing, market access, algorithmic trading, and other trading activities. On occasion, a broker-dealer may furnish the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser with a service that has a mixed use (that is, the service is used both for brokerage and research activities that are within the safe harbor and for other activities). In this case, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser is required to reasonably allocate the cost of the service, so that any portion of the service that does not qualify for the safe harbor is paid for by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser from its own funds, and not by portfolio commissions paid by a Fund.

 

Research products and services provided to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser by broker-dealers that effect securities transactions for a Fund may be used by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser in servicing all of its accounts. Accordingly, not all of these services may be used by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser in connection with the Fund. Some of these products and services are also available to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser for cash, and some do not have an explicit cost or determinable value. The research received does not reduce the advisory fees paid to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser for services provided to the Funds.

 

The Adviser’s or the Sub-Adviser’s expenses would likely increase if the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser had to generate these research products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

Portfolio Disclosure Policy

 

The Trust has adopted a Portfolio Holdings Policy (the “Policy”) designed to govern the disclosure of portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about Fund holdings. The Policy applies to all officers, employees, and agents of the Trust, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. The Policy is designed to ensure that the disclosure of information about each Fund’s portfolio holdings is consistent with applicable legal requirements and otherwise in the best interest of each Fund.

 

As each Fund is an ETF, information about each Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis, all in accordance with any applicable law, exemptive or no-action relief from the SEC, or rules of the Listing Exchange. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of a Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day (as defined below). This information is used in connection with the Creation Basket and Redemption Basket process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Listing Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “NSCC”), and/or third party service providers.

 

Each Fund will disclose on the Funds’ website ( www.uscfinvestments.com ) prior to the commencement of trading on each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on the Business Day. Online disclosure of such holdings is publicly available at no charge. 

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Daily access to each Fund’s portfolio holdings is permitted to personnel of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, BBH, and the Trust’s other agents and service providers who have need of such information in connection with the ordinary course of their respective duties to the Funds. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings.

 

Each Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the quarter, and provides that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Policy. The Board reviews the implementation of the Policy on a periodic basis.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES

 

Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and a registered investment company. The Trust was organized on November 8, 2013, and has authorized capital of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of no par value, which may be issued in more than one class or series.

 

Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholder meeting if the 1940 Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, annual meetings of Trust shareholders will not be held. If requested by shareholders of at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust, the Trust will call a meeting of the Trust’s shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the removal of a Trustee, in which case the Trust will assist in communications among Trust shareholders. Shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust may remove a Trustee from office by votes cast at a meeting of Trust shareholders or by written consent.

 

All shares of the Trust are freely transferable; provided, however, that shares may not be redeemed individually, but only in Redemption Baskets. The shares will not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the shares will have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. Shares have equal voting rights, except that only shares of a particular series may be entitled to vote on a matter affecting that series. Trust shareholders are entitled to require the Trust to redeem Redemption Baskets if such shareholders are Authorized Participants (or “APs”). The Declaration of Trust confers upon the Board the power, by resolution, to alter the number of shares constituting a Redemption Basket or to specify that shares of the Trust may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices of shares to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds.

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims liability of the shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by the Trust for all loss and expense of the Funds’ shareholders held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a Fund itself would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations, and this risk should be considered remote. If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to liquidate or transfer their shares at an inopportune time and shareholders may lose money on their investment.  

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Book Entry Only System

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Book Entry.” 

 

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

 

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

 

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by 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 the Funds 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 Participants 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, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of the Funds 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 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 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. The DTC Participants’ rules and policies are made publicly available through its website at:  www.dtcc.com

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PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION AND REDEMPTION BASKETS

 

Creation

 

The Trust issues and sells shares of each Fund only in Creation Baskets on a continuous basis through the Distributor at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), for an order received in proper form.

 

A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of the Prospectus, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday); Good Friday; Memorial Day (observed); Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day.

 

Fund Deposit.  For each Fund, the consideration for purchase of a Creation Basket of shares consists of Deposit Securities constituting a substantial replication, or a representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s portfolio and an amount of cash (the “Cash Component”) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Basket of the Fund. The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Basket) and the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number ( i.e. , the NAV per Creation Basket exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number ( i.e. , the NAV per Creation Basket is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash from the Fund in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Basket and the market value of the Deposit Securities.

 

BBH, through the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for a Fund. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect creations of Creation Baskets of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for a Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the portfolio manager(s) with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), or which may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting.

 

In addition to the list of names and numbers of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of a Fund Deposit, BBH, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Creation Basket of the Fund.

 

Cash Purchase.  When, in the sole discretion of the Trust, cash purchases of Creation Baskets of shares are available or specified for a Fund, such purchases shall be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. In addition, to offset a Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with using the cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the Authorized Participant must pay the Transaction Fees required for the Fund. 

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Procedures for Creation of Creation Baskets.  To be eligible to place orders for a Creation Basket 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 DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of the Funds, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

 

All orders must be placed for one or more Creation Basket-sized aggregations of shares (50,000 in the case of the Funds). All orders for Creation Baskets, whether through the Clearing Process (through a Participating Party) or outside the Clearing Process (through a DTC Participant), must be received by the Distributor no later than the close of the regular trading session on the Listing Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“Closing Time”)) or, for the Cash Creation Baskets, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, in each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Creation Baskets to be effected based on the NAV of shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. The date on which an order for Creation Baskets (or an order to redeem Redemption Baskets as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below (see “Placement of Creation and Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation and Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

Orders for Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets of a Fund shall be placed with an Authorized Participant, as applicable, in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order,  i.e. , to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Baskets or redeem Redemption Baskets of a Fund have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those placing orders for Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date.

 

Orders for creation or redemption 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.

 

Placement of Creation Orders and Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process.  The Clearing Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Baskets and Redemption Baskets through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. Fund Deposits or Cash Creation Amount deposits, as applicable, made through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant Agreement. The Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit through a Fund’s transfer agent to NSCC, on behalf of the Participating Party, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Participating Party’s creation order or redemption order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component (or the Cash Creation Amount, if applicable) to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Baskets or redeem Redemption Baskets through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Baskets.  The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to a Fund if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the Listing Exchange for that date by BBH, as described above; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (g) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor, and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions, and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, or any other participant in the creation process; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Basket and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Basket of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, BBH, and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee and Additional Charge for Cash Transactions.  To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in creation transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a creation transaction fee of $350. In addition, to the extent that an Authorized Participant purchases a Creation Basket with cash, the Authorized Participant will be subject to an additional charge no greater than 5.0%.

 

The Funds, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust these fees and charges from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a creation of a Creation Basket may be charged a fee for such services.

 

Redemption

 

For each Fund, shares may be redeemed only in Redemption Baskets at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor and the Fund through BBH and only on a Business Day. The Trust will not redeem shares in amounts less than Redemption Basket-skied aggregations. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Redemption Basket 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 Redemption Basket. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Redemption Basket.

 

With respect to each Fund, BBH, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the designated portfolio of securities (“Fund Securities”) per each Redemption Basket that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities, which are applicable to creations of Creation Baskets. 

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For each Fund, unless cash redemptions are available or specified for the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Redemption Basket generally consist of Fund Securities — as announced by BBH on the Business Day of the request for redemption 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 (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption transaction fee described below in the section entitled “Redemption Transaction Fee.” In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process.  For each Fund, orders to redeem Redemption Baskets through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Redemption Baskets using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by BBH not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, 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 Redemption Baskets using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Fund after 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred by the second (2nd) NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

Redemption Transaction Fee and Additional Charge for Cash Transactions.  To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in redemption transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a redemption transaction fee of $350 assessed per transaction. In addition, to the extent that an Authorized Participant redeems a Redemption Basket for cash, the Authorized Participant will be subject to an additional charge no greater than 5.0%.

 

The Funds, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a redemption of a Redemption Basket may be charged a fee for such services.

 

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

 

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

 

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

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Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are effecting transactions in shares of the Fund, whether or not participating in the distribution of such shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to an ordinary secondary market transaction), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that under Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to a national securities exchange member in connection with a sale on the national securities exchange is satisfied if a fund’s prospectus is made available upon request at the national securities exchange on which the shares of such fund trade. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange and not with respect to other transactions.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value.”

 

For each Fund, the NAV per share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund ( i.e. , the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fee, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of a Fund is determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the Listing Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

 

In computing a Fund’s NAV, the Fund’s portfolio securities are valued based on market quotations. When market quotations are not readily available for a portfolio security, a Fund must use such security’s fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with the Trust’s Fair Value Pricing Procedures, which are approved by the Board.

 

The value of a Fund’s portfolio securities is based on such securities’ closing price on local markets when available. If a portfolio security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of such security, the portfolio security will be valued by another method that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. A Fund may use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of the Fund’s portfolio security has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which such security is principally traded (such as a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of such security) or trading in such security has been suspended or halted. In addition, a Fund may fair value foreign equity portfolio securities each day the Fund calculates its NAV. Accordingly, a Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a portfolio security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of such security. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares. 

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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

General Policies

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends and Distributions.”

 

Dividends from net investment income are declared and paid at least annually by each Fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for a Fund to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trust may distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield on the underlying portfolio securities of a Fund, net of expenses of the Fund, as if the Fund owned such underlying portfolio securities for the entire dividend period in which case some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital for tax purposes for certain shareholders.

 

Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust. The Trust makes additional distributions to the minimum extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of a Fund as a “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service

 

No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of a Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. If this service is used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

 

TAXATION

 

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund shares. It is based upon the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial authorities, and administrative rulings and practices as in effect as of the date of this SAI, all of which are subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect), including the following information which also supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Tax Information.”

 

This discussion does not constitute a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income tax aspects affecting the Trust or Fund shareholders and does not purport to deal with the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be important to particular shareholders in light of their individual investment circumstances or to some types of shareholders subject to special tax rules, such as financial institutions; broker dealers; insurance companies; tax-exempt organizations; partnerships; pass-through entities; persons holding shares in connection with a hedging, straddle, conversion, or other integrated transaction; non-U.S. shareholders (as defined below) engaged in a trade or business in the United States and who hold shares in connection with such business (determined under applicable U.S. tax laws); or persons who have ceased to be U.S. citizens or to be taxed as resident aliens or individual non-U.S. shareholders present in the United States for 183 days or more during a taxable year. This discussion also does not address any aspects of U.S. estate or gift tax or foreign, state, or local tax. This discussion assumes that shareholders hold their shares as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed herein. 

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For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Shareholder” generally is a beneficial owner of Fund shares who is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

· An individual who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a citizen or individual resident of the United States;
· A corporation or other entity treated as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia or any political subdivision thereof;
· An estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
· A trust if either a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all its substantial decisions or the trust was in existence on August 20, 1996, was treated as a U.S. person prior to that date, and has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person.

A “Non-U.S. Shareholder” generally is a beneficial owner of Fund shares who is not a U.S. Shareholder. Non-U.S. Shareholders that hold Fund shares as part of a U.S. trade or business should consult their own tax advisor as to the tax consequences of holding and disposing of Fund shares.

 

If a partnership or other entity classified as a partnership, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds shares, the U.S. tax treatment of the partnership and each partner generally depends on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A partnership (and any partner in such partnership) considering an investment in shares should consult its own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of shares by the partnership.

 

Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in shares will depend on the facts of his, her, or its particular situation. The Trust encourages investors to consult their own tax advisers regarding the specific consequences of such an investment, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability of federal, state, local, and foreign tax law; eligibility for the benefits of any applicable tax treaty; and the effect of any possible changes in the tax laws.

 

Tax Treatment of the Funds

 

Election to be Taxed as a RIC. Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and intends to qualify thereafter as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify as a RIC, a Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, in order to be eligible for tax treatment as a RIC, a Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of its “investment company taxable income,” which is generally its net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”) plus its net tax-exempt interest income (which is the excess of gross tax-exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions), if any.

Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company.

If a Fund:

  qualifies as a RIC; and
  satisfies the Annual Distribution Requirement,

then such Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its income and capital gains that it timely distributes (or is deemed to distribute) to shareholders. A Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to shareholders.

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To qualify as a RIC, a Fund must, among other things:

· derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to the business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership,” or “QPTP,” hereinafter the “90% Gross Income Test;” and
· diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year:
o at least 50% of the value of total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, the securities of other RICs, and other securities, with other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and
o not more than 25% of the value of total assets is invested in the securities of any issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other regulated investment companies), the securities of any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more QPTPs, or the “Diversification Tests.”

Each Fund intends to distribute annually all or substantially all of such income. A Fund may choose to retain net capital gains for investment or any investment company taxable income, and pay the associated U.S. federal corporate income tax.

 

U.S. Federal Excise Tax.  A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount equal to at least the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, and (iii) any previously undistributed ordinary income or capital gain net income on which the Fund did not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. Each Fund intends to make distributions necessary to avoid the 4% excise tax.

 

Failure to Maintain RIC Status.  If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, distributions will be taxable to a Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions from a non-qualifying Fund’s earnings and profits will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders as regular dividends, possibly eligible for (i) in the case of a non-corporate Fund shareholder, treatment as a qualifying dividend (as discussed below) taxable at the same maximum tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains or (ii) in the case of a corporate Fund shareholder, a dividends-received deduction.

 

Recognition of Income Prior to Receiving Cash.  With respect to some or all of its investments, a Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, if a Fund invests in original issue discount obligations (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest), the Fund will be required to include as interest income a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the term of the obligation, even if the related cash payment is not received by the Fund until a later year. Under the “wash sale” rules, a Fund may not be able to deduct a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, the Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by selling Portfolio Securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event the Fund’s shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.  

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Foreign Investments and Taxes. Investment income and gains received by a Fund from foreign investments may be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes, which could decrease the Fund’s return on those investments. The effective rate of foreign taxes to which a Fund will be subject depends on the specific countries in which its assets will be invested and the extent of the assets invested in each such country and, therefore, cannot be determined in advance. If more than 50% of a Fund’s assets at year end consists of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes paid by the Fund. A shareholder’s ability to claim an offsetting foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund is subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder’s not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their U.S. federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but not a deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if a Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in a Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through individual retirement accounts or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by the Fund.

 

PFIC Investments. A Fund may purchase shares in a foreign corporation treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (a “PFIC”) for federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Fund may be subject to increased federal income tax (plus charges in the nature of interest on previously-deferred income taxes on the PFIC’s income) on “excess distributions” made on or gain from a sale (or other disposition) of the PFIC shares even if the Fund distributes the excess distributions to its shareholders.

 

In lieu of the increased income tax and deferred tax interest charges on excess distributions on and dispositions of a PFIC’s shares, a Fund can elect to treat the underlying PFIC as a “qualified electing fund,” provided that the PFIC agrees to provide the Fund with adequate information regarding its annual results and other aspects of its operations. With a “qualified electing fund” election in place, a Fund must include in its income each year its share (whether distributed or not) of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of a PFIC.

 

In the alternative, a Fund can elect, under certain conditions, to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year its PFIC shares. The Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of the PFIC shares and as an ordinary loss (up to any prior income resulting from the mark-to-market election) any decrease in the value of the PFIC shares.

 

With a “mark-to-market” or “qualified election fund” election in place on a PFIC, a Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its actual distributions on and proceeds from dispositions of the PFIC’s shares. Any such income would be subject to the RIC distribution requirements and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described above).

 

In addition, to the extent that a Fund is required to include in its income any amount received from a PFIC for which it has made a qualifying electing fund election, under the proposed regulations discussed above under “Investments in the Subsidiaries,” such income would be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test only to the extent the Fund receives of a distribution of such income from the PFIC in the same taxable year.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions. Gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Fund accrues income, expenses, or other items denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects or pays such items are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.  

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Special or Uncertain Tax Consequences.  A Fund’s investment or other activities could be subject to special and complex tax rules that may produce differing tax consequences, such as disallowing or limiting the use of losses or deductions (such as the “wash sale” rules), causing the recognition of income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, affecting the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur or altering the characterization of certain complex financial transactions. Each Fund will monitor its investment activities for any adverse effects that may result from these special tax rules.

 

A Fund may engage in investment or other activities the treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. In particular, the treatment of swaps and other derivatives and income from foreign currency transactions is unclear for purposes of determining a Fund’s status as a RIC. If a final determination on the tax treatment of a Fund’s investment or other activities differs from the Fund’s original expectations, the final determination could adversely affect the Fund’s status as a RIC or the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell assets, alter its portfolio, or take other action in order to comply with the final determination.

 

Tax Treatment of U.S. Shareholders

 

Fund Distributions.  In general, Fund distributions are subject to federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether they consist of cash or property or are re-invested in Fund shares. However, any Fund distribution declared in October, November, or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month will be deemed to have been received by each Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually paid during January of the following calendar year.

 

Distributions of a Fund’s investment company taxable income (i.e., net investment income and net short-term capital gains) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions of a Fund’s realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses properly reported by the Fund as “capital gain dividends” are taxable as long-term capital gain to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of a Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s shares.

 

“Qualified dividend income” received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to net capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. In general, distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income in the hands of a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s shares.

 

In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of a Fund may qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by a Fund will not be treated as a dividend eligible for the dividends-received deduction (1) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (2) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends received deduction may otherwise be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the Fund or (2) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the dividends-received deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)). The corporate alternative minimum tax may disallow the dividends received deduction in certain circumstances. 

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Distributions in excess of earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in such shareholder’s common stock and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. shareholder.

 

Any distributions reinvested in additional shares will nevertheless remain taxable to the U.S. shareholder. The U.S. shareholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional shares equal to the amount of the reinvested distribution. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are acquired by the U.S. shareholder.

 

Each Fund intends to distribute its long-term capital gains at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end, a Fund may elect to retain some or all of its long-term capital gains and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays income tax on the retained long-term capital gain, and each Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed long-term capital gain. In addition, each Fund shareholder can claim a refundable tax credit for the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s income taxes paid on the undistributed long-term capital gain and increase the tax basis of the Fund shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed long-term capital gains, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit.

 

Long-term capital gains of non-corporate Fund shareholders ( i.e. , individuals, trusts and estates) are taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. In addition, Fund distributions of qualifying dividend income to non-corporate Fund shareholders qualify for taxation at long-term capital gain rates.

 

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

 

Investors considering buying Fund shares just prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Fund shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non- taxable return of capital).

 

Alternative Minimum Tax.  As a RIC, each Fund is subject to alternative minimum tax, also referred to as “AMT,” but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between the Fund and its U.S. shareholders and this may affect the U.S. shareholders’ AMT liabilities. Although regulations explaining the precise method of apportionment have not yet been issued, such items are generally apportioned in the same proportion that dividends paid to each U.S. shareholder bear to the Fund’s taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), unless a different method for particular item is warranted under the circumstances.

 

Sales of Fund Shares.  A U.S. shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Fund shares in an amount equal to the difference between the U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in the shares disposed of and the amount realized on their disposition. Generally, gain recognized by a U.S. shareholder on the disposition of Fund shares will result in capital gain or loss to a U.S. shareholder, and will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss recognized by a U.S. shareholder upon the disposition of Fund shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) by the U.S. shareholder. A loss recognized by a U.S. shareholder on a disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed as a deduction if the U.S. shareholder acquires additional Fund shares (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the shares are disposed. In this case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. 

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Creation Basket Issues and Redemptions.  On an issue of shares as part of a Creation Basket, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue) of the issued Fund shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of a Redemption Basket, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Fund shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic position, that any loss on an issue or redemption of Creation Baskets cannot be deducted currently.

 

In general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or redemption of Fund shares (as components of a Creation Basket) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Fund shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Fund shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid with respect to such Fund shares.

 

Foreign Tax Credits.  A Fund may be subject to foreign income taxes and may be able to elect to pass-along such credit to its shareholders. If this election is available and the Fund elects such treatment, the amount of such credit will be treated as an additional distribution by the Fund and, subject to various limitations of the Code, its shareholders will be entitled to claim a foreign tax credit to offset their tax liability. Please consult your tax advisor regarding whether you will be able to use such credit against your tax liability.

 

Medicare Tax. In addition, if applicable to a shareholder, a 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on net investment income. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this tax.

 

Back-Up Withholding.  A Fund may be required to report certain information on a Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold federal income tax (“backup withholding”) from all taxable distributions and redemption proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (or, in the case of a U.S. individual, a social security number) or a completed exemption certificate  (e.g.,  an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E in the case of a foreign Fund shareholder) or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a Fund shareholder’s federal income tax liability.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations.  If a Fund shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Fund shares of $2 million or more (for an individual Fund shareholder) or $10 million or more (or a greater loss over a combination of years) for a corporate stockholder in any single taxable year, the Fund shareholder must file a disclosure statement with the IRS. Significant penalties may be imposed upon the failure to comply with these reporting rules.  

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Special Issues for Non-U.S. Shareholders

 

In general.  Non-U.S. Shareholders who do not hold Fund shares as part of a U.S. trade or business generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on distributions from a Fund. However, a Fund’s ordinary income dividends (including distributions of net short-term capital gains and other amounts that would not be subject to U.S. withholding tax if paid directly to foreign Fund shareholders) will be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty) unless an exception applies. No withholding is required with respect to certain distributions of (i) U.S. source interest income, and (ii) net short term capital gains in excess of net long term capital losses, in each case to the extent a Fund properly reports such distributions as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” and certain other requirements were satisfied. The Funds anticipate that a portion of distributions will be eligible for this exception from withholding; however, the Funds cannot determine what portion of distributions (if any) will be eligible for this exception until after the end of their taxable year. No certainty can be provided that any distributions will be reported as eligible for this exception. Under current law, a Non-U.S. Shareholder who does not hold Fund shares as part of U.S. trade or business generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized on a sale or exchange of Fund shares unless (i) in the case of an individual Non-U.S. Shareholder, such shareholder is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements, or (ii) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the Non-U.S. Shareholder held such Fund shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those shares, the Fund was a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (as defined below) and the Non-U.S. Shareholder actually or constructively held more than 5% of the Fund shares of the same class. In the case of a disposition described in clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, the gain would be taxed in the same manner as for a domestic Fund shareholder and in certain cases will be collected through withholding at the source in an amount equal to 10% of the sales proceeds.

 

Under current law, a Non-U.S. Shareholder who does not hold Fund shares as part of U.S. trade or business generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized on a sale or exchange of Fund shares unless (i) in the case of an individual Non-U.S. Shareholder, such shareholder is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements, or (ii) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the Non-U.S. Shareholder held such Fund shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those shares, the Fund was a “U.S. real property holding corporation” and the Non-U.S. Shareholder actually or constructively held more than 5% of the Fund shares of the same class. The Trust does not anticipate that a Fund will be a U.S. real property holding corporation.

 

Non-U.S. Shareholders should provide the Fund or the dividend paying agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or an acceptable substitute form or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a Non-U.S. Shareholder and establishes an exemption from backup withholding. To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed long-term capital gains (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through withholding or to claim a benefit under an applicable tax treaty, a Non-U.S. Shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and may be required to file a federal income tax return even if the Non-U.S. Shareholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. income tax return.

 

Non-U.S. Shareholders that engage in certain “wash sale” and/or substitute dividend payment transactions the effect of which is to avoid the receipt of distributions from a Fund that would be treated as gain effectively connected with a United States trade or business or avoiding withholding tax will be treated as having received such distributions. Non-U.S. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the application of these rules. 

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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.  Legislation commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” or “FATCA,” generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) unless such FFIs (i) enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to report certain required information with respect to accounts held by U.S. persons (or held by foreign entities that have U.S. persons as substantial owners) or (ii) reside in a jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement (“IGA”) with the IRS to provide such information and are in compliance with the terms of such IGA and any implementing legislation or regulation. The types of income subject to the tax include U.S. source interest and dividends and, after December 31, 2018, the gross proceeds from the sale of any property that could produce U.S.-source interest or dividends. The information required to be reported includes the identity and taxpayer identification number of each account holder that is a U.S. person and transaction activity within the holder’s account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this legislation also imposes a 30% withholding on payments to foreign entities that are not financial institutions unless the foreign entity certifies that it does not have a greater than 10% U.S. owner or provides the withholding agent with identifying information on each greater than 10% U.S. owner. Depending on the status of a Fund shareholder and the status of the intermediaries through which they hold their shares, Fund shareholders could be subject to this 30% withholding tax with respect to distributions on their shares and proceeds from the sale of their shares. Under certain circumstances, a Fund shareholder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. 

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Listing Exchange. The Listing Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objectives. The Listing Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Funds.

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Funds are a registered investment companies, and the acquisition of shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on an exemption from registration as an investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order that permits such otherwise restricted registered investment companies from acquiring shares, beyond the limits, particularly on the amount and value, detailed in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.

 

Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o USCF Advisers LLC, 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland, California 94612. 

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APPENDIX A – SUMMERHAVEN PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

 

Adopted September 2017

I. STATEMENT OF POLICY

Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised. The Adviser may retain proxy-voting authority with respect to securities purchased for its Securities Clients. Under such circumstances, the Adviser will vote proxies in the best interest of those Securities Clients and in accordance with these policies and procedures.

II. USE OF THIRD-PARTY PROXY VOTING SERVICE

The Adviser may enter into an agreement with an independent third party (the “Proxy Voting Service”) to provide the Adviser with its research on proxies and to facilitate the electronic voting of proxies. In such instances, the Adviser will instruct the Proxy Voting Service that it is generally not to execute any ballot on behalf of the Adviser without first receiving specific instruction from the Adviser. If no approval is received by Proxy Voting Service by the voting deadline, the Proxy Voting Service will execute ballots in accordance with its recommendation and will notify the Adviser immediately that a vote has been executed on its behalf and the character of the vote.

The SEC has expressed its view that although the voting of proxies remains the duty of a registered adviser, an adviser may contract with service providers to perform certain functions with respect to proxy voting so long as the adviser is comfortable that (i) the proxy voting service is independent from the issuer companies on which it completes its proxy research, and (ii) the adviser maintains ongoing oversight of the delegated proxy voting functions.

In assessing whether a proxy voting service is independent (as defined by the SEC), the SEC counsels investment advisers that they should not follow the recommendations of an independent proxy voting service without first determining, among other things, that in making this determination the proxy voting service (a) has the capacity and competence to adequately analyze proxy issues and (b) is in fact independent and can make recommendations in an impartial manner in the best interests of the adviser’s Securities Clients.

At a minimum annually, or more frequently as deemed necessary, the Compliance Officer will seek to ensure that a review of the independence and impartiality of the Proxy Voting Service is carried out, including obtaining certification or other information from the Proxy Voting Service to enable the Adviser to make such an assessment. The Compliance Officer will also monitor any new SEC interpretations regarding the voting of proxies and the use of third-party proxy voting services and revise the Adviser’s policies and procedures as necessary.

Proxies relating to securities held in Securities Client accounts will be sent directly to the Proxy Voting Service. If a proxy is received by the Adviser and not sent directly to the Proxy Voting Service, the Compliance Officer will promptly forward it to the Proxy Voting Service. In the event that (a) the Proxy Voting Service is unable to complete/provide its research regarding a security on a timely basis, (b) the Compliance Officer or the Proxy Voting Service determines that the Proxy Voting Service has a conflict of interest with respect to voting a proxy, or (c) the Adviser has made a determination that it is in the best interests of the Adviser’s Securities Clients for the Adviser to vote a proxy, the Adviser’s general proxy-voting procedures are required to be followed, as follows. The Compliance Officer will:

1. Keep a record of each proxy received;
2. Forward the proxy to the Portfolio Manager responsible for voting the proxy on behalf of the Adviser;
A- 1
 
3. Determine which accounts managed by the Adviser hold the security to which the proxy relates;
4. Provide the Portfolio Manager with a list of accounts that hold the security, together with the number of votes each account controls (reconciling any duplications), and the date by which the Adviser must vote the proxy in order to allow enough time for the completed proxy to be returned to the issuer prior to the vote taking place;
5. Absent material conflicts (see Section V), the Portfolio Manager will determine whether the Adviser will follow the Proxy Voting Service’s recommendation or vote the proxy directly in accordance with the Adviser’s voting guidelines. The Portfolio Manager will send his/her decision on how the Adviser will vote a proxy to the Proxy Voting Service, or will instruct the Compliance Officer to vote and mail the proxy in a timely and appropriate manner. It is desirable to have the Proxy Voting Service complete the actual voting so there exists one central source for the documentation of the Adviser’s proxy voting records.
6. Perform reconciliations to ensure that all proxies are voted (e.g., reconcile the list of Securities Clients for which the Adviser has proxy voting obligations against a list of votes cast by the Adviser or by the Proxy Voting Service for Securities Clients) or that the Adviser has determined that not voting for a particular Securities Client is appropriate.

III. VOTING GUIDELINES

In the absence of specific voting guidelines from the Securities Client, the Adviser will vote proxies in the best interests of each particular Securities Client, which may result in different voting results for proxies for the same issuer. The Adviser believes that voting proxies in accordance with the following guidelines is in the best interests of its Securities Clients.

· Generally, the Adviser will vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals, including election of directors (where no corporate governance issues are implicated), selection of auditors, and increases in or reclassification of common stock.
· Generally, the Adviser will vote against proposals that make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors, including proposals to stagger the board, cause management to be overrepresented on the board, introduce cumulative voting, introduce unequal voting rights, and create supermajority voting.

For other proposals, the Adviser shall determine whether a proposal is in the best interests of its Securities Clients and may take into account the following factors, among others:

· whether the proposal was recommended by management and the Adviser’s opinion of management;
· whether the proposal acts to entrench existing management; and
· whether the proposal fairly compensates management for past and future performance.
A- 2
 

IV. DISCLOSURE

A. The Adviser will disclose in its Form ADV Part 2 that Securities Clients may contact the Compliance Officer via e-mail or telephone in order to obtain information on how the Adviser voted such Securities Client’s proxies, and to request a copy of these policies and procedures. If a Securities Client requests this information, the Compliance Officer will prepare a written response to the Securities Client that lists, with respect to each voted proxy that the Securities Client has inquired about, (1) the name of the issuer; (2) the proposal voted upon and (3) how the Adviser voted the Securities Client’s proxy.
B. A concise summary of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures will be included in the Adviser’s Form ADV Part 2, and will be updated whenever these policies and procedures are updated. The Compliance Officer will arrange for a copy of this summary to be sent to all existing Securities Clients.

V. POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OF THE ADVISER

A. In the event that the Adviser is directly voting a proxy, the Compliance Officer will examine conflicts that exist between the interests of the Adviser and its Securities Clients. This examination will include a review of the relationship of the Adviser, its personnel and its affiliates with the issuer of each security and any of the issuer’s affiliates to determine if the issuer is a Securities Client of the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser or has some other relationship with the Adviser, its personnel or a Securities Client of the Adviser.
B. If, as a result of the Compliance Officer’s examination, a determination is made that a material conflict of interest exists, the Adviser will determine whether voting in accordance with the voting guidelines and factors described above is in the best interests of the Securities Client. If the proxy involves a matter covered by the voting guidelines and factors described above, the Adviser will generally vote the proxy in accordance with the voting guidelines. Alternatively, the Adviser may vote the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of the Proxy Voting Service.

The Adviser may disclose the conflict to the affected Securities Clients and, except in the case of Securities Clients that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), give the Securities Clients the opportunity to vote their proxies themselves. In the case of ERISA Securities Clients, if the Investment Management Agreement reserves to the ERISA Securities Client the authority to vote proxies when the Adviser determines it has a material conflict that affects its best judgment as an ERISA fiduciary, the Adviser will give the ERISA Securities Client the opportunity to vote the proxies themselves. Absent the Securities Client reserving voting rights, the Adviser will either vote the proxies in accordance with the policies outlined in Section III “Voting Guidelines” above or vote the proxies in accordance with the recommendation of the Proxy Voting Service.

VI. PROXY RECORDKEEPING

The Compliance Officer will maintain files relating to the Adviser’s proxy voting procedures in an easily accessible place. (Under the services contract between the Adviser and its Proxy Voting Service, the Proxy Voting Service will maintain the Adviser’s proxy-voting records). Records will be maintained and preserved for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the most recent two years kept in the offices of the Adviser. Records of the following will be included in the files:

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1. Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto;
2. A copy of each proxy statement that the Adviser receives regarding Securities Client securities (the Adviser may rely on third parties or EDGAR);
3. A record of each vote that the Adviser casts;
4. A copy of any document the Adviser created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision. (For votes that are inconsistent with the Adviser’s general proxy voting polices, the reason/rationale for such an inconsistent vote is required to be briefly documented and maintained); and
5. A copy of each written Securities Client request for information on how the Adviser voted such Securities Client’s proxies, and a copy of any written response to any (written or oral) Securities Client’s request for information on how the Adviser voted its proxies.
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PART C

 

OTHER INFORMATION

USCF ETF Trust

 

Item 28. Exhibits

(a) (1) Amended and Restated Certificate of Trust of USCF ETF Trust (2)
     
  (2) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of USCF ETF Trust (2)
     
(b)   Bylaws of USCF ETF Trust (2)
     
(c)   See Article 4, Article 8, Section 9.3, and Section 10.3 of USCF ETF Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated June 16, 2014, filed as Exhibit (a)(1) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2014
     
(d) (1) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between USCF ETF Trust and USCF Advisers LLC, dated as of June 18, 2014, on behalf of the Stock Split Index Fund (2)
     
  (2) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between USCF ETF Trust and USCF Advisers LLC, dated as of October 13, 2016, on behalf of the USCF Restaurant Leaders Fund (3)
     
  (3)

Investment Advisory Agreement by and between USCF ETF Trust and USCF Advisers LLC, dated as of October 27, 2017, on behalf of the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (1)

     
  (4) Sub-Advisory Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC, dated as of November 17, 2017, on behalf of the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (1)
     
(e) (1) Distribution Agreement between USCF ETF Trust and ALPS Distributors, Inc., dated as of June 18, 2014 (2)
     
  (2) Form of Authorized Participant Agreement between ALPS Distributors, Inc., Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and Authorized Participant (2)
     
(f)   Not Applicable
     
(g)   Custodian Agreement between USCF ETF Trust and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated as of June 18, 2014 (2)
     
(h) (1) Administrative Agency Agreement between USCF ETF Trust and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated as of June 18, 2014 (2)
     
  (2) Form of Securities Lending Agency Agreement between USCF ETF Trust and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (2)
     
  (3) Expense Limitation Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and USCF ETF Trust, dated as of June 18, 2014, on behalf of the Stock Split Index Fund (2)
     
  (4) Expense Limitation Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and USCF ETF Trust, dated as of October 13, 2016, on behalf of the USCF Restaurant Leaders Fund (3)
     
  (5) Services and Licensing Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and SummerHaven Index Management, LLC, dated as of November 17, 2017 (1)
     
(i) (1) Opinion of Legal Counsel (2)
     
  (2) Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP (1)
     
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (1)
1
 
(k)   Not Applicable
     
(l)   Form of Initial Capital Agreement (2)
     
(m) (1) Form of Distribution and Service Plan (2)
     
  (2) Form of Distribution and Service Plan (3)
     
(n)   Not Applicable
     
(o)   Reserved
     
(p) (1) Code of Ethics of USCF ETF Trust and USCF Advisers LLC (2)
     
  (2) Code of Ethics of ALPS Distributors, Inc. (2)
     

(1)  Filed herewith.

(2)  Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2014.

(3) Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registration Statement filed on October 21, 2016.

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

Not Applicable.

Item 30. Indemnification

Reference is made to Article 9 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, which is incorporated herein by reference. The general effect of the indemnification available to an officer or trustee may be to reduce the circumstances under which the officer or trustee is required to bear the economic burden of liabilities and expenses related to actions taken by the individual in his or her capacity as an officer or trustee.

The Registrant (also referred to as the “Trust” or “USCF ETF Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is operated pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust that permits the Registrant to indemnify every person who is, or has been, a trustee, officer, employee or agent 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 (each, a “Covered Person”). Each Covered Person is indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been such a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof. This indemnification is subject to the following conditions:

No indemnification is provided to a Covered Person:

(a) For any liability to the Trust or its shareholders arising out of a final adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office;

(b) With respect to any matter as to which the Covered Person has been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interests of the Trust; or

2
 

(c) In the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above) and resulting in a payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition, or a reasonable determination, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that he or she did not engage in such conduct, such determination being made by: (i) a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees (as such term is defined in Section 8.5.5 of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust) acting on the matter (provided that a majority of Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or (ii) a written opinion of independent legal counsel.

The rights of indemnification under the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust are severable; will not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person is entitled; will continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person; and will inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained in the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust will affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under Section 8.5 of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust will be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under Section 8.5 of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, provided that either:

(a) Such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or

 

(b) A majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion determines, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to the facts available upon a full trial), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act, and therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Reference is made to the caption “Management” in the Prospectus constituting Part A of this Registration Statement.

The information as to the directors and officers of the USCF Advisers LLC set forth in USCF Advisers LLC Form ADV filed with the SEC (Reference No. 801-79985), and amended through the date hereof, is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 32. Principal Underwriters

(a) ALPS Distributors, Inc. acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies: 1290 Funds, 13D Activist Fund, ALPS Series Trust, Arbitrage Funds, AQR Funds, Barings Funds Trust, BBH Trust, Brandes Investment Trust, Broadview Funds Trust, Brown Capital Management Funds, CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund, Columbia ETF Trust, Columbia ETF Trust I, Columbia ETF Trust II, Cortina Funds, Inc., CRM Mutual Fund Trust, CSOP ETF Trust, Cullen Funds, DBX ETF Trust, ETFS Trust, Elevation ETF Trust, Elkhorn ETF Trust, ETF Managers Trust, Financial Investors Trust, Firsthand Funds, FS Energy Total Return Fund, FS Series Trust, Goehring & Rozencwajg Investment Funds, Goldman Sachs ETF Trust, Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund, Griffin Institutional Access Credit Fund, Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust, Hartford Funds NextShares Trust, Heartland Group, Inc., Henssler Funds, Inc., Holland Series Fund, Inc., Index Funds, IndexIQ Active ETF Trust, Index IQ ETF Trust, IVY NextShares Trust, James Advantage Funds, Janus Detroit Street Trust, Lattice Strategies Trust, Laudus Trust, Litman Gregory Funds Trust, Longleaf Partners Funds Trust, M3Sixty Funds Trust, Mairs & Power Funds Trust, Meridian Fund, Inc., Natixis ETF Trust, NorthStar Real Estate Capital Income Fund, NorthStar Real Estate Capital Income Fund-T, NorthStar/Townsend Institutional Real Estate Fund, Pax World Series Trust I, Pax World Funds Trust III, Principal Exchange-Traded Funds, Reality Shares ETF Trust, Resource Credit Income Fund, Resource Real Estate Diversified Income Fund, RiverNorth Funds, Sierra Total Return Fund, Smead Funds Trust, SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust, Stadion Investment Trust, Stone Harbor Investment Funds, Total Return US Treasury Fund, USCF ETF Trust, USCF Mutual Funds Trust, Wasatch Funds, WesMark Funds, Westcore Trust, and Wilmington Funds. (b) To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:

(b) To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:

 

Name* Position with Underwriter Positions with Fund
Edmund J. Burke Director None
Jeremy O. May President, Director None
Thomas A. Carter Executive Vice President, Director None
Bradley J. Swenson Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer None
Robert J. Szydlowski Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer None
Aisha J. Hunt Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary None
Eric T. Parsons Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer None
Randall D. Young** Secretary None
Gregg Wm. Givens** Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary None
Douglas W. Fleming** Assistant Treasurer None
Steven Price Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer None
Liza Orr Vice President, Senior Counsel None
Jed Stahl Vice President, Senior Counsel None
Troy A. Duran Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 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. Young, Givens and Fleming is 333 W. 11 th  Street, 5 th  Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.

4
 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder are maintained at:

USCF Advisers LLC

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530

Oakland, CA 94612

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Company

50 Milk Street

Boston, MA 02109

 

ALPS Distributors, Inc.

1625 Broadway, Suite 2200

Denver, CO 80202

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not applicable.

5
 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Oakland of the State of California on this 29th day of November, 2017.

  USCF ETF TRUST
   
  By:    /s/ John P. Love
    John P. Love
    President and Principal Executive Officer
     

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated have signed this Registration Statement below.

 

Signatures   Title   Date
   

 

   
/s/ Stuart P. Crumbaugh   Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting and   November 29, 2017
Stuart P. Crumbaugh   Principal Financial Officer), Treasurer, Secretary, and Trustee    
         
/s/ John P. Love   President and Principal Executive Officer   November 29, 2017
John P. Love        
         
*   Chairman and Trustee   November 29, 2017
Nicholas D. Gerber        
         
*   Trustee   November 29, 2017
Andrew F Ngim        
         
*   Independent Trustee   November 29, 2017
H. Abram Wilson        
         
*   Independent Trustee   November 29, 2017
Thomas E. Gard        
         
*   Independent Trustee   November 29, 2017
Jeremy Henderson        
         
*   Independent Trustee   November 29, 2017
John D. Schwartz        

 

*By:   /s/ John P. Love  
  John P. Love  
  Attorney in Fact  
  Pursuant to Power of Attorney, dated October 13, 2016, incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registration Statement filed on October 21, 2016.

6
 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

(d)(3)

Investment Advisory Agreement by and between USCF ETF Trust and USCF Advisers LLC, dated as of October 27, 2017, on behalf of the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund

   
(d)(4) Sub-Advisory Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC, dated as of November 17, 2017, on behalf of the USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and the USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund
   
(h)(5) Services and Licensing Agreement by and between USCF Advisers LLC and SummerHaven Index Management, LLC, dated as of November 17, 2017
   
(i)(2) Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
   
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

7

 

Exhibit (d)(3)

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

This Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of October 27, 2017, by and between USCF ETF Trust , a Delaware trust (the “Trust”), on behalf of each series of its series listed on Appendix A (each, a “Fund”) and USCF Advisers LLC , a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”).

WHEREAS , the Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS , the Trust is authorized to issue a separate series of shares of beneficial interest for each Fund, which shares represent fractional undivided interests in the Fund;

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

WHEREAS , the Trust desires to retain the Adviser to render certain investment management services to each Fund, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Adviser is willing to render such services.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Obligations of Investment Adviser .
     

(a)            Services. The Adviser shall provide a continuous program of investment management for each Fund, subject to the general supervision of the Trust’s Board of Trustees and the provisions of this Agreement. Specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Adviser agrees to perform the following services (the “Services”) for each Fund:

 

(i) manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund;
(ii) continuously review, supervise, and administer the investment program of the Fund;
(iii) determine, in its discretion, the securities to be purchased, retained or sold (and implement those decisions) with respect to the Fund;
(iv) with the assistance of the Fund’s distributor, determine the number of shares of the Fund that will be created or redeemed each Business Day based on the purchase orders submitted by Authorized Participants;
(v) provide, in a timely manner, such information as may be reasonably requested by the Trust or its designated agents in connection with, among other things, information about the Fund sufficient for a pricing service or other entity to calculate the Intraday Indicate Value of the shares of the Fund every fifteen seconds each Business Day;
 
 
(vi) provide the Trust and the Fund with records concerning the Adviser’s activities under this Agreement which the Trust and the Fund are required to maintain; and
(vii) render regular reports to the Trust’s trustees and officers concerning the Adviser’s discharge of the foregoing responsibilities.

 

(b)            Control of the Trust . The Adviser shall discharge the responsibilities described in subsection (a) subject to the control of the trustees and officers of the Trust and in compliance with (i) such policies as the trustees may from time to time establish; (ii) the relevant Fund’s objectives, policies, and limitations as set forth in its prospectus and statement of additional information, as the same may be amended from time to time; and (iii) with all applicable laws and regulations.

(c)            Sub-Adviser and Agents . All Services to be furnished by the Adviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any managers, officers or employees of the Adviser or through such other parties (including, without limitation, a sub-adviser) as the Adviser may determine from time to time.

(d)            Expenses and Personne l. The Adviser will bear the costs of administrative services for shareholders and various third-party services required by the Funds, including audit, custodial, portfolio accounting, legal, transfer agency and printing costs. The Adviser will also bear the costs and expenses of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Each Fund will bear its own expenses for taxes and governmental fees, brokerage fees, commissions and other transaction expenses, costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses, securities lending expenses, extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses) and fees and expenses of any independent legal counsel as defined in Rule 0-1(a)(6) under the 1940 Act.

(e)            Books and Records . The Adviser hereby undertakes and agrees to maintain all records not maintained by a service provider or sub-adviser pursuant to their agreements with the Trust or Adviser, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. All books and records prepared and maintained by the Adviser for the Trust and each Fund under this Agreement shall be the property of the Trust and, upon request therefor, the Adviser shall surrender to the Trust such of the books and records so requested. The Adviser further agrees that it will not disclose or use any records or information obtained pursuant to this Agreement in any manner whatsoever except as authorized in this Agreement and that it will keep confidential any information obtained pursuant to this Agreement and disclose such information only if the Trust has authorized such disclosure, or if such disclosure is required by federal or state regulatory authorities.

 

(f)            Additional Services Provided at the Expense of the Trust . The Adviser agrees, at the expense of the Trust, (i) to assist in the preparation of all required tax returns of the Trust and each Fund, (ii) to prepare and submit reports to existing shareholders, (iii) to assist in the periodic update of the prospectuses and statements of additional information of the Trust and (iv) to assist in the preparation of reports to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities.

2
 
2. Fund Transactions .

(a)            General . The Adviser is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will execute the purchases and sales of portfolio securities for each Fund. With respect to brokerage selection, the Adviser shall seek to obtain the best overall execution for fund transactions, which is a combination of price, quality of execution and other factors. As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Section 28(e)”), the Adviser may pay to a broker which provides brokerage and research services to a Fund an amount of disclosed commission in excess of the commission which another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction. Such practice is subject to a good faith determination that such commission is reasonable in light of the services provided and to such policies as the Trust’s trustees may adopt from time to time. Such services of brokers are used by the Adviser in connection with all of its investment activities, and some of such services obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for a Fund may be used in managing other investment accounts.

 

(b)            Mixed-Use Services . On occasion, a broker-dealer might furnish the Adviser with a service, which has a mixed use (i.e., the service is used both for investment and brokerage activities and for other activities). Where this occurs, the Adviser will reasonably allocate the cost of the service, so that the portion or specific component which assists in investment and brokerage activities is obtained using portfolio commissions from a Fund or other managed accounts, and the portion or specific component which provides other assistance (for example, administrative or non-research assistance) is paid for by the Adviser from its own funds.

(c)            Exclusivity . Where the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of each Fund as well as its other customers (including any other fund or other investment company or Advisory account for which the Adviser acts as investment adviser), the Adviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for each Fund with those to be sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable execution under the circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Adviser, as applicable, in the manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to such Fund and such other customers. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and size of the position obtainable for a Fund.

 

(d)            Reporting . The Adviser will promptly communicate to the officers and the trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio transactions as they may reasonably request.

 

(e)            Delegation. The Adviser may delegate or share responsibility for Fund transactions and the terms of this Section 2 with a sub-adviser, pursuant to the terms of Section 1(c).

3
 

        3.      Compensation of the Adviser . For the services rendered, the facilities furnished and expenses assumed by the Adviser, the Funds shall individually pay to the Adviser at the end of each calendar month a fee for each Fund calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund at the annual rates set forth in Appendix A of this Agreement. Appendix A shall be amended from time to time to reflect the addition and/or termination of any Fund as a Fund hereunder and to reflect any change in the Advisory fees payable with respect to any Fund duly approved in accordance with Section 8 hereof. The Adviser’s fee is accrued daily at 1/365th of the applicable annual rate set forth in Appendix A. For the purpose of the fee accrual, the daily net assets of each Fund are determined in the manner and at the times set forth in the Trust’s current prospectus and, on days on which the net assets are not so determined, the net asset value computation to be used shall be as determined on the immediately preceding day on which the net assets were determined. In the event of termination of this Agreement, all compensation due through the date of termination will be calculated on a pro-rated basis through the date of termination and paid within fifteen business days of the date of termination. The Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fees provided for hereunder and such waiver will be treated as a reduction in the purchase price of its services. The Adviser shall be contractually bound under this Agreement by the terms of any publicly-announced waiver of its fee, or any limitation of a Fund’s expenses, as if such waiver or limitation were fully set forth in this Agreement. The waiver of any of the Adviser’s fee shall not obligate the Adviser to waive any of its fee on a subsequent occasion.

        4.      Status of Investment Adviser . The services of the Adviser to the Trust and each Fund are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render similar services to others so long as its services to the Trust and each Fund are not impaired thereby. The Adviser shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or a Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust or a Fund. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, officer or employee of the Adviser, who may also be a trustee, officer or employee of the Trust, to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar nature or a dissimilar nature.

        5.      Permissible Interests . Trustees, agents, and shareholders of the Trust are or may be interested in the Adviser (or any successor thereof) as managers, officers, members or otherwise; and managers, officers, agents, and members of the Adviser are or may be interested in the Trust as trustees, shareholders or otherwise; and the Adviser (or any successor) is or may be interested in the Trust as a shareholder or otherwise.

 

        6.      Limits of Liability; Indemnification . The Adviser assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. The Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or a Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of, or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under, this Agreement. It is agreed that the Adviser shall have no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the Trust’s registration statement under the 1940 Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), except for information supplied by the Adviser for inclusion therein. The Trust agrees to indemnify the Adviser to the full extent permitted by the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

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        7.      Term . This Agreement shall remain in effect for an initial term of two calendar years commencing on the date on which the first of the Funds commences operations, and from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, which vote must be cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval; provided, however, that:

(a)           the Trust may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon 60 days written notice of a decision to terminate this Agreement by (i) the Trust’s trustees; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund;

(b)           the Agreement shall immediately terminate in the event of its assignment (within the meaning of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder);

(c)           the Adviser may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the Trust and the applicable Fund; and

(d)           the terms of paragraph 6 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

        8.      Amendments . No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective with respect to a Fund until approved by (a) to the extent required by applicable law, the vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and (b) a majority of those trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Additional Funds may be added by written agreement of the Trust and the Adviser.

        9.      Applicable Law . This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the principles of the conflict of laws or the choice of laws.

        10.    Representations and Warranties .

(a)            Representations and Warranties of the Adviser . The Adviser hereby represents and warrants to the Trust as follows:

                                (i)         the Adviser is a limited liability company duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and is fully authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its duties and obligations hereunder;

                                (ii)         the Adviser is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act, shall maintain such registration in effect at all times during the term of this Agreement, and shall notify the Trust immediately if the Adviser ceases to be so registered; and

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                                (iii)         the Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and will provide the Trust with a copy of that code, together with evidence of its adoption. Within 20 days of the end of each calendar quarter during which this Agreement remains in effect, the chief compliance officer of the Adviser shall certify to the Trust that the Adviser has complied with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 (as amended from time to time) during the previous quarter and that there have been no violations of the Adviser’s code of ethics or, if such a violation has occurred, that appropriate action has been taken in response to such violation. Upon written request of the Trust, the Adviser shall permit representatives of the Trust to examine the reports (or summaries of the reports) required to be made to the Adviser by Rule 17j-1(d)(1) and other records evidencing enforcement of the code of ethics.

 

(b)            Representations and Warranties of the Trust . The Trust hereby represents and warrants to the Adviser as follows: (i) the Trust has been duly organized as a trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and is authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its terms; (ii) shares of each Fund are (or will be) registered for offer and sale to the public under the 1933 Act; and (iii) such registrations will be kept in effect during the term of this Agreement.

        11.    Liability of Trust and each Fund . It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in the Declaration of Trust. This Agreement shall not be deemed to have been made by any of the persons listed in the first sentence of this paragraph individually or to impose any liability on such persons personally. With respect to any obligation of the Trust or a Fund arising under this Agreement, the Adviser shall look for payment or satisfaction of such obligation solely to the assets and property of the Fund to which such obligation relates, and under no circumstances shall the Adviser have the right to set off claims relating to such Fund by applying property of any other series of the Trust. The business and contractual relationships created by this Agreement, consideration for entering into this Agreement, and the consequences of such relationship and consideration relate solely to the Trust and the applicable Fund.

        12.    Use of Names . The Trust acknowledges that all rights to the names “USCF” and any derivation thereof (“Names”), as well as any logos that are now or shall hereafter be associated with Names (“Logos”), belong to the Adviser and its affiliate United States Commodity Funds LLC, and that the Trust is being granted a limited license to use such Names and Logos in its name, the name of its series and the name of its classes of shares. In the event that this Agreement is terminated and the Adviser no longer acts as investment adviser to the Trust, the Adviser reserves the right to withdraw from the Trust and the Funds the uses of Names and Logos or any name or logo that would imply a continuing relationship between the Trust or the Funds and the Adviser or any of its affiliates.

        13.    Severability . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.

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        14.    Notice . Notices of any kind to be given to the Trust hereunder by the Adviser shall be in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the Trust at 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland, CA 94612, Attention: John Love, or to such other address or to such individual as shall be so specified by the Trust to the Adviser. Notices of any kind to be given to the Adviser hereunder by the Trust shall be in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the Adviser at the Trust at 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland CA 94612, Attention: John Love, or at such other address or to such individual as shall be so specified by the Adviser to the Trust. Notices shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested. 

 

[ Signature Page Follows ]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and the year first written above.

       
USCF ETF TRUST  
     
By:   

/s/ John P. Love

 
    Name: John P. Love  
    Title: President  
   
USCF ADVISERS LLC  
     
By:  

/s/ John P. Love

 
    Name: John P. Love  
    Title: President  
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APPENDIX A 

 

Fund   Annual Fee as a
percentage

of average daily net
assets
 
USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund     0.95 %
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund     0.95 %
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Exhibit (d)(4)

SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT  

 

THIS SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of November 17, 2017, by and between USCF ADVISERS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ Adviser ”) and SUMMERHAVEN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ SHIM ”).

WHEREAS , pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 27, 2017 (the “ Investment Advisory Agreement ”) by and between the Adviser and USCF ETF TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the “ Trust ”) registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”), which has been approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “ Board ”), the Trust has appointed the Adviser to furnish investment advisory and other services to the Trust;

WHEREAS , the Trust consists of multiple series including the series listed in Appendix A (each, a “ Fund ” and together, the “ Funds ”), each of which is a separate investment portfolio;

WHEREAS , the Investment Advisory Agreement permits the Adviser to appoint a sub-advisor to provide certain advisory services in connection with the operation of the Funds;

WHEREAS , the Adviser desires to retain SHIM to provide the services set forth in this Agreement for the Funds, and SHIM is willing to provide such services to the Funds on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS , pursuant to a Services and Licensing Agreement with SummerHaven Index Management LLC (“ SHIX ”), dated the same date as this Agreement (the “ Licensing Agreement ”), the Adviser licensed from SHIX the use of certain names and marks (“ Service Marks ”), including that of certain securities indexes (the “ Indexes ”), and the use of the Indexes by the Funds;

NOW , THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, it is agreed between the parties hereto as follows:

 

1.              Engagement of SHIM .

 

(a)            The Adviser hereby engages SHIM as sub-advisor to the Funds to furnish a continuous investment program and manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Funds on a fully discretionary basis. In this regard, SHIM shall, with respect to each Fund, determine in its discretion the securities and any other financial instruments (including, without limitation, investments in cash, cash-equivalents and/or money market instruments) to be purchased, retained or sold on behalf of the Funds within the parameters of the investment approach, policies, restrictions and guidelines applicable to each Fund as provided by the Adviser to SHIM. SHIM shall seek to place the trades for the Funds in accordance with the Trust’s policy, as set forth in its registration statement on Form N-1A, for best execution.  

 
 

(b)            SHIM shall seek to discharge its obligations under this Agreement subject to the supervision of the Adviser, the Board and the officers of the Trust and in compliance with (i) the applicable Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions as set forth in that Fund’s registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”), as amended or supplemented during the term of this Agreement; (ii) all other applicable federal, state and foreign laws and regulations, including without limitation, the rules of any self-regulatory organization; (iii) the Trust’s Declaration of Trust, as such may be amended from time to time; and (iv) such other guidelines, policies and procedures adopted by the Board or implemented by the Adviser applicable to the relevant Fund and provided to SHIM from time to time. The Adviser shall provide SHIM with written notice of any changes to a Fund’s objective, policies and restrictions no less than thirty (30) days prior to the effectiveness of any such change. No supervisory activity undertaken by the Adviser shall limit SHIM’s full responsibility for its obligations under this Agreement.

(c)            SHIM will attend, either in person or via telephone, regular business and investment-related meetings with the Board and/or the Adviser, as requested by the Trust, the Adviser or both; and will maintain books and records with respect to each Fund, furnish to the Adviser and the Board such periodic and special reports as they may reasonably request with respect to a Fund and provide in advance to the Adviser all reports to the Board for examination and review within a reasonable time prior to Board meetings.

(d)            SHIM will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with the directions from the Adviser with respect to changes that may need to be made to ensure that the Fund continuously qualifies as a regulated investment company under Sub-Chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

(e)            SHIM will not consult with sub-advisers of any other investment portfolio of the Trust concerning transactions in portfolio securities or other portfolio investments of the Funds.

(f)            In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, as amended from time to time, SHIM will assist each Fund and/or its administrator in determining the fair valuation of the assets of the relevant Fund and will use its reasonable efforts to arrange for the provision of valuation information or price(s) for the assets held by the relevant Fund which do not have a market price or for which the relevant Fund’s administrator does not obtain prices in the ordinary course of business from an automated pricing service.

(g)            SHIM will notify the Adviser promptly upon detection of any error in connection with its management of the Funds, including, but not limited to, any trade errors. Further, SHIM shall provide access to the Adviser and the Funds, or their respective agents, to all documents and information related to any error, its analysis and correction, and the correction of all errors impacting a Fund must be corrected to the satisfaction of the Adviser and that Fund. SHIM will reimburse the relevant Fund for costs, losses or damages incurred arising out of or resulting from any such error.

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2.              Representations and Warranties by SHIM . SHIM represents and warrants to the Adviser that:

(a)            SHIM has the full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(b)            SHIM is a limited liability company duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the state of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted.

(c)            The execution, delivery and performance by SHIM of this Agreement are within SHIM’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further action is required on its part to authorize this Agreement.

(d)            SHIM is not prohibited by Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act from performing its obligations under this Agreement.

(e)            SHIM is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Advisers Act ”) to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(f)            The execution, delivery and performance by SHIM of this Agreement do not violate or result in a default under (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) SHIM’s governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon SHIM.

(g)            SHIM is registered with applicable regulators in each capacity in which it is required to register to perform its duties with respect to the Trust and the Funds, and under this Agreement and will continue to be so registered and maintain all necessary governmental, self-regulatory and exchange licenses and approvals, has effected all necessary filings and registrations with each applicable regulatory body, if required, so long as this Agreement remains in effect, including for the avoidance of doubt, as an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Advisers Act.

(h)            SHIM will maintain its own compliance program or manual, as required for SEC-registered investment advisers to registered investment companies. SHIM will provide either the manual or a summary thereof, including any updates thereto, to the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer.

(i)            SHIM has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act has provided Adviser and the Trust with a copy of that code, together with evidence of its adoption. Within 20 days of the end of each calendar quarter during which this Agreement remains in effect, SHIM shall certify to Adviser or the Trust that SHIM has complied with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 during the previous quarter and that there have been no violations of SHIM’s code of ethics or, if such a violation has occurred, that appropriate action has been taken in response to such violation. Upon written request of Adviser or the Trust, SHIM shall permit representatives of Adviser or the Trust to examine the reports (or summaries of the reports) required to be made to SHIM by Rule 17j-1(d)(1) and other records evidencing enforcement of the code of ethics.

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(j)            This Agreement and each other agreement, instrument or document to be executed and delivered by SHIM pursuant to this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of SHIM, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws and equitable principles affecting creditors’ rights generally and the discretion of the courts in granting equitable remedies.

(k)            SHIM represents that its other engagements or activities are as of the date of this Agreement not of a nature or magnitude so as to have a material adverse effect on its ability to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement. The Adviser acknowledges and agrees that SHIM and its principals are required to devote only such time as may be reasonably required with respect to SHIM’s obligations under this Agreement.

(l)            SHIM will notify the Adviser in the event that there is any change of control or ownership of SHIM that would constitute an assignment of an investment advisory contract for purposes of Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act (each such occurrence, a “SHIM Change of Control Event”), in each such case prior to such change if SHIM is aware of such change, but in any event, not later than promptly after such change.

(m)            SHIM will maintain an appropriate level of errors and omissions or professional liability insurance coverage equal to not less than $10,000,000.

3.              Representations and Warranties of the Adviser . The Adviser represents and warrants to SHIM as follows:

(a)            The Adviser has the full power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to serve as the investment adviser to the Funds, and to perform the services and its obligations described under this Agreement.

(b)            The Adviser is a limited liability company duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the state of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted.

(c)            The execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement are within the Adviser’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further action is required on its part to authorize this Agreement.

(d)            The execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement do not violate or result in a default under (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) the Adviser’s governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon the Adviser.

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(e)            The Adviser is registered with applicable regulators in each capacity in which it is required to register to perform its duties with respect to the Trust and the Funds, and under this Agreement and will continue to be so registered, if required, so long as this Agreement remains in effect.

(f)            This Agreement and each other agreement, instrument or document to be executed and delivered by the Adviser pursuant to this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Adviser, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws and equitable principles affecting creditors’ rights generally and the discretion of the courts in granting equitable remedies.

4.              Covenants of SHIM .

(a)            SHIM will promptly notify the Adviser of the occurrence of any event that would substantially impair SHIM’s ability to fulfill its commitment under this Agreement including, without limitation, the occurrence of any event that would disqualify it from serving as an investment advisor to an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act.

(b)            SHIM will promptly notify the Adviser if it is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, government agency, self-regulatory organization, public board or body, involving the affairs of the Adviser, the Trust and/or the Funds, or, in the case of SHIM, that would impact the its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, in each case, unless SHIM is prohibited from doing so.            

5.              Covenants of the Adviser .

(a)            The Adviser will promptly notify SHIM of the occurrence of any event that would substantially impair the ability of the Adviser to fulfill its commitment under this Agreement including, without limitation, the occurrence of any event that would disqualify it from serving as an investment advisor to an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act

(b)            The Adviser will promptly notify SHIM if it is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, government agency, self-regulatory organization, public board or body, involving the affairs of the Trust and/or the Funds, or, in the case of the Adviser, that would impact the ability of the Adviser to perform its obligations under this Agreement, in each case, unless the Adviser is prohibited from doing so.

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6.             Confidentiality .

(a)            By virtue of this Agreement, either the Advisor, the Funds, or the Trust, on the one hand (the “ Fund Parties ”), and SHIM on the other hand, may have access to information that is confidential to the other including, without limitation, all business, technical, financial, customer and/or any other proprietary information of a party or its affiliates, products, processes, tools, services, technical knowledge and any other information and/or materials clearly marked as confidential or information identified as confidential at the time of disclosure or summarized as confidential in a written memorandum delivered to the recipient within thirty (30) calendar days of disclosure, including, without limitation, all non-public information concerning the Indexes (collectively, “ Confidential Information ”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, a party’s Confidential Information shall not include information which: (i) is or becomes a part of the public domain through no act or omission of the other party; (ii) was in the other party’s lawful possession prior to the disclosure and had not been obtained by the other party either directly or indirectly from the disclosing party; (iii) is lawfully disclosed to the other party by a third party without restriction on disclosure; or (iv) is independently developed by the other party without reference to any Confidential Information. In addition, the obligations of this Section 6 do not apply to confidential information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to a subpoena, court order, or disclosure request from a government authority, provided that to the extent permitted by law the party subject to same shall provide prompt written notice to the other party upon receipt of such subpoena, order, or other disclosure requirement prior to such disclosure so the other party may seek the opportunity to intervene in the action in order to attempt to enjoin such subpoena, order, or other disclosure requirement. Such Confidential Information shall remain confidential for all other purposes.

(b)            By virtue of this Agreement, either the Fund Parties or SHIM may have access to Confidential Information of the other party. The Fund Parties and SHIM agree to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information, except that the Confidential Information may be disclosed (i) to their respective affiliates and their respective affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Confidential Information and instructed to keep such Confidential Information confidential), (ii) to the extent requested by any governmental authority, taxing authority or self-regulatory authority, (iii) to the extent required by applicable law or by any subpoena or similar legal process (provided that to the extent permitted by law the party subject to same shall provide immediate written notice to the other party upon receipt of subpoena, order, or other disclosure requirement prior to such disclosure and allow such other party the opportunity to intervene in the action in order to attempt to enjoin such subpoena, order, or other disclosure requirement), (iv) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the rights granted hereunder, (v) in the regulatory filings of the Trust and any Fund, in a manner determined to be appropriate or required by USCF by or on behalf of the Trust and any Fund, and (vi) with the consent of the other party. Such Confidential Information shall remain confidential for all other purposes.

(c)            The Fund Parties and SHIM agree to secure and protect the Confidential Information of each other in a manner consistent with the maintenance of the other party’s rights therein, using at least as great a degree of care as each party uses to maintain the confidentiality of its own confidential information of a similar nature, but in no event using less than its reasonable efforts. None of the Fund Parties nor SHIM shall sell, transfer, publish, disclose, or otherwise make available any portion of the Confidential Information of the other party to third parties, except as necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement or as expressly authorized in this Agreement. Each party represents that it has, and agrees to maintain, an appropriate agreement with each third party who may have access to Confidential Information sufficient to enable such party to comply with all of the terms of this Agreement.

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(d)            The Fund Parties and SHIM agree that the unauthorized use by any party of the other party’s Confidential Information will diminish the value of such Confidential Information and will cause substantial and irreparable damage to the party whose Confidential Information was improperly disclosed, and that the remedies generally available at law may be inadequate. Accordingly, the Fund Parties and SHIM agree that a breach of this Section 6 shall entitle SHIM (in the case of a breach by any of the Fund Parties) or the Fund Parties (in the case of a breach by SHIM) to seek equitable relief to protect its interest herein, including injunctive relief, as well as money damages. The parties agree that the obligations under this Section 6 shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.

7.              Regulatory Matters . SHIM acknowledges and agrees that it is an “investment adviser” to each Fund as such term is defined under the 1940 Act.

8.              Services Not Exclusive. The services furnished by SHIM hereunder are deemed not to be exclusive, and nothing in this Agreement shall (i) prevent SHIM or any affiliated person of SHIM or any employee, agent, manager or affiliated person of such person from acting as investment adviser, sub-advisor, commodity trading advisor and/or commodity pool operator for any other person(s) or entity(ies), or (ii) limit or restrict SHIM or any such employee, agent, manager or affiliated person from buying, selling or trading any securities or other financial instruments for its or their own accounts or for the accounts of others for whom he, she or it may be acting.

9.              SHIM’s Trading Transactions . From time to time, the Funds and other accounts advised or managed by SHIM may invest in the same securities. When SHIM seeks to purchase or sell the same securities at substantially the same time on behalf of the Funds, and/or a Fund and another such account, SHIM shall, to the extent permitted by law and to the extent reasonably practicable, aggregate and allocate such orders in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in its compliance manual, as amended from time to time, and in a manner which SHIM believes to be fair to both of the Funds and/or a Fund and such other Account.

10.            Duration and Termination .

(a)            In respect of each Fund, the term of this Agreement shall commence on the date that Fund begins investment operations, subject to the condition that the Board, including a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Adviser or SHIM, and the shareholders of the relevant Fund, shall have approved this Agreement. This Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years therefrom (“ Initial Term ”), subject to termination pursuant to this Agreement or termination otherwise by law, and continue on an annual basis thereafter; provided that such annual continuance is specifically approved each year by (i) the Board, or in respect of each Fund, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the relevant Fund, and (ii) the vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party to this Agreement cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

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(b)             Termination of the Agreement . With respect to each Fund, this Agreement may be terminated without payment of any penalty:

(i) by mutual consent of the parties hereto;
(ii) by vote of a majority of the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund, with sixty (60) days written notice to SHIM;
(iii) by any party, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the other party, in the event that:
a. the other party commits a material breach of this Agreement, and such material breach has not been cured by the breaching party within thirty (30) days from the date of notice from the other party of such material breach, specifying the nature of the breach in reasonable detail;
b. if any party becomes insolvent or bankrupt or admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they mature, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; makes a voluntary assignment or transfer of all or substantially all of its property; has a custodian, trustee, or receiver appointed for it, or for all or substantially all of its property; has bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangements, insolvency or liquidation proceedings, or other proceedings for relief under any bankruptcy or similar law for the relief of debtors, instituted by or against it, and, if instituted against it, any of the foregoing is allowed or consented to by the other party or is not dismissed within sixty (60) days after such institution; or
c. any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, any other party by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to have a material adverse effect on such party’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(iv) By the Adviser upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to SHIM in the event that:
a. The Adviser and/or the Trust is informed of the final adoption of any legislation or regulation that materially impairs the ability of the Adviser and/or the Trust to market, promote, issue, or redeem shares of the Funds;
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b. any material litigation or regulatory proceeding regarding the Fund(s) is commenced which requires the Fund(s) to cease existence; or
c. any material litigation or regulatory proceeding regarding SHIM is commenced and the Adviser, in its sole discretion, expects such litigation or proceeding to have a material adverse effect on the Adviser and/or a Fund;
(v) By SHIM, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Adviser and the Trust, in the event that:
a. SHIM is informed of the final adoption of any legislation or regulation that materially impairs SHIM’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement;
b. Any material litigation or regulatory proceeding regarding the Adviser and/or a Fund is commenced and SHIM, in its sole discretion, expects such litigation or proceeding to have a material adverse effect on SHIM; or
c. SHIM determines in its sole discretion that its compliance with any new legislation or regulatory guidance in respect of the provision of its services hereunder will result in material hardship or material expense to SHIM.
(vi) This Agreement shall automatically terminate upon its assignment or the occurrence of a SHIM Change of Control Event.
(vii) This Agreement shall also terminate in the event that the Investment Advisory Agreement or the Licensing Agreement is terminated.

(c)            No fees under this Agreement will be payable to SHIM by the Adviser after termination of this Agreement as set forth above except any outstanding fees. The fee for the month in which this Agreement is terminated will be prorated based on the number of days in the month during which the Agreement was in effect.

(d)            Termination or expiration of this Agreement, however caused, shall be without prejudice to any compensation accrued to the date of termination or expiration.

(e)            In the event that this Agreement is terminated with respect to any Fund, this Agreement shall cease to apply to such Fund, provided, that the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

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11.             Proxy Voting; Class Actions .

(a)            SHIM shall have full and sole discretion on behalf of the Funds to vote (or in its discretion, refrain from voting) proxies for the securities held by each Fund. SHIM shall vote proxies for the Funds in, (i) a manner deemed by SHIM to be in the best interests of the relevant Fund, and (ii) accordance with SHIM’s proxy voting policies and procedures. SHIM represents and covenants that it has adopted written proxy voting policies and procedures as required under Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act, a copy of which has been provided to the Funds and the Board, and that it will promptly provide (i) any updates of such policies and procedures to the Funds and the Board, (ii) its voting records with respect to each Fund, to enable that Fund to meet its annual disclosure requirement pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act, and (iii) reports to the Adviser and/or the Board, as a Fund may direct, in instances where SHIM votes counter to its proxy voting policies. The Adviser acknowledges and agrees that SHIM has the authority to engage a third party service provider to assist SHIM with the voting of each Fund’s proxies.

(b)            SHIM shall have full and sole discretion on behalf of the Funds to participate in or consent to (or refrain from participating in or consenting to) any class action, distribution, plan of reorganization, creditors committee, merger, combination, consolidation, liquidation, underwriting, or similar plan with respect to any issuers of securities in which assets of a Fund are invested from time to time, and to execute and bind each Fund in waivers, consents and covenants related thereto.

12.            Books and Records . In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 of the 1940 Act, SHIM hereby agrees that all records which it maintains for each Fund are the property of the Trust and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Trust copies of any of such records in the event of termination of this Agreement. SHIM further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the 1940 Act, if applicable, the records required to be maintained by the SEC, if applicable, with respect to the services provided by SHIM hereunder. For avoidance of doubt, SHIM shall be permitted to include performance information of each Fund in materials produced by it subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws and regulations and any applicable FINRA guidance, and such performance information shall not be Confidential Information of the Fund Parties.

13.            Expenses . During the term of this Agreement, SHIM will pay its own expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including all costs and expenses of its employees and any overhead incurred and any activities directly related thereto, and including all costs and expenses of compliance with applicable law and regulation.

14.            Compensation . In consideration of the services rendered pursuant to this Agreement, during the term of this Agreement, the Adviser will pay to SHIM, as compensation a fee (the “ Fee ”), as set forth on Appendix B. The Fee will be calculated daily and paid monthly within 30 days of the end of each calendar month by a wire transfer to an account or accounts specified by SHIM. If the Fee begins to accrue in the middle of a month or if this Agreement terminates before the end of any month, all fees for the period from that date to the end of that month or from the beginning of that month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that the period bears to the full month in which the effectiveness or termination occurs. Upon the termination of this Agreement, the Adviser shall pay to SHIM such compensation as shall be payable prior to the effective date of termination.

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15.            Indemnification; Limitation of Liability.

(a)            The Adviser shall indemnify, defend and hold SHIM and its respective affiliates, members, directors, officers, shareholders, employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, successors and assigns (collectively, the “ SHIM Indemnified Parties ”) harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, judgments, causes of action, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) (collectively, “ Losses ”) in connection with or arising out of this Agreement, including but not limited to any material breach of this Agreement by the Adviser, the Trust, and/or a Fund, or any disclosure in any registration statement of a Fund (except disclosure about SHIM that has been specifically approved by SHIM), except to the extent Losses are the result of any grossly negligent act or omission of a SHIM Indemnified Party.

(b)            SHIM shall indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, the Adviser, the Funds and their respective affiliates, members, directors, trustees, officers, shareholders, employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, successors and assigns (collectively, the “ USCF Indemnified Parties ”) harmless from and against any and all Losses arising out of (i) any material breach of this Agreement by SHIM, (ii) any disclosure in a Fund’s registration statement about SHIM that has been specifically approved by SHIM, or (iii) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of SHIM, as applicable, in performing or satisfying its obligations under this Agreement.

(c)            Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, in no event shall the Trust, the Adviser or SHIM be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, even if the party or an authorized representative thereof has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The federal securities laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith; thus, nothing in this Agreement shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation on any rights which a party may have under the federal securities laws.

(d)            Promptly after receipt by any SHIM Indemnified Party or USCF Indemnified Party (collectively, the “ Indemnified Party ”) of notice of the commencement of any action, the Indemnified Party shall, if indemnification is to be sought against the other party (the “ Indemnifying Party ”), notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission to notify the Indemnifying Party shall relieve the Indemnifying Party from liability hereunder only to the extent that such omission results in the forfeiture by the Indemnifying Party of rights or defenses with respect to such action. In any action or proceeding, following provision of proper notice by the Indemnified Party of the existence of such action, the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to participate in any such action and to assume the defense thereof, with counsel of its choice, and after notice from the Indemnifying Party to such Indemnified Party of its election to assume the defense of the action, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to such Indemnified Party hereunder for any attorneys’ fees subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall cooperate in the defense of settlement of claims so assumed. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable hereunder for the settlement by the Indemnified Party for any claim or demand unless it has previously approved the settlement or it has been notified of such claim or demand and has failed to provide a defense in accordance with the provisions hereof. In the event that the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of the action, in negotiating any settlement the Indemnifying Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid any negative reputational or legal consequences to the Indemnified Party, and the Indemnified Party shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement as to any such reputational or legal consequences in its reasonable discretion.

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16.            Use of Name, and Reference to SHIM and the Indexes . The use by the Adviser, the Funds or the Trust of the name of SHIM and/or the Indexes shall be governed by the Licensing Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement or the Licensing Agreement shall be read to prevent the Funds or the Trust from including the name of SHIM or the Indexes as may be required to complete any regulatory filing.

17.            Amendment of this Agreement . No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by both parties, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective until approved by the Board, including a majority of the members of the Board who are not interested persons of the Adviser or SHIM, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval and, if required by applicable law, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

18.            No Partnership . Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create a partnership, joint venture or agency relationship between the Adviser, on the one hand, and SHIM, on the other hand. The Adviser and SHIM are independent contractors to one another and, except as specifically provided in this Agreement, that SHIM shall not have authority to act for or represent the Adviser or the Trust contained herein shall create or constitute SHIM and the Adviser or Trust as members of any partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate, unincorporated business, or other separate entity, nor shall anything contained herein be deemed to confer on any of them any express, implied, or apparent authority to incur any obligation or liability on behalf of any other such entity.

19.            Legal Proceedings . SHIM will not advise or act for the Adviser, the Trust or the Funds in any legal proceedings, including bankruptcies or class actions, involving any assets held or previously held by a Fund without the prior written consent of the Adviser.

20.            No Third Party Beneficiaries . This Agreement is not intended, and shall not be deemed, to confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, to create any agreement of employment with any person or to otherwise create any third party beneficiary hereto.

21.            Waiver . The waiver by any party of any default or breach of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent default or breach.

22.            Governing Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed solely and exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of New York in a manner not in conflict with the provisions of the 1940 Act, as applicable.

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23.            Severability . If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be restated to be enforceable, in a manner which reflects, as nearly as possible, the intent and economic effect of the invalid provision in accordance with applicable law. If necessary or appropriate the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible. The remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

24.            Notice . Any notice, advice or report to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed sufficient if delivered or mailed by registered, certified or overnight mail, postage prepaid addressed by the party giving notice to the other party at the last address furnished by the other party:

To the Adviser at :

USCF Advisers LLC

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530

Oakland, CA 94612

Attn: John Love, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (510) 522-9600

Email: jlove@uscfinvestments.com

 

With a copy to :

Carolyn Yu, General Counsel

Tel: (510) 522-9600

Email: cyu@uscfinvestments.com

 

To SHIM at :

SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC

Soundview Plaza

Fourth Floor

1286 East Main Street

Stamford, CT 06902

Telephone: (203) 352-2700

Email: legal@summerhavenim.com

 

With a copy to :

Robert Chender, Esq.

Seward & Kissel LLP

1 Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Tel: (212) 574-1415

Email: chender@sewkis.com

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25.            Entire Agreement . This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to this Agreement’s subject matter. Appendices A and B to this Agreement shall be incorporated into this Agreement and made a part hereof.

26.            Survival . The terms of Sections 6, 12, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, and 29 shall survive termination of this Agreement.

27.            Force Majeure . No party shall be in default or otherwise liable for any delay in or failure of its performance under this Agreement where such delay or failure arises by reason of any act of God, or any government or any governmental body, any act of war or terrorism, the elements, strikes or labor disputes, or other similar or dissimilar cause beyond the control of such party.

28.            No Strict Construction . The parties to this Agreement have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

29.            Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a section, such reference shall be to a section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The defined terms and headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

30.            Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[ Signature Page Follows ]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed intend to be legally bound by it, as of the date first written above.

USCF ADVISERS LLC:   SUMMERHAVEN INVESTMENT
      MANAGEMENT, LLC:
         
By: /s/ John P. Love   By: /s/ Ashraf R. Rizvi
Name:    John P. Love   Name:  Ashraf R. Rizvi
Title: President   Title: Partner
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APPENDIX A

 

Funds

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund
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APPENDIX B

 

Fund

Annual Fee as a
percent
of average daily
net assets 1

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund 0.06%
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund 0.06%
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Exhibit (h)(5)

SERVICES AND LICENSING AGREEMENT  

 

This Services and Licensing Agreement (the “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of November 17, 2017 (“ Effective Date ”), by and between (i) SummerHaven Index Management, LLC (“ SHIX ”), a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business at 1266 East Main Street, Soundview Plaza, Fourth Floor, Stamford, CT 06902, (ii) USCF Advisers LLC (“ USCF Advisers ”), a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business at 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530, Oakland, California 94612.

 

WITNESSETH

 

WHEREAS , USCF Advisers serves as the investment adviser to the USCF ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “ Trust ”) registered as a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”);

 

WHEREAS , the Trust consists of multiple series including the series listed in Appendix A (each, a “ Fund ” and together, the “ Funds ”), each of which is a separate investment portfolio;

WHEREAS , USCF Advisers desires to retain SHIX to provide certain consulting services to USCF Advisers in connection with formation and operation of the Funds,;

WHEREAS , SHIX will provide certain consulting services to USCF Advisers in connection with the Funds on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;

WHEREAS , USCF Advisers desires to license from SHIX the use of certain names and marks (“ Service Marks ”), including that of certain securities indexes owned, calculated, maintained and/or published by SHIX (the “ Indexes ”), as set forth in Appendix B to this Agreement (as such Appendix may be amended from time to time to incorporate new or additional Service Marks or Indexes), and the use of the Indexes, in each case solely in connection with the operation of the Funds; and

WHEREAS , SHIX is willing to license the use of the Indexes and Service Marks under the terms of this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing, and in reliance upon the mutual promises contained in this Agreement, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1. Services .

During the term of this Agreement, SHIX shall provide to USCF Advisers services with respect to the Indexes, including but not limited to general consultation regarding the calculation and maintenance of the Indexes, anticipated changes to the Indexes and the nature of the Indexes, and current or anticipated components of the Indexes. In addition, SHIX shall (a) provide such information and data as may reasonably be requested by USCF Advisers regarding the principals of SHIX and the Indexes for inclusion in regulatory filings and marketing materials for the Funds, (b) make reasonably available upon adequate notice speakers for the Funds’ marketing events and persons to be interviewed by the press who can describe the Indexes and their calculation and maintenance, and (c) such other services as the parties hereto may mutually agree from time to time, which shall be set forth in Appendix C to this Agreement (clauses (a) through (c), together the Services ”) .

 
 

2. Fees; Expenses.
(a) Fees.
(i) USCF Advisers will pay SHIX a combined monthly fee for the Services and the License as set forth in the fee schedule attached as Appendix D to this Agreement (the “ Services and License Fee ”), which payments will be made on a monthly basis within 30 days of the end of each calendar month by a wire transfer to an account or accounts specified to USCF Advisers.
(ii) In the event of termination of this Agreement in whole or in part with respect to any Fund, the Services and License Fee shall be computed on the basis of the period ending on the last Business Day (as defined below) on which this Agreement is in effect subject to a pro rata adjustment based on the number of days elapsed in the current month as a percentage of the total number of days in such month.
3. License.
(a) SHIX hereby grants to USCF Advisers, the Trust and the Funds for the term of this Agreement (i) subject to Section 3(c), a non-transferable license to use each Index as the basis, or a component, of any fund or investment product registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (each such fund or investment product, a “ Public 1940 Act Fund ”), and (ii) subject to Section 3(b), a non-transferable license to use, reproduce, promote and refer to the Indexes and the Service Marks, and to reproduce, modify, distribute and create derivative works from any information or materials provided to USCF Advisers by SHIX bearing or relating to an Index or the Service Marks, in each case solely in connection with the marketing, promotion of the Public 1940 Act Funds and in connection with making such disclosure about the relevant Public 1940 Act Fund as USCF Advisers deems necessary or desirable under any applicable laws, rules or regulations in order to indicate the source of such Index (“ License ”).
(b) USCF Advisers, the Trust and the Funds may grant a non-transferable, sublicense of the rights conferred under the License to ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ ALPS ”) for the sole purpose of permitting ALPS to provide website services to the Trust and the Funds pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement and the Creative Services Letter Agreement, both with ALPS and for no other purpose, provided thatUSCF Advisers shall be liable for any acts or omissions of ALPS, in relation to the foregoing sublicense. Any such sublicense to ALPS shall expire upon the earlier of (i) termination of this Agreement or (ii) termination of both the Transfer Agency Agreement and the Creative Services Letter Agreement.
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(c) SHIX reserves all rights with respect to the Indexes and the Service Marks except those expressly licensed to USCF Advisers hereunder; provided, however, SHIX shall not grant any license permitting the use of the Service Marks or Indexes set forth on Appendix B for a Public 1940 Act Fund advised by any party other than USCF Advisers during the term of this Agreement; except that if at or after March 31, 2020, the aggregate net assets of the USCF Commodity Strategy Fund are less than $150,000,000, SHIX may grant a license to a third party permitting the use of the Service Marks or any Index for an open-end management investment company that is registered under the 1940 Act and which does not operate as an exchange-traded fund so long as USCF shall have the exclusive right to participate in any such license agreement. SHIX and USCF will discuss and mutually decide in good faith whether it is beneficial to extend the license to any such third party. The terms of the participation and the fee to USCF shall be mutually and reasonably negotiated in good faith by SHIX and USCF.
(d) USCF Advisers acknowledges that, as between USCF Advisers and SHIX, the Indexes and the Service Marks are the exclusive property of SHIX, and that the Indexes and their compilation and composition and change therein is in the control and discretion of SHIX. USCF Advisers agrees that any and all rights that might be acquired by its use of the Service Marks shall inure to the benefit of SHIX. USCF Advisers agrees and acknowledges that no rights to use the Indexes and the Service Marks are granted hereunder other than those specifically described and expressly granted herein. SHIX warrants and represents that USCF Advisers does not need to obtain a license from any person or entity (other than the License provided herein) to use of the Indexes or Service Marks or the exercise of rights under the License. SHIX shall take all actions reasonably necessary to maintain the validity and enforceability of the Service Marks, and to protect the Service Marks from unauthorized use, during the term of this Agreement.
(e) The goods and services offered and/or performed by USCF Advisers under the Service Marks shall be of high standard and shall be offered and performed in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. USCF Advisers agrees that it will take no action which will, in SHIX’s sole judgment, impugn in any fashion the reputation of SHIX or the Service Marks. USCF Advisers shall submit to SHIX, for SHIX’s review and approval, all informational materials to be used in connection with the marketing, promotion, offer or sale of any Fund that in any way use or refer to SHIX (or any affiliate thereof), the Indexes or any of the Service Marks. SHIX’s approval shall be required with respect to the use of and description of SHIX (or any affiliate thereof), the Indexes or any of the Service Marks in all such informational materials; provided that such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. SHIX shall notify USCF Advisers of its approval or disapproval of any informational materials submitted for SHIX’s approval within five (5) Business Days following receipt thereof from USCF Advisers . Once informational materials have been approved by SHIX, subsequent informational materials which do not materially alter the use or description of SHIX (or any affiliate thereof), the Indexes or the Service Marks, as the case may be, need not be submitted for review and approval.
3
 
(f) In connection with the License, SHIX shall provide to USCF Advisers educational information and presentations regarding the Indexes, as reasonably agreed.
(g) The licenses granted in this Section 3 shall terminate with respect to a Fund upon termination of this Agreement with respect to such Fund.
4. Taxes.
(a) Both USCF Advisers and SHIX will be responsible for paying any tax imposed on such entity by any governmental authority regardless of where imposed; provided, however, that any sales taxes, use taxes, value added taxes or excise taxes imposed on any payment by USCF Advisers to SHIX under this Agreement shall be borne by USCF Advisers; provided further, that no payment under this Agreement shall be grossed up for any tax required to be withheld.
(b) SHIX shall deliver a properly completed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or other applicable form at least ten (10) Business Days prior to any payment being due under this Agreement, and will update such form to reflect changes or as reasonably requested by USCF Advisers.
5. Representations and Warranties of SHIX. SHIX represents and warrants that:
(a) SHIX has the full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform the services described under this Agreement.
(b) SHIX is a limited liability company duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the state of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted.
(c) The execution, delivery and performance by SHIX of this Agreement are within SHIX’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further action is required on its part to authorize this Agreement.
(d) The execution, delivery and performance by SHIX of this Agreement do not violate or result in a default under (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) SHIX’s governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon SHIX.
(e) This Agreement and each other agreement, instrument or document to be executed and delivered by SHIX pursuant to this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of SHIX, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws and equitable principles affecting creditors’ rights generally and the discretion of the courts in granting equitable remedies.
4
 
(f) SHIX represents that its other engagements or activities are not of a nature or magnitude so as to have a material adverse effect on its ability to provide the Services. USCF acknowledges and agrees that SHIX and its principals are required to devote only such time as may be reasonably required with respect to the Services.
(g) SHIX represents and warrants that it has the right to grant licenses of the Indexes and the Service Marks and that, to its knowledge, use of the Indexes and Service Marks by USCF as provided herein shall not infringe any trade name, trademark, service mark, trade dress, copyright, patent, other proprietary right, or contractual right of any person not a party to this Agreement. EXCEPT FOR THE WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, SHIX MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CONCERNING THE INDEXES OR THE SERVICE MARKS, AND MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THEIR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN PARTICULAR, AND WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, SHIX DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE QUALITY, ACCURACY, AND/OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEXES OR THE SERVICE MARKS.
6. Representations and Warranties of USCF Advisers . USCF Advisers represents and warrants as follows:
(a) USCF Advisers has the full power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to serve as the sponsor to the Funds and to perform the services described under this Agreement.
(b) USCF Advisers is a limited liability company duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the state of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted.
(c) The execution, delivery and performance by USCF Advisers of this Agreement are within USCF Advisers’ powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further action is required on its part to authorize this Agreement.
(d) The execution, delivery and performance by USCF Advisers of this Agreement do not violate or result in a default under (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) USCF Advisers ’ governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon USCF Advisers.
(e) USCF Advisers is registered with applicable regulators in each capacity in which it is required to register to perform its duties with respect to the Trust and the Funds and will continue to be so registered, if required, so long as this Agreement remains in effect.
5
 
(f) This Agreement and each other agreement, instrument or document to be executed and delivered by USCF Advisers pursuant to this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of USCF Advisers, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws and equitable principles affecting creditors’ rights generally and the discretion of the courts in granting equitable remedies.
7. Covenants of SHIX.
(a) SHIX will promptly notify USCF Advisers of the occurrence of any event that would substantially impair SHIX’s ability to fulfill its commitments under this Agreement.
(b) SHIX will promptly notify USCF Advisers if it is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, government agency, self-regulatory organization, public board or body, involving the affairs of USCF Advisers, the Trust or any Fund or, in the case of SHIX, that would impact SHIX’s ability to perform under this Agreement, in each case, unless SHIX is prohibited from doing so.
8. Covenants of USCF Advisers .
(a) USCF Advisers will promptly notify SHIX, of the occurrence of any event that would substantially impair the ability of USCF Advisers to fulfill its commitment under this Agreement.
(b) USCF Advisers will promptly notify SHIX, if it is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, government agency, self-regulatory organization, public board or body, involving the affairs of any Fund or, in the case of USCF Advisers, that would impact the ability of USCF Advisers to perform under this Agreement, in each case, unless USCF Advisers is prohibited from doing so.
(c) USCF Advisers agrees to include the following disclosure or the substance thereof in each Fund’s prospectus:

The Index and associated trademarks, service marks and trade names are the exclusive property of SHIX , which has licensed the Index and marks for use by USCF. SHIX is solely responsible for determining the investments included in, and the calculation of, the Index. Neither SHIX nor its affiliates make any representations regarding the appropriateness of the Fund’s investments for the purpose of tracking the performance of the Index or otherwise.

6
 

9. Intellectual Property .
(a) SHIX hereby grants USCF Advisers non-exclusive use of SHIX’s name(s), derivatives, logos, trademarks, service marks, domain names and trade names in connection with certain materials used in the ordinary course of business, such as prospectuses, financial reports, fund fact sheets, fund name and related materials, including advertising and marketing materials for the Funds. USCF Advisers hereby grants SHIX non-exclusive use of USCF Advisers’ name(s), derivatives, logos, trademarks, service marks, domain names and trade names in connection with certain materials used in the ordinary course of business, such as prospectuses, financial reports, fund fact sheets, fund name and related materials, including advertising and marketing materials for the Funds. The reciprocal limited license grants set forth in this Section 9 will be revoked as to future use as soon as the Agreement is terminated with respect to any such Fund.
(b) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, including in any appendix hereto, neither party grants the other party hereto any other license, express or implied, to such party’s intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights other that as set forth herein. Each party shall cooperate and take such action as may be reasonably requested by the other party in order to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. 
10. Term and Termination .
(a) Term of the Agreement . The initial term of this Agreement shall be a period of ten (10) years from the Effective Date (“ Initial Term ”), unless earlier terminated by either party hereto in accordance with Section 10(b) below. After the Initial Term, this Agreement shall renew for successive three (3) year periods (each, a “ Successive Term ”), unless (i) terminated by either party hereto as of the end of any Successive Term by providing at least ninety (90) days written notice of such termination prior to the end of such Successive Term, or (ii) earlier terminated by either party hereto in accordance with Section 10(b) below.
(b) Termination of the Agreement . With respect to each Fund, this Agreement may be terminated without payment of any penalty:
(i) By mutual consent of the parties hereto.
(ii) By any party, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the other party, in the event that:
a. the other party commits a material breach of this Agreement, and such material breach has not been cured by the breaching party within thirty (30) days from the date of notice from the other party of such material breach, specifying the nature of the breach in reasonable detail;
b. any party is dissolved or its existence is terminated;
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c. if any party becomes insolvent or bankrupt or admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they mature, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; makes a voluntary assignment or transfer of all or substantially all of its property; has a custodian, trustee, or receiver appointed for it, or for all or substantially all of its property; has bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangements, insolvency or liquidation proceedings, or other proceedings for relief under any bankruptcy or similar law for the relief of debtors, instituted by or against it, and, if instituted against it, any of the foregoing is allowed or consented to by the other party or is not dismissed within sixty (60) days after such institution; or
d. any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, any other party by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to have a material adverse effect on such party’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(iii) By USCF Advisers, upon sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party in the event that a majority of the board of trustees of the Trust votes to terminate the sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) between USCF Advisers and SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC.
(iv) By USCF Advisers, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the other party, in the event that:
a. USCF Advisers is informed of the final adoption of any legislation or regulation that materially impairs the ability of USCF Advisers to market, promote, or issue, redeem or list on an exchange, shares of the Funds;
b. any material litigation or regulatory proceeding regarding the Funds is commenced which requires that the Funds to cease existence, and no successor Funds are established with similar investment objectives; or
c. there is a Change of Control of SHIX. For the purposes of this section, “ Change of Control of SHIX ” means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all the assets of SHIX, or (2) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition by the members of SHIX (as of the Effective Date) of more than 50% of the outstanding equity of SHIX.
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(v) By SHIX, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to USCF Advisers, in the event that:
a. SHIX is informed of the final adoption of any legislation or regulation that materially impairs SHIX’s ability to perform the Services under this Agreement;
b. the Sub-Advisory Agreement dated the same date as this Agreement between USCF Advisers and SummerHaven Investment Management, LLC (“ SHIM ”) (the “ Sub-Advisory Agreement ”) is terminated; provided, however, that this Agreement shall remain in effect if SHIM and USCF Advisers enter into a new sub-advisory agreement following a SHIM Change of Control Event, as such term is defined in the Sub-Advisory Agreement;
c. in the event that USCF Advisers retains the services of an additional sub-advisor (i.e., in addition to SHIM) to manage any assets of any Fund without obtaining the prior written consent of SHIX; or
d. there is a Change of Control of USCF Advisers. For the purposes of this section, “ Change of Control of USCF Advisers ” means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all the assets of USCF Advisers, or (2) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition by the members of USCF Advisers (as of the Effective Date) of more than 50% of the outstanding equity of USCF; provided that for the avoidance of doubt any sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of the owner and sole member of USCF Advisers shall not be considered a “Change of Control.”
(c) Termination of Agreement with Respect to Any Fund . In the event that this Agreement is terminated with respect to any Fund, this Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement shall cease to apply to such Fund, provided, that the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
(d) Fees Due on Termination of the Agreement or any Fund . Upon termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part, USCF Advisers shall pay SHIX any amounts due and unpaid amounts with respect to any Fund(s) for which this Agreement has been terminated; provided that once all such amounts have been paid to SHIX by USCF Advisers, no further amounts shall be due under this Agreement with respect to such Fund(s). The fee for the month in which this Agreement is terminated will be pro-rated based on the number of days in the month during which the Agreement was in effect.
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11. Confidentiality .
(a) For the purpose of this Agreement, “ Confidential Information ” means in relation to any party all confidential and proprietary information (whether such information is in oral or written form or is recorded in any other medium) including, without limitation, all business, technical, financial, customer and/or any other proprietary information of a party, products, processes, tools, services, technical knowledge and any other information and/or materials clearly marked as confidential, or information identified as confidential at the time of disclosure, or summarized as confidential in a written memorandum delivered to the recipient within thirty (30) calendar days of disclosure, including, without limitation, all such non-public information concerning the Indexes, whether or not so marked . Notwithstanding the foregoing, a party’s Confidential Information shall not include information which: (i) is or becomes a part of the public domain through no act or omission of the other party; (ii) was in the other party’s lawful possession prior to the disclosure and had not been obtained by the other party either directly or indirectly from the disclosing party; (iii) is lawfully disclosed to the other party by a third party without restriction on disclosure; or (iv) is independently developed by the other party without reference to any Confidential Information.
(b) By virtue of this Agreement, either USCF Advisers or SHIX may have access to Confidential Information of the other party. USCF and SHIX agree to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information, except that the Confidential Information may be disclosed (a) to their respective affiliates and their respective affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Confidential Information and instructed to keep such Confidential Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any governmental authority, taxing authority or self-regulatory authority, (c) to the extent required by applicable law or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the rights granted hereunder, (e) in the regulatory filings of the Trust and any Fund, in a manner determined to be appropriate or required by USCF by or on behalf of the Trust and any Fund, and (f) with the consent of the other party. Such Confidential Information shall remain confidential for all other purposes.
(c) Each of USCF Advisers and SHIX agree to secure and protect the Confidential Information of each other in a manner consistent with the maintenance of the other party’s rights therein at the time of receipt of the Confidential Information, using at least as great a degree of care as each party uses to maintain the confidentiality of its own confidential information of a similar nature, but in no event using less than its reasonable efforts. Neither USCF Advisers nor SHIX shall sell, transfer, publish, disclose, or otherwise make available any portion of the Confidential Information of the other party to third parties, except as necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement or as expressly authorized in this Agreement. Each party represents that it has, and agrees to maintain, an appropriate agreement with each third party who may have access to Confidential Information sufficient to enable such party to comply with all of the terms of this Agreement.
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(d) Both USCF Advisers and SHIX agree that the unauthorized use by any party of the other party’s Confidential Information will diminish the value of such Confidential Information and will cause substantial and irreparable damage to the party whose Confidential Information was improperly disclosed, and that the remedies generally available at law may be inadequate. Accordingly, USCF Advisers and SHIX agree that a breach of this Section 11 shall entitle SHIX (in the case of a breach by USCF Advisers) or USCF Advisers (in the case of a breach by SHIX) to seek equitable relief to protect its interest herein, including injunctive relief, as well as money damages. The parties agree that the obligations under this Section 11 shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.
12. Indemnification; Limitation of Liability .
(a) USCF Advisers shall indemnify, defend and hold SHIX and its affiliates, members, directors, officers, shareholders, employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, successors and assigns (collectively, the SHIX Indemnified Parties ”) harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, judgments, causes of action, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) (collectively, “ Losses ”) in connection with or arising out of this Agreement, including but not limited to any material breach of this Agreement by USCF Advisers or any disclosure in any registration statement of any Fund (except disclosure about SHIX or the Index that has been specifically approved by SHIX), and out of USCF Advisers ’ use of the Indexes or the Service Marks (including, without limitation, in connection with the marketing, promotion and sale of any Fund and its units), except to the extent Losses are the result of any grossly negligent act or omission of a SHIX Indemnified Party.
(b) SHIX shall indemnify, defend and hold USCF and its affiliates, members, directors, officers, shareholders, employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, successors and assigns (collectively, the USCF Indemnified Parties ”) harmless from and against any and all Losses arising out of (i) any material breach of this Agreement by SHIX, (ii) any disclosure in the registration statement of any Fund about SHIX or the Index that has been specifically approved by SHIX, (iii) any claim that SHIX does not possess all rights necessary to grant the License granted by this Agreement, (iv) any claim of infringement, misappropriation, dilution or other violation of the intellectual property, proprietary rights, or license rights of third parties arising from the use of the Indexes or the Service Marks as licensed to USCF under this Agreement, except to the extent Losses are the result of any negligent act or omission of an USCF Indemnified Party or (v) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of SHIX in performing or satisfying its obligations under this Agreement. Additionally, SHIX shall indemnify, defend and hold the Funds and their trustees, officers, and shareholders (which shall, collectively, be deemed USCF Indemnified Parties solely for this limited purpose) harmless from and against any and all Losses arising out of any disclosure in the registration statement of any Fund about SHIX or the Indexes that has been specifically approved by SHIX.
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(c) Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, in no event shall USCF or SHIX be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, even if the party or an authorized representative thereof has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The federal securities laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith; thus, nothing in this Agreement shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation on any rights which a party may have under the federal securities laws.
(d) Promptly after receipt by any Indemnified Party of notice of the commencement of any action, the Indemnified Party shall, if indemnification is to be sought against the other party (the “ Indemnifying Party ”) under this Section 12, notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission to notify the Indemnifying Party shall relieve the Indemnifying Party from liability hereunder only to the extent that such omission results in the forfeiture by the Indemnifying Party of rights or defenses with respect to such action. In any action or proceeding, following provision of proper notice by the Indemnified Party of the existence of such action, the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to participate in any such action and to assume the defense thereof, with counsel of its choice, and after notice from the Indemnifying Party to such Indemnified Party of its election to assume the defense of the action, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to such Indemnified Party hereunder for any attorneys’ fees subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall cooperate in the defense of settlement of claims so assumed. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable hereunder for the settlement by the Indemnified Party for any claim or demand unless it has previously approved the settlement or it has been notified of such claim or demand and has failed to provide a defense in accordance with the provisions hereof. In the event that the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of the action, in negotiating any settlement the Indemnifying Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid any negative reputational or legal consequences to the Indemnified Party, and the Indemnified Party shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement as to any such reputational or legal consequences in its reasonable discretion.
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13. Payment on Non-Business Days . Notwithstanding any other provision herein, in any case where payment is due on a date that is not a Business Day, then such payment shall be due on the next succeeding Business Day. “ Business Day ” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or day on which banks are authorized to close in New York, New York.
14. No Partnership . USCF Advisers and SHIX are independent contractors to one another. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create a partnership, joint venture or agency relationship between USCF Advisers and SHIX.
15. Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. However, neither this Agreement nor any of the rights of the parties hereunder may otherwise be transferred or assigned by any party hereto without the prior consent of the other party. Any attempted transfer or assignment in violation of this Section 15 shall be void.
16. No Third Party Beneficiaries . This Agreement is not intended, and shall not be deemed, to confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, to create any agreement of employment with any person or to otherwise create any third-party beneficiary hereto.
17. Waiver. The waiver by any party of any default or breach of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent default or breach.
18. Amendments. This Agreement may not be modified or amended unless such modification or amendment of this Agreement is in and executed by all parties.
19. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed solely and exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without reference to its conflicts of law principles.
20. Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be restated to be enforceable, in a manner which reflects, as nearly as possible, the intent and economic effect of the invalid provision in accordance with applicable law. If necessary or appropriate, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible. The remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
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21. Notice. Any notice, advice or report to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed sufficient if delivered or mailed by registered, certified or overnight mail, postage prepaid addressed by the party giving notice to the other party at the last address furnished by the other party:

To USCF Advisers at: USCF Advisers LLC
  1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1530
  Oakland, CA 94612
  Attn: John Love, President and Chief Executive Officer
  Tel: (510) 522-9600  
  Email: jlove@uscfinvestments.com
   
  With a copy to :
  Carolyn Yu, General Counsel
  Tel: (510) 522-9600
  Email: cyu@uscfinvestments.com
   

To SHIX at: SummerHaven Index Management, LLC
  Soundview Plaza
  Fourth Floor
  1286 East Main Street
  Stamford, CT 06902
  Tel: (203) 352-2700
  Email: legal@summerhavenim.com
   
  With a copy to :
  Robert Chender, Esq.
  Seward & Kissel LLP
  1 Battery Park Plaza
  New York, NY 10004
  Tel: (212) 574-1415
  Email: chender@sewkis.com
   

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22. Entire Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to this Agreement’s subject matter. Appendices A, B, C and D to this Agreement shall be incorporated into this Agreement and made a part hereof.
23. Survival. The terms of Sections 2, 6, 10(d), 11, 12, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 26 shall survive termination of this Agreement.
24. Force Majeure. No party shall be in default or otherwise liable for any delay in or failure of its performance under this Agreement where such delay or failure arises by reason of any act of God, or any government or any governmental body, any act of war or terrorism, the elements, strikes or labor disputes, or other similar or dissimilar cause beyond the control of such party.
25. No Strict Construction. The parties to this Agreement have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.
26. Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a section, such reference shall be to a section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The defined terms and headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”
27. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[ Signature Page Follows ]

15
 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Services and License Agreement, and intend to be legally bound by it, as of the Effective Date. 

 

USCF ADVISERS LLC:  
   
By: /s/ John P. Love   
     
Name:    John P. Love  
     
Title: President  

 

SummerHaven INDEX
Management, LLC
:
 
   
By: /s/ Ashraf R. Rizvi   
     
Name:  Ashraf R. Rizvi   
     
Title: Partner   
16
 

A ppendix A

 

Funds

 

USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund
USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund
 
 

Appendix B

 

Indexes:

 

1. SummerHaven Private Equity Strategy Index
2. SummerHaven Private Equity Natural Resources Strategy Index

Service Marks :

 

1. SHPEI
2. SHPEN
 
 

A ppendix C

 

Additional Services

 

None.

 

 

(LOGO)  

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
700 Sixth Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-3980

D: +1 202.383.0472
F: +1 202.637.3593

cynthiabeyea@
eversheds-sutherland.com

Exhibit 28(i)(2)  

November 29, 2017

VIA EDGAR

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

100 F Street, NE

Washington, DC 20549

 

  Re:

USCF ETF Trust (the “Trust”)

File Nos. 333-196273 and 811-22930

Post-Effective Amendment No. 35

     

Commissioners:

We hereby consent to the reference to our name under the captions “Legal Counsel” in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

  Sincerely,
   
  /s/ Cynthia R. Beyea
   
  Cynthia R. Beyea

cc:

Carolyn M. Yu, USCF

Daphne G. Frydman, USCF

Ronald Coenen Jr., Eversheds Sutherland

 

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP is part of a global legal practice, operating through various separate and distinct legal entities, under Eversheds Sutherland. For a full description of the structure and a list of offices, please visit www.eversheds-sutherland.com.

Exhibit (j) 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

 

We consent to the reference to our firm under the captions “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of USCF SummerHaven SHPEI Index Fund and USCF SummerHaven SHPEN Index Fund (each a series of the USCF ETF Trust) in this Registration Statement (Form N-1A, SEC File No. 333-196273) of USCF ETF Trust.

 

/s/ Spicer Jeffries LLP

Greenwood Village, Colorado

November 29, 2017