AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON APRIL 20, 2012

File Nos. 333- and 811-22698

 

 

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

   THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933    x
   PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.        ¨
   POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.        ¨

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

   THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940    x
   AMENDMENT NO.        ¨

 

 

KRANESHARES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10019

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

(646) 479-5031

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code )

Jonathan Krane

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10019

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Christopher D. Menconi

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1111 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

 

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

  ¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  ¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
  x As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

 

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 

 


K RANE S HARES T RUST

Prospectus

    , 2012

KRANESHARES DOW JONES CHINA SELECT DIVIDEND ETF

Principal Listing Exchange: [NYSE Arca, Inc.]

Ticker Symbol: [XXX]

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

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


KraneShares Trust

Table of Contents

 

Fund Summary

  

KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

     1   

Additional Information About the Fund

     7   

Additional Investment Objective, Principal Strategies and Principal Risks Information

     7   

Management

     14   

Investment Adviser

     14   

Investment Sub-Adviser

     14   

Portfolio Manager

     14   

Shareholder Information

     15   

Calculating NAV

     15   

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

     15   

Share Trading Prices

     15   

Active Investors and Market Timing

     16   

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

     16   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and other Financial Intermediaries

     16   

Distribution Plan

     16   

Dividends and Distributions

     16   

Additional Tax Information

     16   

Tax Status of the Fund

     17   

Tax Status on Distributions

     17   

Tax Status of Share Transactions

     18   

Back-Up Withholding

     18   

Non-U.S. Investors

     18   

State Tax Considerations

     19   

Taxes on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units

     19   

Premium/Discount Information

     19   

More Information

     19   

Index Provider Information

     19   

Additional Information

     21   


KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF

Investment Objective

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

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

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

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     None   

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

  

Management Fees

     XX

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

     XX

Other Expenses*

     XX

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

     XX

 

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

Example

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

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

 

1 Year

   3 Years  

$XX

   $ XX   

Portfolio Turnover

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

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund uses a passive management strategy, known as “replication,” to track the performance of the Underlying Index. “Replication” refers to investing in substantially all of the securities in the Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. The Adviser expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the

 

1


correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Underlying Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. The Underlying Index measures the performance of dividend-yielding stocks among: 1) China-based companies traded in Hong Kong, the United States or other exchanges that are available to U.S. investors and 2) publicly traded Hong Kong-based companies that generate the majority of their revenue from the China or expect to generate the majority of their sales growth from China (collectively, “China Companies”). The Fund will also invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in China Companies.

The Underlying Index is an unmanaged dividend yield-weighted index comprised of eligible companies included in the Dow Jones China Offshore Total Stock Market Index and the Dow Jones Hong Kong Total Stock Market Index, which are market capitalization-weighted indexes designed to measure the performance of equity securities with readily available prices. In general, the Underlying Index is designed to select securities with positive dividend-paying and yield characteristics.

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

Principal Risks

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

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

Concentration Risk. To the extent the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class, the Fund may be vulnerable to adverse events affecting such issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class.

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

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

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

 

2


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

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

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

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

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

Industrial Goods & Services Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are focused in issuers conducting business in the industrial goods and services sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the industrial goods and services sector. Stock prices for the types of companies included in this sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies.

Personal and Household Goods Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in issuers conducting business in the personal and household goods sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. The prices of the securities of personal and household goods sector companies also may fluctuate widely in response to such events. The performance of personal and household goods companies are subject to changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending. Companies in this sector are also affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions.

 

3


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

Utilities Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in issuers conducting business in the utilities sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. Companies in the utilities sector may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, domestic and international competition, and governmental limitation on rates charged to customers. The value of regulated utility debt securities (and, to a lesser extent, equity securities) tends to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Deregulation is subjecting utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect profitability. As deregulation allows utilities to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utilities may engage in riskier ventures.

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

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

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

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

 

4


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

Privatization Risk. China has begun a process of privatizing certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized which may adversely affect the Fund’s investments in such entities.

Reliance on Trading Partners Risk. The Fund invests in an economy that is heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may adversely affect the economy in which the Fund invests and, thus, the Fund’s investments, causing the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.

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

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

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

Performance Information

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

Management

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser

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

The Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The Adviser has retained the Sub-Adviser to trade the portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

 

5


Portfolio Managers

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

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

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

Tax Information

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

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

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

 

6


Additional Information About the Fund

Additional Investment Objective, Principal Investment Strategies and Principal Risks

Investment Objective and 80% Investment Policy. The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental. As a result, the Fund may change the Underlying Index without shareholder approval. The Fund may change its policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in China Companies without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.

Principal Investment Strategies. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Underlying Index. In managing the Fund, the Adviser uses a “passive” investment strategy meaning that the Adviser does not attempt to select securities based on their individual potential to perform better than the Underlying Index or the market, generally. The Adviser’s primary objective is to correspond to the performance of the Fund’s Underlying Index as closely as possible on a daily basis. The Adviser does not engage in temporary defensive investing, keeping the Fund’s assets fully invested in all market environments. As a result, the Fund may be more vulnerable to market movements that are adverse to the Fund’s investment objective than a fund that engages in temporary defensive investing strategies. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser monitor the Fund on an ongoing basis and make adjustments to the Fund’s portfolio, as necessary, to minimize tracking error and to maximize liquidity.

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

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

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

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

Capital Controls Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by non-U.S. governments and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities

 

7


(such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

Concentration Risk . The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect an issuer, industry or a group of related industries, or an asset class and value of the securities of companies of such issuer, industry or group of industries or asset class could be adversely affected by these or other developments.

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

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

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

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

 

8


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

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

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

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

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

 

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Currency Risk . The Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, therefore, the Fund may lose value if the local currency of a foreign market depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the Fund’s holdings goes up.

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

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

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

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

Hong Kong . The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong

 

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is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation of current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government.

Industry and Sector Risk. The Industry and Sector Concentration Risk applicable to each Fund is as follows:

Industrial Goods and Services Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are focused in issuers conducting business in the industrial goods and services sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the industrial goods and services sector. Stock prices for the types of companies included in this sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies.

Personal and Household Goods Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in issuers conducting business in the personal and household goods sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. The prices of the securities of personal and household goods sector companies also may fluctuate widely in response to such events. The performance of personal and household goods companies are subject to changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending. Companies in this sector are also affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions.

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

Utilities Sector Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in issuers conducting business in the utilities sector, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. Companies in the utilities sector may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, domestic and international competition, and governmental limitation on rates charged to customers. The value of regulated utility debt securities (and, to a lesser extent, equity securities) tends to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Deregulation is subjecting utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect profitability. As deregulation allows utilities to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utilities may engage in riskier ventures.

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.

Privatization Risk. China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries. In some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Chinese economy is dependent on the economies of Asia, Europe and the United States as key trading partners. Reduction in spending by these economies on Chinese products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may cause an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.

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

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

Trading Risk . Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”), there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the NYSE Arca, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares 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 the NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

 

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Portfolio Holdings Information

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

Management

Investment Adviser

The Adviser is a newly-formed investment adviser located at 152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10019 and serves as investment adviser of the Fund. The Adviser has served as the investment adviser of the Fund since its inception.

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

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

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

Investment Sub-Adviser

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

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

Portfolio Manager

Jonathan Krane of the Adviser is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Krane founded the Adviser in 2011. He is also Managing Partner of Krane Capital, an investment and advisory company based in New York and advises companies in the United States and China on various financial investment opportunities. Prior to that, Mr. Krane was Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company. Mr. Krane received a BA from Connecticut College and an MBA from Columbia University.

 

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

Shareholder Information

Calculating NAV

The Fund calculates its NAV by:

 

   

Taking the current market value of its total assets

 

   

Subtracting any liabilities

 

   

Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

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

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

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

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

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

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

Share Trading Prices

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

 

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Active Investors and Market Timing

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

[Investments by Registered Investment Companies

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

Payments to Broker-Dealers and other Financial Intermediaries

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

Distribution Plan

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

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

Dividends and Distributions

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

Additional Tax Information

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

 

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Tax Status of the Fund

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

Tax Status of Distributions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Tax Status of Share Transactions

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

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

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

Back-Up Withholding

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

Non-U.S. Investors

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

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

 

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State Tax Considerations

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

Chinese Tax Disclosure [Subject to confirmation by local counsel]

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

Taxes on Creations And Redemptions of Creation Units

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

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

Premium/Discount Information

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

More Information

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, call [            ] or visit [            ].

Index Provider Information

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

D OW J ONES I NDEX L ICENSES : The Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index is a product of Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name and a licensed trademark of CME Group Index Services LLC (“CME Indexes”), and has been licensed for use. “Dow Jones”, “Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index” and “Dow Jones Indexes” are service marks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC (“Dow Jones”), have been licensed to CME Indexes and sublicensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser (the “Licensee”). The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, CME Indexes or their respective affiliates. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any

 

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member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. Dow Jones’, CME Indexes’ and their respective affiliates’ only relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Indexes which are determined, composed and calculated by CME Indexes without regard to the Licensee or the Fund. Dow Jones and CME Index have no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Underlying Index. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be sold or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund currently being issued by the Licensee, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Fund. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Underlying Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Underlying Index and the Fund.

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

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

 

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A DDITIONAL I NFORMATION

Additional and more detailed information about the Fund is included in the SAI dated         , 2012. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website (“http://www.sec.gov”) that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. You may also review and copy documents at the SEC Public Reference room in Washington, D.C. (for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, call 202.551.8090). You may request documents from the SEC by mail, upon payment of a duplication fee, by writing to: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by emailing the SEC at the following address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

You may obtain a copy of the SAI or the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports or make inquiries, without charge by calling XX, visiting XX, or writing XX. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. Also, in the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during their last fiscal year.

N O ONE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS P ROSPECTUS OR IN THE F UND S SAI IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING OF F UND SHARES . D O NOT RELY ON ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE F UND , THE A DVISER OR THE S UB -A DVISER . T HIS P ROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE F UND IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH AN OFFERING IS NOT LAWFUL .

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

 

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KraneShares Trust

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

                    , 2012

KRANESHARES DOW JONES CHINA SELECT DIVIDEND ETF

[NYSE Arca, Inc.: [XXX]]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relates to the KraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF (the “Fund”), a separate series of the KraneShares Trust (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Fund, dated                     , 2012, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by calling [            ], visiting www.[            ].com, or writing to the Trust at [            ].

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


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

     1   

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS

     1   

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S UNDERLYING INDEX

     14   

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

     16   

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

     17   

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

     18   

PROXY VOTING POLICY

     22   

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

     24   

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

     24   

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

     26   

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

     26   

TAXES

     34   

DETERMINATION OF NAV

     42   

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

     43   

OTHER INFORMATION

     43   

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     45   

INDEX PUBLISHER INFORMATION

     45   

COUNSEL

     46   

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     46   

CUSTODIAN

     46   

 

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

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

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

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

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

The Trust reserves the right to offer an “all cash” option for creations and redemptions of Creation Units for the Fund. In addition, Creation Units may be issued in advance of the receipt of a basket of securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain a cash deposit with the Trust at least equal to 115% of the market value of the missing securities. In each instance, transaction fees may be imposed that will be higher than the transaction fees associated with traditional in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requirements applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Please see the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” section in this SAI for more detailed information.

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

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS

General

The Fund is a passively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities benchmark. The Fund’s current benchmark is the Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”). The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares. Additional information about the Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s Underlying Index is included below under the heading “Description of the Fund’s Underlying Index.”

 

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The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by using a “replication” strategy to track its Underlying Index. “Replication” refers to investing in substantially all of the securities in an Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. The Fund operates as an index fund and will not be actively managed. Adverse performance of a security in the Fund’s portfolio ordinarily will not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund’s portfolio.

The investment strategies of the Fund discussed below and in the Fund’s Prospectus may, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and limitations, be used by the Fund if, in the opinion of the Adviser, these strategies will be advantageous to the Fund. The Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the following investment techniques without changing the Fund’s fundamental investment policies. There is no assurance that any of the Fund’s strategies or any other strategies and methods of investment available to the Fund will result in the achievement of the Fund’s objective. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Fund’s Prospectus.

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

Bank Deposits and Obligations

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

Commercial Paper

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

 

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Depositary Receipts

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

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

Equity Securities

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at

 

3


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

 

   

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

 

   

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

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

 

   

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

 

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

Foreign Securities

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

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

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

 

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

Geographic Concentration

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

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

Investments in China and Hong Kong . The Fund may invest in securities listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition to the aforementioned risks of investing in non-U.S. securities, investing in securities listed and traded in Hong Kong involves special considerations not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (i) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of war); (iii) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) increasing competition from Asia’s other low-cost emerging economies; (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (vi) higher rates of inflation; (vii) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on the Fund’s ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support the economic reform programs implemented since 1978 and could return to the prior, completely centrally planned, economy; (x) the fact that Chinese companies, particularly those located in China, may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; (xi) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, particularly in China; (xii) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (xiii) the less extensive, and still developing, regulation of the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (xiv) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (xv) the fact that the

 

6


willingness and ability of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain; (xvi) the risk that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; (xvii) the rapidity and erratic nature of growth, particularly in China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations; (xviii) the risk that, because of the degree of interconnectivity between the economies and financial markets of China and Hong Kong, any sizable reduction in the demand for goods from China, or an economic downturn in China, could negatively affect the economy and financial market of Hong Kong as well; and (xix) the risk that certain companies in the Fund’s Underlying Index may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government or identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

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

Non-U.S. Government Securities

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

Real Estate Investment Trusts

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

Repurchase Agreements

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

 

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

Tracking Error

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

U.S. Government Securities

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

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

 

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

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

Borrowing

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

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

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

 

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Currency Transactions

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

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

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

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

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

Derivatives

The Fund may use derivative instruments as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of

 

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derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments will be underpinned by investments in short term, high-quality U.S. money market securities.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Illiquid Securities

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid or not readily marketable investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund which are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that such a security is deemed to be no longer liquid, the Fund’s holdings will be reviewed to determine what action, if any, is required to ensure that the retention of such security does not result in the Fund having more than 15% of its assets invested in illiquid or not readily marketable securities.

Investments in Other Investment Companies

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

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

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, the Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, and business development

 

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

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

Portfolio Turnover

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

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

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price

 

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

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

Securities Lending

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

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

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

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

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S UNDERLYING INDEX

[Subject to confirmation by Dow Jones.]

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

 

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

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

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

Annual Index Reconstitution. The Underlying Index is “reconstituted” on an annual basis, subject to quarterly and ongoing reviews to remove a China Company that eliminates its dividend or reduces its dividend substantially, or if a China Company’s dividend program is judged to be at risk. New securities are added to the Underlying Index only during the “annual reconstitution.” The annual reconstitution of the Underlying Index takes place in [June] of each year.

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

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

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

 

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

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

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

Fundamental Policies

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

The Fund may not:

Senior Securities

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

Borrowing

Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

Underwriting

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

Concentration

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

Real Estate

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

Commodities

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

 

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Loans

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

Non-Fundamental Policies

The investment limitation below is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed by the Board.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities in the Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

The Fund may change this non-fundamental investment policy without a shareholder vote, provided that it obtains Board approval and provides its shareholders with at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice of any such change.

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

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

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

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

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust

Set forth below are the name, age, positions with the Trust, term of office, and the principal occupation(s) and other directorships for a minimum of the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

[To be provided by amendment]

 

Name, Address

and Date of Birth

 

Position(s) Held with

the Trust, Term of

Office and Length of

Time Served

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee/Officer+
   Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
Trustees Who Are Interested Persons of the Trust
         
Trustees Who Are Not Interested Persons of the Trust
         
         

Board Standing Committees

The Board has established the following standing committees:

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

 

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

Individual Trustee Qualifications

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

[To be provided by Amendment]

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members

The Fund is new and, therefore, as of the date of this SAI none of the Trustees beneficially owned shares of the Fund. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

Board Compensation

The Fund is new and, therefore, as of the date of this SAI no compensation has been paid by the Trust to the Trustees.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, there were no beneficial owners as of the date of this SAI.

Investment Adviser

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, or the Adviser, serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). The Adviser’s offices are located at 152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10019.

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

 

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

The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Sub-Adviser

The Adviser has retained Index Management Solutions, LLC, the Sub-Adviser, located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2009 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee at an annual rate of XX% based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance is also approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Sub-Adviser; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Portfolio Manager

Jonathan Krane, CEO and Managing Member of the Adviser, is the portfolio manager of the Fund.

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

Portfolio Manager Compensation. The portfolio manager is compensated by the Adviser. Mr. Krane is an equity owner of the Adviser and therefore is able to receive distributions based on the Adviser’s profitability. He does not currently receive a salary directly from the Adviser.

 

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

Codes of Ethics

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

PROXY VOTING POLICY

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

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

Administration, Custody and Transfer Agency Agreements

[                        ] (the “Administrator,” the “Transfer Agent” or the “Custodian”) serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Fund. The principal address of the Administrator is [                ]. Under an Administration Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Under a Custodian Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. The Administrator is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by the Custodian and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for the Fund. Pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator also acts as a transfer agent for the Trust’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust.

As compensation for its services under the Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement, and Transfer Agency Agreement, the Administrator will receive a fee for its services, calculated at an average annual rate of [XX]% of the first $X billion in average aggregate net assets of each series of the Trust, which currently consists of the Fund only, and then [XX]% of average aggregate net assets between $X billion and $X billion, and then[XX]% of average aggregate net assets in excess of $X billion. A $XXXX minimum fee per Fund applies.

 

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

Distributor

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

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund will provide that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party (i) by vote of a majority of the independent trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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

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

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Fund; there are no plans to impose these fees, and no such fees will be charged prior to [                    ], 2013. However, in the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund.

Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets ( i.e. , without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of Fund shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing” arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased

 

23


Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of the Fund’s shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund shares.

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

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

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

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

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

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

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

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

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

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

 

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Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depository for the Fund’s shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of 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 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. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

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

Share distributions shall be made to 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 a Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such 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.

 

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BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

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

Brokerage Commissions

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

Affiliated Brokers

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

Regular Broker-Dealers

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

Portfolio Turnover

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

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

General

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

The Fund reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component in certain circumstances, such as to replace any Deposit Security that may not be eligible for transfer through DTC. The Fund also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which (i) the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under applicable securities laws or (ii) the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under applicable securities laws, or in certain other situations. The Trust also reserves the right to: (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the relevant Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

Cash Purchase Method. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units of the Fund, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser.

 

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

Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

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

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

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

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

Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase shares of the Fund before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on any Business Day in order to receive that day’s NAV. Creation Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement, as described below. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may

 

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impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. The Fund’s deadline specified above for the submission of purchase orders is referred to as the Fund’s “Cutoff Time.” The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of such orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant at any time (including on days on which the Exchange is not open for business) via communication through the facilities of the Distributor’s proprietary website maintained for this purpose. Purchase orders and redemption requests, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance in accordance with the Trust’s standard Cutoff Times as provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement and disclosed in this SAI.

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

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

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

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

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, the Fund will issue Creation Units to such Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Portfolio Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized

 

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Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value at least equal to XX% and up to XX%, which percentage the Adviser may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Fund’s then-effective procedures. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Fund is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund’s current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Fund to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral.

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

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions. A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. If a purchase consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from the cash portion of such transaction, as further described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI. The Authorized Participants may also be required to pay an additional charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover costs related to the creation transaction. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Fund. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth the Fund’s standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

 

Standard Creation Transaction Fee

   Maximum Additional Charge for Creations*

$XX

   XX%

 

* As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

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

The Fund generally redeems Creation Units for Fund Securities. Please see the Cash Redemption Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the in-kind method for further information on redeeming Creation Units of the Fund.

 

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

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

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

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

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

The following table sets forth the Fund’s standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

 

Standard Redemption Transaction Fee

   Maximum Additional Charge for Redemptions*

$XX

   XX%

 

* As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive of the standard redemption transaction fee.

Placement of Redemption Orders. Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted to the Distributor by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable

 

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

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

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

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

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

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund generally will be made within three Business Days ( i.e. , “T+3”). However, as discussed in the Regular Holidays section, the Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on another basis to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates ( i.e. , the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. The Regular Holidays section hereto identifies

 

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the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Trust will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in the Regular Holidays section to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

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

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

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to the Fund, at or prior to 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time on the Exchange business day after the date of submission of such redemption request, the Distributor will accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash, in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds, having a value at least equal to XX% and up to XX%, which percentage the Adviser may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing shares. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time on the day after the date of submission of such redemption request and shall be held by the Custodian and marked-to-market daily. The fees of State Street and any subcustodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant Agreement permits the Fund to acquire shares of the Fund at any time and subjects the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the aggregate of the cost to the Fund of purchasing such shares, plus the value of the Cash Amount, and the value of the cash collateral.

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

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

 

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

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

Regular Holidays. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period.

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” ( e.g. , days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

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

TAXES

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

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

 

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Qualification as a RIC

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taxation of the Fund

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

If the Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions ( including capital gains distributions)

 

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generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

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

Deferral of Late Year Losses

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

Capital Loss Carryovers

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

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

 

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Fund Distributions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If the Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend

 

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with respect to such dividends ( i.e. , the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

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

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

Sale or Exchange of Shares

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

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

Backup Withholding

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

Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments

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

The Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 Contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under “Certain Foreign

 

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Currency Tax Issues,” gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

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

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

Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues

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

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

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

 

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Foreign Investments

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

Passive Foreign Investment Companies

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

Chinese Tax Disclosure [Subject to review by local tax counsel]

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

Tax-Exempt Shareholders

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

 

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Non-U.S. Shareholders

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

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

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

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

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

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

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

 

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

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

Section 351

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

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations

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

General Considerations

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

DETERMINATION OF NAV

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

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

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

 

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

When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

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

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

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

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

OTHER INFORMATION

Portfolio Holdings

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

The Fund is an ETF, and therefore information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of any Order of the SEC applicable to the Fund, regulations of the Exchange, and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of the Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day. This information is used

 

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in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market.

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

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

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

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

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

 

44


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

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

Voting Rights

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

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

Shareholder Inquiries

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

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

[Seed Capital Audit to be Provided by Amendment.]

INDEX PUBLISHER INFORMATION

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

Dow Jones Index Licenses. The Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index is a product of Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name and a licensed trademark of CME Group Index Services LLC (“CME Indexes”), and has been licensed for use. “Dow Jones”, “Dow Jones China Select Dividend Index” and “Dow Jones Indexes” are service marks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC (“Dow Jones”), have been licensed to CME Indexes and sublicensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser (the “Licensee”). The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, CME Indexes or their respective affiliates. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. Dow Jones’, CME Indexes’ and their respective affiliates’ only relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Indexes which are determined, composed and calculated by CME Indexes without regard to the Licensee or the Fund. Dow Jones and CME Index have no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the

 

45


Underlying Index. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be sold or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. Dow Jones, CME Indexes and their respective affiliates have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund currently being issued by the Licensee, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Fund. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Underlying Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Underlying Index and the Fund.

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

COUNSEL

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, serves as counsel to the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

                        , the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services and other assurance services with respect to filings with the SEC.

CUSTODIAN

                (the “Custodian”),                 , serves as custodian for the Fund under a custody agreement between the Trust and the Custodian. Under the custody agreement, the Custodian holds the portfolio securities of the Fund and maintains all necessary related accounts and records.

 

46


PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28 .    Exhibits
(a)(1)    Certificate of Trust as filed with the state of Delaware on February 3, 2012, for KraneShares Trust (the “Registrant” or the “Trust”) is filed herewith.
(a)(2)    Registrant’s Form of Agreement and Declaration of Trust is filed herewith.
(b)    Registrant’s Form of By-Laws are filed herewith.
(c)    Not applicable.
(d)(1)    Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)    Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC and Index management Solutions, LLC to be filed by amendment.
(e)(1)    Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and [SEI Investments Distribution Co.] to be filed by amendment.
(e)(2)    Participant Agreement to be filed by amendment.
(f)    Not applicable.
(g)(1)    Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and [Custodian] to be filed by amendment.
(h)(1)    Administration Agreement between the Registrant and [SEI Investments Global Funds Services] to be filed by amendment.
(h)(2)    Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and [Transfer Agent] to be filed by amendment.
(i)    Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, to be filed by amendment.
(j)    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accountants to be filed by amendment.
(k)    Not applicable.
(l)    Not applicable.
(m)(1)    Distribution Plan (12b-1) to be filed by amendment.
(n)    Not applicable.
(o)    Not applicable.
(p)(1)    Code of Ethics of the Registrant to be filed by amendment.


(p)(2)    Code of Ethics of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(p)(3)    Code of Ethics of Index Management Solutions, LLC to be filed by amendment.
(p)(4)    Code of Ethics of SEI Investments Distributor Co. to be filed by amendment.

 

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

Not Applicable.

 

Item 30 . Indemnification

[A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any person, other than the Trust or a shareholder to the extent provided in Article VII of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser, or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws.

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

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

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and


Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.]

 

Item 31 . Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, (the “Advisor”) is the investment adviser for the Trust. The principal address of the Advisor is 152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10019. The Advisor is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

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

[To be provided by amendment]

 

Name and Position with

Investment Adviser

   Name of Other Company    Connection with Other Company
     
     

Index Management Solutions, (the “Sub-Advisor”) is the investment adviser for the Trust. The principal address of the Advisor is 152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10019. The Advisor is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

[To be provided by amendment]

 

Name and Position with

Investment Adviser

   Name of Other Company    Connection with Other Company
     
     

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


Item 32 . Principal Underwriters

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

 

SEI Daily Income Trust    July 15, 1982
SEI Liquid Asset Trust    November 29, 1982
SEI Tax Exempt Trust    December 3, 1982
SEI Institutional Managed Trust    January 22, 1987
SEI Institutional International Trust    August 30, 1988
The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund    November 14, 1991
The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II    January 28, 1993
Bishop Street Funds    January 27, 1995
SEI Asset Allocation Trust    April 1, 1996
SEI Institutional Investments Trust    June 14, 1996
CNI Charter Funds    April 1, 1999
iShares Inc.    January 28, 2000
iShares Trust    April 25, 2000
Optique Funds, Inc.    November 1, 2000
Causeway Capital Management Trust    September 20, 2001
BlackRock Funds III (f/k/a Barclays Global Investors Funds)    March 31, 2003
The Arbitrage Funds    May 17, 2005
ProShares Trust    November 14, 2005
Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund    January 8, 2007
SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP    June 29, 2007
TD Asset Management USA Funds    July 25, 2007
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP    July 31, 2007
Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc.    July 12, 2008
Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust    July 12, 2008
Global X Funds    October 24, 2008
ProShares Trust II    November 17, 2008
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust    August 7, 2009
Schwab Strategic Trust    October 12, 2009
RiverPark Funds    September 8, 2010
Adviser Managed Trust    February 16, 2011

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

[To be updated by amendment]

(b) The following information is furnished with respect to the directors and officers of SEI Investments Distribution Co.

 

Name

  

Position and Office

with Underwriter

  

Positions and Offices

with Registrant

William M. Doran

   Director   

Edward D. Loughlin

   Director   

Wayne M. Withrow

   Director   

Kevin P. Barr

   President & Chief Executive Officer   

Maxine J. Chou

   Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer, & Treasurer   

 


Karen E. LaTourette

   Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money Laundering Officer & Assistant Secretary   

John C. Munch

   General Counsel & Secretary   

Mark J. Held

   Senior Vice President   

Lori L. White

   Vice President & Assistant Secretary   

John P. Coary

   Vice President & Assistant Secretary   

John J. Cronin

   Vice President   

Robert M. Silvestri

   Vice President   

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records:

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

Registrant:

c/o Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10019

Adviser:

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10019

Sub-Adviser:

Index Management Solutions

2005 Market Street, Suite 2020

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Administrator:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

Distributor:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

 

Item 34 . Management Services

Not Applicable.

 

Item 35 . Undertakings

Not Applicable.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Trust has duly caused this Initial Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York on this 20th day of April, 2012.

 

KraneShares Trust

/s/ Jonathan Krane

Jonathan Krane
Initial Trustee,
Principal Executive Officer and Principal
Financial Officer

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

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Jonathan Krane

   Initial Trustee   April 20, 2012
Jonathan Krane   

Principal Executive Officer

Principal Financial Officer

 


Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number

  

Exhibit:

EX-99.A1    Certificate of Trust as filed with the state of Delaware on February 3, 2012 for KraneShares Trust
EX-99.A2    Form of Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust
EX-99.B    Form of Registrant’s By-Laws

CERTIFICATE OF TRUST

of

KraneShares Trust

This Certificate of Trust for KraneShares Trust (the ‘Trust”), a statutory trust, is filed in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. Code § 3801 et seq.) and sets forth the following:

 

1. The name of the trust is: KraneShares Trust

 

2. The name and address of the Registered Agent in the State of Delaware is:

The Corporation Trust Company

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, Delaware 19801

 

3. The Trust is or will become prior to or within 180 days following the issuance of beneficial interests, a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 80a-1 et seq.).

 

4. This certificate shall be effective upon filing .

 

5. Notice is hereby given that the Trust is a series Trust. The debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series of the Trust shall be enforceable against the assets of such series only and not against the assets of the Trust generally.

 

6. The business of the Trust will be managed in accordance with the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust as such document may be amended from time to time.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, as the Trustee of the Trust, has caused this Certificate of Trust to be duly executed as of this 3rd day of February, 2012.

 

By:  

/s/ Jonathan Krane

Name: Jonathan Krane, Initial Trustee
      KraneShares Trust

FORM OF

 

DECLARATION OF TRUST

as of             , 2012

of

KRANESHARES TRUST

a Delaware Statutory Trust

Principal Place of Business:

152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor,

New York, New York 10019

 


FORM OF

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I Name and Definitions.

     1   

Section 1.

  Name      1   

Section 2.

  Definitions      1   

ARTICLE II Purpose of the Trust.

     2   

ARTICLE III Shares.

     3   

Section 1.

  Division of Beneficial Interest      3   

Section 2.

  Ownership of Shares      3   

Section 3.

  Investments in the Trust      3   

Section 4.

  Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability      4   

Section 5.

  Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares      4   

Section 6.

  Establishment and Designation of Shares      4   

ARTICLE IV The Board of Trustees

     7   

Section 1.

  Number, Election and Tenure      7   

Section 2.

  Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. of a Trustee      7   

Section 3.

  Powers      7   

Section 4.

  Payment of Expenses by the Trust      11   

Section 5.

  Ownership of Assets of the Trust      11   

Section 6.

  Service Contracts      11   

ARTICLE V Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings.

     13   

Section 1.

  Voting Powers      13   

Section 2.

  Voting Power and Meetings      13   

Section 3.

  Quorum and Required Vote      14   

Section 4.

  Action by Written Consent      14   

Section 5.

  Record Dates      14   

ARTICLE VI Net Asset Value, Distributions, and Redemptions.

     14   

Section 1.

  Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income, and Distributions      14   

Section 2.

  Redemptions and Repurchases      15   

Section 3.

  Redemptions at the Option of the Trust      15   

ARTICLE VII Compensation and Limitation of Liability.

     15   

Section 1.

  Compensation of Trustees      15   

Section 2.

  Indemnification and Limitation of Liability      16   

Section 3.

  Trustee’s Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety      16   

Section 4.

  Insurance      17   

ARTICLE VIII Miscellaneous

     17   

Section 1.

  Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees      17   

Section 2.

  Termination of Trust or Series      17   

Section 3.

  Merger, Consolidation, and Reorganization      18   

Section 4.

  Amendments      19   

Section 5.

  Filing of Copies, References, Headings      19   

Section 6.

  Applicable Law      20   

Section 7.

  Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations      20   

Section 8.

  Statutory Trust Only      20   

 

i


FORM OF

 

DECLARATION OF TRUST

OF

KRANESHARES TRUST

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

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

ARTICLE I.

Name and Definitions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

1


FORM OF

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARTICLE II.

Purpose of the Trust

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

 

2


FORM OF

 

ARTICLE III.

Shares

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

(c) Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions, and Repurchases . No dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon termination of the Trust or of any Series (or class) with respect to, or any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any

 

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Series (or class) shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor shall any Shareholder of any Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders in absence of manifest error.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE IV.

The Board of Trustees

Section 1 . Number, Election and Tenure . The number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees shall be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15). Subject to the requirements of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees and remove Trustees with or without cause. Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or is removed. Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other time. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages or other payment on account of such removal. Any Trustee may be removed at any time by a vote of at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal. Any Trustee also may be removed at any meeting of Shareholders by a vote of two-thirds of the Shares of the Trust issued and outstanding. A meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing or removing one or more Trustees may be called (i) by the Trustees upon their own vote, or (ii) upon the demand of Shareholders owning 10% or more of the Shares of the Trust in the aggregate.

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

Section 3 . Powers . Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust shall be managed by the Board of Trustees, and such Board shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility including the power to engage in transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust. Trustees, in all instances, shall act as principals and are and shall be free from the control of the Shareholders. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts, documents and instruments that they may consider desirable, necessary or appropriate in connection with the administration of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may: (i) adopt, amend, and repeal By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the Trust; (ii) elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they consider appropriate; (iii) appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or

 

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more Trustees who may exercise the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees to the extent that the Trustees determine; (iv) employ one or more custodians of the assets of the Trust and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such assets in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank, retain a transfer agent or a shareholder servicing agent, or both; (v) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise; (vi) retain one or more Investment Advisers; (vii) redeem, repurchase, and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; (viii) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters; (ix) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders of each Series from the assets of such Series; (x) establish from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and distinct investment purpose; and (xi) in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any such custodian, transfer or shareholder servicing agent, Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter.

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

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

(a) To invest and reinvest cash and cash items, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of all types of securities, futures contracts and options thereon, and forward currency contracts of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, and other securities of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality or organization, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in

 

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“when issued” contracts for any such securities, futures contracts and options thereon, swap agreements, forward currency contracts, and other derivatives, to change the investments of the assets of the Trust; and to exercise any and all rights, powers, and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all such investments of every kind and description, including, without limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Section 6 . Service Contracts .

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

 

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

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

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

(e) The fact that:

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

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

 

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ARTICLE V.

Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

ARTICLE VI.

Net Asset Value, Distributions, and Redemptions

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

 

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Section 2 . Redemptions and Repurchases . The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption, upon receipt of a request in proper form, directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust, that the Trust purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefore the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request for redemption is received in proper form. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net assets held with respect to such Series or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection of investors, or as may otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Trustees.

The redemption price may in any case or cases be paid in cash or wholly or partly in kind if the Trustees determine that such payment is advisable in the interest of the remaining Shareholders of the Series of which the Shares are being redeemed. Subject to the foregoing, the fair value, selection, and quantity of securities or other property so paid or delivered as all or part of the redemption price may be determined by or under authority of the Trustees. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.

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

ARTICLE VII.

Compensation and Limitation of Liability

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

 

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Section 2 . Indemnification and Limitation of Liability . A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in this Article VII, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Investment Adviser, or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws.

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

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

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

 

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

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

ARTICLE VIII.

Miscellaneous

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

Section 2 . Termination of Trust or Series .

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

(b) Upon the requisite Shareholder vote or action by the Trustees to terminate the Trust or any one or more Series of Shares or any class thereof, after paying or otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses and liabilities, whether due or accrued or anticipated, of the Trust or of the particular Series of any class thereof as may be determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall, in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees consider appropriate, reduce the remaining assets of the Trust or of the affected Series or class to distributable form in cash or Shares (if any Series remain) or other securities, or any combination thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders of the Series or classes involved, ratably according to the number of

 

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Shares of such Series or class held by the several Shareholders of such Series or class on the date of distribution. Thereupon, the Trust or any affected Series or class shall terminate and the Trustees and the Trust shall be discharged of any and all further liabilities and duties relating thereto or arising therefrom, and the right, title and interest of all parties with respect to the Trust or such Series or class shall be canceled and discharged.

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

Section 3 . Merger, Consolidation, and Reorganization .

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

 

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consolidation or conversion or exchange or certificate of merger, certificate of conversion or other applicable certificate may be signed by a majority of the Trustees and facsimile signatures conveyed by electronic or telecommunication means shall be valid.

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

(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein, the Trustees may, without Shareholder vote or approval unless such approval or vote is required by applicable federal and state law, invest all or a portion of the Trust Property of any Series, or dispose of all or a portion of the Trust Property of any Series, and invest the proceeds of such disposition in interests issued by one or more other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. Any such other investment company may (but need not) be a trust (formed under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state or jurisdiction) (or subtrust thereof) which is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

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

Section 5 . Filing of Copies, References, Headings . The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it may be inspected by any Shareholder. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or amendments. In this

 

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instrument and in any such restatements and/or amendment, references to this instrument, and all expressions like “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original.

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

Section 7 . Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations .

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

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

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

Section 9. Applicability of 1940 Act and Registration Statement. The Trustees acknowledge that this Declaration of Trust is not intended to, and does not, set forth the substantive provisions contained in the 1940 Act and the Trust’s registration statement that affect

 

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numerous aspects of the conduct of the Trust’s business and of the rights, privileges, and obligations of the Shareholders. Each provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be subject to and interpreted in a manner consistent with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and such registration statement.

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

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

For and on behalf of KRANESHARES TRUST,

 

 

 

  Name:

 

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BY-LAWS

OF

KRANESHARES TRUST

ARTICLE I

Fiscal Year and Offices

Section 1. Fiscal Year . Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Trustees, the fiscal year of the Trust shall begin on the [1st day of January and end on the 31st day of December].

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

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

ARTICLE II

Meetings of Shareholders

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

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

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

 

  (a) Such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on.

 

  (b)

The Shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonable estimated cost of preparing and disseminating the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such Shareholders. No special meeting need be called

 

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  upon the request of Shareholders entitled to cast less than a majority of all votes entitled to be cast at such meeting to consider any matter which is substantially the same as a matter voted on at any meeting of the Shareholders held during the preceding twelve months.

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

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

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

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

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

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

At all meetings of the Shareholders, a quorum being present, all matters shall be decided by a majority of the Shares voted in person or by proxy, unless the question is one for which by express provision of the laws of the State of Delaware, the 1940 Act, or the Declaration of Trust,

 

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

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

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

ARTICLE III

Trustees

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Section 9. Informal Actions . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if a written or electronic consent to such action is signed by a majority of the members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, and such consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee.

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

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

 

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

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

ARTICLE IV

Notices

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

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

ARTICLE V

Officers

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

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

 

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Section 3. Compensation . The salaries or other compensation paid by the Trust, if any, of all officers and agents of the Trust shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees, except that the Board of Trustees may delegate to any person or group of persons the power to fix the salary or other compensation of any subordinate officers or agents appointed pursuant to Section 2 of this Article V. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except with respect to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, the Trust shall not pay a salary or other compensation to any officer or agent of the Trust who is also employed by a service provider for the Trust.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE VI

Indemnification and Insurance

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE VII

Shares of Beneficial Interest

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

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

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

ARTICLE VIII

General Provisions

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE IX

Amendments to the By-Laws

The Board of Trustees shall have the power to make, alter and repeal the By-Laws of the Trust.

Adopted             , 2012.

 

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