AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 23, 2017

No. 333-193135

No. 811-22927

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  
Pre-Effective Amendment No.  
Post-Effective Amendment No. 11  

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  
Amendment No. 15  
(Check appropriate box or boxes)    

 

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 983-0903

Anna Paglia, Esquire

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

With Copies to:

Alan P. Goldberg

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP

191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601

Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

Eric S. Purple

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP

1250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036

 

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:

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

 

  immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  on February 24, 2017 pursuant to paragraph (b)
  60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
  on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)
  75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 


LOGO

 

Prospectus    February 24, 2017

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

 

PDBC   PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
  (formerly, PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio)  

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

Summary Information

     3  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

     10  

Tax Structure of ETFs

     18  

Portfolio Holdings

     19  

Management of the Fund

     19  

How to Buy and Sell Shares

     19  

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

     20  

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

     20  

Distributor

     22  

Net Asset Value

     22  

Fund Service Providers

     22  

Financial Highlights

     22  

Disclaimers

     24  

Premium/Discount Information

     24  

Other Information

     24  

 

 

  2  

 


 

PDBC

  

PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio

(formerly, PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio)

 

 

 

Summary Information

Investment Objective

The PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fund Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses      
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)    
Management Fees   0.59%
Other Expenses   0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1)   0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses   0.64%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (2)   0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement   0.60%

 

(1) “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies (including money market funds). These expenses are based on the total expense ratio of the underlying funds disclosed in each underlying fund’s most recent shareholder report. Please note that the amount of “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” shown in the above table may differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets included in the “Financial Highlights” section of this Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
(2) Through August 31, 2018, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fees an affiliate of the Adviser receives that are attributable to certain of the Fund’s investments in money market funds managed by that affiliate. This waiver will have the effect of reducing the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses that are indirectly borne by the Fund. The Adviser cannot discontinue this waiver prior to its expiration.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This 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 are equal to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement in the first year and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses thereafter. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

 

1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years

$61

 

$201

 

$353

 

$795

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate will cause the

 

 

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Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund did not have a portfolio turnover rate, since the Fund invested only in instruments that are excluded from portfolio turnover calculations.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to the world’s most heavily traded commodities. Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, agricultural produce or raw metals.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”), in a combination of four categories of investments: (i) exchange-traded futures contracts on underlying commodities (“Commodities Futures”); (ii) other instruments whose value is derived from or linked to price movements of underlying physical commodities, represented by exchange-traded futures contracts on commodity indices, commodity-linked notes, exchange-traded options on Commodities Futures, swaps on commodities and commodity-related forward contracts (collectively, these are “Commodity-Linked Instruments”); (iii) exchange-traded products related to or providing exposure to commodities (i.e., commodity-linked equity securities, investment companies, other ETFs, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and commodity pools), as described further below (collectively, the “Commodity-Related Assets”); and (iv) cash, cash-like instruments or high-quality securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; and/or (3) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. Such Collateral is designed to provide liquidity, serve as margin or otherwise collateralize investments in the Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

While the Fund may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets and Collateral, it may not invest directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Instead, the Fund attempts to obtain investment returns that are highly correlated to the commodities markets by investing in these instruments indirectly through its Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments in accordance with the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies like the Fund to invest directly in such investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary operates under Cayman Islands law. It is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the Fund, it

may invest without limit in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary will invest in Commodities Futures (or gain exposure to Commodities Futures through the use of swaps) that generally are representative of the components of the DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return (the “Benchmark”), an index composed of futures contracts on 14 of the most heavily traded commodities across the energy, precious metals, industrial metals and agriculture sectors: aluminum, Brent crude oil, copper, corn, gold, New York Harbor Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (“NY Harbor ULSD” previously referred to as Heating Oil), light crude oil, natural gas, “RBOB” gasoline, silver, soybeans, sugar, wheat and zinc. Although the Subsidiary generally provides exposure to the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not seek exposure to all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion as the Benchmark. The Subsidiary may invest in Commodities Futures (or gain exposure to such Commodities Futures through the use of swaps) that are not included in the Benchmark, but reference a commodity represented in the Benchmark by a different futures contract. At times, it also may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark, invest in Commodities Futures with expirations in excess of any contained in the Benchmark or emphasize some commodity sectors more than others.

The Subsidiary also invests a portion of its assets in Commodity-Linked Instruments to seek to increase its investment returns or hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Commodity-Linked Instruments may be exchange-traded or traded over-the-counter (“OTC”).

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include the PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (the “Commodity Pool”), a commodity pool that seeks to track the performance of the Benchmark. The Fund will limit its investments in the Commodity Pool and other pools so that no single pool represents more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and certain exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) invests its remaining assets directly in Collateral, which consists of high-quality securities such as U.S. Treasuries, other U.S. Government

 

 

 

  4  

 


obligations, money market funds, cash and cash-like equivalents ( e.g. , high quality commercial paper and similar instruments that are rated investment grade or, if unrated, of comparable quality as the Adviser may determine) that provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following summarizes the principal risks of the Fund.

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Active Trading Risk. Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability.

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant (“AP”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as APs on an agency basis ( i.e. , on behalf of other market participants). Such market makers have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders; consequently, there is no assurance that market makers will establish or maintain an active trading market for the Shares. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, the Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Commodity-Linked Derivative Risk. Investments linked to the prices of commodities may be considered speculative. The Fund’s significant investment exposure to commodities may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Therefore, the value of such instruments may be volatile and fluctuate widely based on a variety of macroeconomic factors or commodity-specific factors. At times, price fluctuations may be quick and significant and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments (including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements and forward contracts) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Certain derivative transactions may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. For example, a small investment in a derivative instrument may have a significant impact on the Fund’s exposure to commodities or other investments. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a derivative instrument may cause an immediate and substantial loss or gain.

 

Counterparty Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Futures Contract Risk. Risks of futures contracts include: (i) an imperfect correlation between the value of the futures contract and the underlying commodity or commodity index; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market; (iii) the inability to close a futures contract when desired; (iv) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which may be unlimited; (v) an obligation for the Fund to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin, particularly at times when the Fund may have insufficient cash or must sell securities to meet those margin requirements; (vi) the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in the Fund receiving an illiquid commodity; and (vii) unfavorable execution prices from rapid selling.

Strategy Risk. As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as “rolling” a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may endure a cost to “roll” the contracts. The Adviser may not be successful in selecting futures contracts to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Risk of Commodity-Linked Notes. Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a derivative; typically, they are issued by a bank at a specified face value and pay a fixed or floating rate linked to the performance of an underlying asset, such as commodity indices, particular commodities or commodity futures contracts. As such, the Fund faces the economic risk of movements in commodity prices by investing in such notes. These notes also are subject to credit, market and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities. In addition, these notes may be leveraged, increasing the volatility of each note’s market value relative to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract or commodity index; as a result, at the maturity of the note, the Fund may receive more or less principal than it originally invested.

Options Risk. Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified

 

 

 

  5  

 


exercise price at any time during the period of the option. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies is potentially unlimited. There also is 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 option. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends; such predictions could prove incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Swaps Risk. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks that may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument that underlies the swap agreement.

Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, such as a commodity, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and, as such, are subject to leveraging risk. Swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk and also may be difficult to value. A swap agreement can increase or decrease the volatility of the Fund’s investments and its NAV. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Adverse changes in the value or level of an underlying commodity can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

Clearing Broker Risk. The Fund’s investments in exchange-traded futures contracts expose it to the risks of a clearing broker (or a futures commission merchant (“FCM”)). Under current regulations, a clearing broker or FCM maintains customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that Fund assets deposited with the clearing broker to serve as margin may be used to satisfy the broker’s own obligations or the losses of the broker’s other clients. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets and may not see any recovery at all.

Pooled Investment Vehicle Risk. The Fund faces the risk that a pooled investment vehicle will not achieve its investment objective. The Fund also is subject to the risks of the underlying commodities in which the pooled vehicles invest. As a shareholder in such a vehicle, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses, bearing its share of that vehicle’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of pooled investment vehicles.

Investment Company Risk. An investment in other investment companies (including other ETFs) is subject to the risks associated with those investment companies, which include, but are not limited to, the risk that such fund’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results; the risk that securities in such fund may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes; and the risk that the fund will be concentrated in a particular issuer, market, industry or sector, and

therefore will be especially susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer, market, industry or sector. Moreover, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses from such investments, bearing its share of that fund’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees.

ETN Risk. ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities of an issuer that are designed to provide returns that are linked to a particular benchmark. ETNs do not provide principal protection and may not make periodic coupon payments. ETNs have a maturity date and generally are backed only by the creditworthiness of the issuer. As a result, ETNs are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer cannot pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Additionally, the value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market ( e.g.,  the commodities market), changes in interest rates or the issuer’s credit rating, and other economic, legal, political or geographic events.

Equity Risk. The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, may fall due to both changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole, as well as factors that directly relate to a specific company or commodity related industries in general. Such general economic conditions include changes in interest rates, periods of market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. It is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds. In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward particular industries will become negative. The value of a company’s common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as an increase in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same region, industry or sector of the market. A company’s common stock also may decline significantly in price over a short period of time due to factors specific to that company, including decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report or the failure to make anticipated dividend payments, may depress the value of common stock.

Liquidity Risk.  The Fund may invest in instruments that at times may be illiquid. Such instruments may have a limited trading volume, and the size of the market for such an investment may be smaller. Illiquid instruments may be more difficult or costly to buy or sell as compared to more actively traded investments, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

Collateral Securities Risk.  The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in

 

 

 

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which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund.

To the extent that the Fund invests in money market funds, the Fund will be subject to the same risks that investors experience when investing in money market funds. These risks may include the impact of significant fluctuations in assets as a result of the cash sweep program or purchase and redemption activity in those funds. Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses, and the Fund’s investments in money market funds will cause it to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds’ operations while simultaneously paying its own management fees and expenses. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency; it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

Money market funds are open-end registered investment companies that historically have traded at a stable $1.00 per share price. However, under recent amendments to money market fund regulations under the 1940 Act, money market funds that do not meet the definition of a “retail money market fund” or “government money market fund” are required to transact at a floating NAV per share (i.e., in a manner similar to how all other non-money market mutual funds transact), instead of at a $1.00 stable share price. Those rule amendments also permit money market funds to impose liquidity fees and redemption gates for use in times of market stress. Although the Fund anticipates investing primarily in “government money market funds” (which remain able to maintain a stable $1.00 per share price), if the Fund were to invest in money market funds with floating NAVs, the impact on the trading and value of money market instruments as a result of the rule amendments may negatively affect the Fund’s return potential.

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may carry variable or floating rates of interest, as well as credit risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Interest Rate Risk.  The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government securities and commercial paper will change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed-income securities generally decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s value to decrease. Also, investments in fixed-income securities with longer maturities fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes.

Valuation Risk.  During periods of reduced market liquidity or readily available market quotations, the Fund’s ability to obtain reliable, objective pricing data and to value its holdings becomes more difficult. Consequently, while valuation determinations made by the Adviser (using fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “Trust”)) may be done in good faith, it may be difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value to its holdings.

Cash Transaction Risk.  Unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally in-kind, due to the nature of the Fund’s investments. As such, an investment in Shares may be less tax efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs, which utilize an entirely in-kind redemption process. Also, there may be a substantial difference in the after-tax rate of return between the Fund and conventional ETFs.

Tax Risk.  To qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must meet certain requirements concerning the source of its income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to commodities in a manner consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement applicable to RICs. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has ceased issuing private revenue rulings regarding whether the use of subsidiaries by investment companies to invest in commodity-linked instruments constitutes qualifying income. If the IRS determines that this source of income is not “qualifying income,” the Fund may cease to qualify as a RIC. Failure to qualify as a RIC could subject the Fund to adverse tax consequences, including a federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates, as well as a tax to shareholders on such income when distributed as an ordinary dividend.

Leverage Risk . The Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments that can give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by the Fund, and may potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous for the Fund to do so.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk . The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Market Risk.  The Fund’s holdings are subject to market fluctuations. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the holdings in the Fund’s portfolio.

Market Trading Risk.  The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for the

 

 

 

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Shares, losses from trading in secondary markets and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV.

Gap Risk . The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change between periods of trading. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day’s closing price.

Investment Risk.  As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

Commodity Pool Risk.  Under amended regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Subsidiary and the Fund are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) and as a commodity trading advisor (“CTA”), and will manage both the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Registration as a CPO or CTA subjects the registrant to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund or the Subsidiary. Additionally, the Subsidiary’s positions in futures contracts may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices to prevent the Fund from exceeding any applicable position limits established by the CFTC. Such actions may subject the Fund to substantial losses.

Subsidiary Investment Risk.  By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act; therefore, the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

Performance

The bar chart below shows how the Fund has performed. The table below the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns (before and after taxes). The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s total return has varied from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns compared with a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. The Fund’s performance reflects fee waivers, absent which performance would have been lower. Although the information shown in the bar chart and the table gives you some idea of the risks involved in investing in the Fund, the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.powershares.com.

 

Annual Total Returns—Calendar Years

 

LOGO

 

Best Quarter    Worst Quarter
15.22% (2nd Quarter 2016)   

(16.05)% (3rd Quarter 2015)

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2016

After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

      1 Year     

Since Inception

(11/07/14)

 
Return Before Taxes     18.76      (13.59 )% 
Return After Taxes on Distributions     15.58      (14.67 )% 
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares     10.60      (10.61 )% 

DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

    19.15      (13.24 )% 

DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Total Return

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

    19.53      (13.10 )% 

Management of the Fund

Investment Adviser. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”).

Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

Name    Title with Adviser/Trust    Date Began
Managing
the Fund
Peter Hubbard    Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and Vice President of the Trust    Since inception
David Hemming    Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, Commodities and Alternatives    September 2016
Theodore Samulowitz    Portfolio Manager of the Adviser    Since inception
 

 

 

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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only with APs and only in large blocks of 100,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), principally in exchange for cash. However, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable, typically as either ordinary income or long-term capital gain, unless you are invested through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account; in such cases, taxation will be deferred until assets are withdrawn from the plan. A sale of Shares may result in short- or long-term capital gain or loss.

 

 

 

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Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund is an actively managed ETF that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in financial instruments that provide economic exposure to a diverse group of the world’s most heavily traded commodities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through the Subsidiary, in a combination of four categories of investments: (i) Commodities Futures; (ii) Commodity-Linked Instruments; (iii) Commodity-Related Assets; and (iv) Collateral designed to collateralize investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

Unlike securities, commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, metal or agricultural products. Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments provide exposure to these physical commodities markets without requiring a direct investment into such commodities. Federal tax laws limit registered investment companies, such as the Fund, from investing directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Therefore, the Fund will invest indirectly in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments via its wholly-owned Subsidiary. Such investment is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to, and income from, Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments within the limits of the federal tax laws, including Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, which will not be sold or offered to other investors. The Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors. The Adviser serves as the Subsidiary’s investment adviser and manages the Subsidiary to comply with the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund, but unlike the Fund, it may invest without limitation in commodity-linked futures contracts. Like the Fund, the Subsidiary also may invest in cash or highly liquid securities intended to promote liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s positions in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

The Subsidiary will invest in Commodities Futures, which generally are agreements between two parties where one party agrees to buy, and the counterparty to sell, a set amount of a physical commodity (or, in some contracts, a cash equivalent) at a pre-determined future date and price. The value of the Commodities Futures are based upon the price movements of their underlying commodities. The Subsidiary will invest in those Commodities Futures that generally are components of the Benchmark, an index composed of futures contracts on 14 of the most heavily traded physical commodities across the energy, precious metals, industrial metals and agriculture sectors: aluminum, Brent crude oil, copper, corn, gold, NY Harbor ULSD, light crude oil, natural gas, “RBOB” gasoline, silver, soybeans, sugar, wheat and zinc.

Although the Subsidiary generally holds all the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not invest in all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion, may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark, and, at times, may emphasize investments in some commodity sectors more than others.

The Fund is non-diversified and, as such, may invest indirectly a greater percentage of its assets in Commodities Futures representing a particular sector in comparison to a diversified fund. The Adviser employs a rules-based investment approach when selecting Commodities Futures for the Subsidiary, so that the weight of each of those futures contracts in the Subsidiary’s portfolio reflects the Adviser’s view of the economic significance and market liquidity of the corresponding, underlying commodity. The Adviser will select Commodities Futures that expire in up to 13 months from the current month.

Futures contracts, by their terms, reflect the expected future value of a reference asset. Commodity-linked futures contracts reflect the value of price movements of the underlying commodity (which serves as the reference asset) on which the contract is based. These contracts are agreements between two parties where one party agrees to buy, and the other to sell, a set amount of the reference asset (or, in some instances, a cash equivalent) at a pre-determined price (the “spot price”) on a pre-determined future date (the “expiration date”). As the expiration date for a futures contract draws closer, an investor wishing to maintain its exposure to that commodity will close out its position in the expiring futures contract and open a new position in a futures contract with a later expiration date. This process is referred to as “rolling.”

The Adviser will attempt to generate yield for the Fund by “rolling” the Fund’s investments in Commodities Futures. As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. In general, as the time to the expiration date of a futures contract draws closer, the price of the futures contract will tend towards its spot price. If the price of a long-term futures contract is greater than the near-term futures price, the market is considered to be in “contango.” If the price of a long-term futures contract is less than the near-term futures price, the market is considered to be in “backwardation.” In “contango” markets, the price of futures contracts with expiration dates in the near term generally is lower than the price of futures contracts with more distant expiration dates, resulting in a cost to “roll” the futures contract by replacing the near-term contract with the long-term contract (the “roll cost”). The opposite is true when the market is in backwardation, resulting in a gain from rolling the futures contract (the “roll yield”). Whether an investor realizes roll costs or roll yields depends upon the price differences between near-term and long-term contracts. Rather than roll the futures contracts on a predefined schedule, the Subsidiary will roll to another futures contract (which the Adviser selects from a universe of futures contracts with expiration dates as far away as 13 months from the time of purchase) that the Adviser believes

 

 

 

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will generate the greatest roll yield. However, there can be no guarantee that such a strategy will produce the desired results.

The Subsidiary also invests in Commodity-Linked Instruments that are expected to provide investment returns that are highly correlated to those of the commodities markets, to seek to increase its investment returns or to hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. These commodity-linked derivatives have values linked to the price movement of a commodity, commodity index, or futures contract. The Subsidiary will only invest in those Commodity-Linked Instruments that are based on the price of a relevant Commodities Future, and if such instruments tend to exhibit trading prices or returns that correlate with any Commodity Futures and that further the investment objective of the Fund. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Fund is subject to legal requirements applicable to all mutual funds that are designed to reduce the effects of any leverage created by the use of derivative instruments. Generally, the Fund will enter into swap agreements and other OTC transactions only with large, established and well capitalized financial institutions that meet certain credit quality standards and monitoring policies.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) also may gain exposure to commodities by investing directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include commodity pools that, in turn, invest in the underlying commodities. The Fund will limit its investments in commodity pools so that no single pool represents more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies ( i.e. , mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) will invest its remaining assets in Collateral to provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments. Such Collateral includes: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government ; (ii) short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks, fixed-time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, of comparable quality, as the Adviser determines; and (iv) money market mutual funds, including affiliated money market mutual funds. The Fund will not invest in collateral securities that are below investment grade.

The CFTC has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its NAV in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments.

Because of the Fund’s use of futures, options and swaps above levels prescribed by the CFTC, it is considered a “commodity pool.” The Adviser is registered as a CPO and a CTA and will manage both the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies.

Temporary Defensive Strategies

The Fund may take a temporary defensive position and hold a portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents and money market funds (including affiliated money market funds) if there are inadequate investment opportunities available due to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses in the event of falling market prices and provide liquidity to make additional investments, but may mean lost investment opportunities in a period of rising market prices. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

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

Active Trading Risk

Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability. Specifically, active trading of portfolio securities may result in high brokerage costs, which may lower the Fund’s actual return. Active trading also may increase the proportion of the Fund’s gains that are short-term capital gains, which are treated as ordinary income and taxed at a higher rate than long-term gains.

Management Risk

The Fund is subject to manage risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund. There can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only APs may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as APs on an agency basis ( i.e. , on behalf of other market participants). Such market makers have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders; consequently, there is no assurance that market makers will establish or maintain an active trading market for the Shares. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, the Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Commodity-Linked Derivative Risk

Investments linked to the prices of commodities may be considered speculative. The Fund’s significant investment

 

 

 

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exposure to commodities may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of an asset, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The value of commodity-linked instruments typically is based upon the price movements of the underlying commodities. Therefore, the value of such instruments may be volatile and fluctuate widely based on a variety of macroeconomic factors, including changes in overall market movements; domestic and foreign political and economic events, policies and developments; geo-political concerns, war, and acts of terrorism; changes in domestic or foreign interest rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates; domestic and foreign inflation rates; consumer supply and demand; and trading activities in commodities, including currency devaluations, market liquidity or the imposition of embargoes, tariffs or other regulatory barriers. The value may fluctuate due to commodity-specific factors, such as weather and climate conditions; natural disasters like drought, flood or livestock disease; changes in labor conditions and technology; or supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. At times, prices fluctuations may be quick and significant and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash. Each of these factors and events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

Derivatives Risk

The Fund’s use of derivative instruments (including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements and forward contracts) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Certain derivative transactions may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. For example, a small investment in a derivative instrument may have a significant impact on the Fund’s exposure to commodities or other investments. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a derivative instrument may cause an immediate and substantial loss or gain. The Fund may engage in such transactions regardless of whether the Fund owns the asset, instrument or components of the asset underlying the derivative instrument. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the value of the underlying asset, with the performance of the commodities markets or to the performance of the overall securities market. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets. The full extent and impact of the regulation is not yet known and may not be known for some time, but may make derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.

Counterparty Risk

Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related

to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Futures Contract Risk

Unlike equities, which typically entitle the holder to a continuing stake in a corporation, futures contracts normally specify a certain date for delivery of the underlying asset for settlement in cash based on the level of the underlying asset. As the futures contracts approach expiration, they may be replaced by similar contracts that have a later expiration. This process is referred to as “rolling.” If the market for these contracts is in “contango,” meaning that the prices of futures contracts in the nearer months are lower than the price of contracts in the distant months, the sale of the near-term month contract would be at a lower price than the longer-term contract, resulting in a cost to “roll” the futures contract. The actual realization of a potential roll cost will depend on the difference in price of the near and distant contracts.

The successful use of a futures contract depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments. Futures contracts may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Such risks include:

 

(i) an imperfect correlation between the value of the futures contract and the value of the underlying commodity;

 

(ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract;

 

(iii) the inability to open or close a futures contract or cash commodity position when desired;

 

(iv) losses caused by unanticipated market movement, which may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract (and potentially may be unlimited);

 

(v) in the event of adverse price movements, an obligation of the Fund to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin, including at times when it may have insufficient cash and must sell securities from its portfolio to meet those margin requirements at a disadvantageous time;

 

(vi) the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in delivery of an illiquid commodity to the Fund; and

 

(vii) the possibility that rapid selling to avoid delivery of a commodity may result in unfavorable execution prices.

To enter into a futures contract, the Fund must post an amount of assets with a FCM to serve as “initial margin,” which is a good faith deposit on the contract and which the FCM returns to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Because futures contracts project price levels in the future, market circumstances may cause a discrepancy between the price of a futures contract and the movement in the underlying asset. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund may be required to post additional “variation margin” to satisfy the necessary collateral requirements of the FCM.

 

 

 

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In addition, to comply with federal securities rules, the Fund must segregate liquid assets or take other appropriate measures to “cover” the Subsidiary’s open positions in futures contracts. Depending on their terms, futures contracts settle through either physical delivery of the underlying commodity (“physically settle”) or payment of an equivalent cash amount (“cash settle”). Cash settled futures contracts require that a registered investment company set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to its daily marked-to-market net obligations under the contract ( i.e. , its daily net liability, minus any posted margin and variation margin). Physically settled futures contracts require that a registered investment company segregate a greater amount of liquid assets, equal to the full notional value of the contract (minus any applicable margin and variation margin posted with the FCM). As the Subsidiary invests primarily in physically settled futures, the Fund must segregate a greater amount of its liquid assets to cover the Subsidiary’s open positions than it would if the Subsidiary invested in cash settled futures.

Strategy Risk

As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. The successful use of this “rolling” strategy depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may endure a cost to “roll” the contracts. There can be no guarantee that such a strategy will obtain yield when rolling futures contracts. The Adviser may not be successful in selecting futures contracts that will help the Fund achieve its investment objective.

Risk of Commodity-Linked Notes

Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a commodity-linked derivative. Typically, commodity-linked notes are issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer at a specified face value and usually pay interest at a fixed or floating rate until maturity, at which time the Fund receives a payment that is calculated based on the price increase or decrease of an underlying commodity-related variable. Such underlying commodity-related variable may be a physical commodity, a commodity futures or option contract or a commodity index. By investing in such notes, the Fund faces the risk of loss of interest if the value of the underlying commodity falls, the risk of loss of principal, credit risk, counterparty risk, valuation risk and liquidity risk.

Options Risk

Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract, rather than to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies is potentially unlimited. 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 option; however, this risk is substantially minimized because

(a) of the regulatory requirement that the broker has to “segregate” customer funds from its corporate funds, and (b) in the case of regulated exchanges in the United States, the clearing corporation stands behind the broker to make good losses in such a situation. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends; such predictions could prove incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Swaps Risk

Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks that may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument that underlies the swap agreement.

Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, such as a commodity, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and, as such, are subject to leveraging risk. Swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk and also may be difficult to value. A swap agreement can increase or decrease the volatility of the Fund’s investments and its NAV. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Adverse changes in the value or level of an underlying commodity can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

Clearing Broker Risk

The Subsidiary will invest in certain derivatives that are traded on an exchange; in such cases, a clearing organization acts as the counterparty. For Commodities Futures, the Fund’s obligation is to the FCM that carries the Fund’s account, whose obligation is in turn to the clearing organization. The Fund’s investments therefore introduce the risk that its FCM would default on an obligation to the Fund, including the FCM’s obligation to return margin posted in connection with the Fund’s futures contracts. The risk exists at, and from the time that, the Fund enters into a contractual arrangement with its FCM to bring about the settlement and clearing of futures contracts. The FCM may hold margin posted in connection with those contracts and that margin may be re-hypothecated (or re-pledged) by the FCM and lost or its return delayed due to a default by the FCM or other customer of the FCM. The FCM may itself file for bankruptcy, which would either delay the return of, or jeopardize altogether the assets posted by the FCM as margin in response to margin calls relating to futures positions.

Pooled Investment Vehicle Risk

The Fund faces the risk that a pooled investment vehicle will not achieve its investment objective. The Fund also is subject to the risks of the underlying assets in which the pooled vehicles invest. As a shareholder in a pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicle’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Therefore, shareholders would

 

 

 

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be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent that the Fund invests in pooled investment vehicles. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of pooled investment vehicles. Moreover, commodity pools invest in futures contracts and in markets which may be highly volatile, and commodity pools also may be subject to substantial charges for management, advisory and brokerage fees. As such, commodity pools can suffer substantial losses, thereby reducing the value of an investment in the pool. Restrictions on redemptions may affect the ability of the Fund to withdraw from its participation in the pool.

Investment Company Risk

An investment in other investment companies (including other ETFs) is subject to the risks associated with those investment companies, which include, but are not limited to, the risk that such fund’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results; the risk that securities in such fund may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes; and the risk that the fund will be concentrated in a particular issuer, market, industry or sector, and therefore will be especially susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer, market, industry or sector. Moreover, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses from such investments, bearing its share of that fund’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees.

ETN Risk

ETNs are a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that have characteristics and risks similar to those of fixed-income securities of an issuer and trade on a major exchange similar to shares of ETFs. This type of debt security differs, however, from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index, minus applicable fees. The purpose of ETNs is to create a type of security that combines the aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns generally are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs do not provide principal protection and may or may not make periodic coupon payments. ETNs are subject to credit risk, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and other economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the commodities markets. If the Fund must sell some or all of its ETN holdings and the secondary market is weak, it may have to sell such holdings at a discount. If the Fund holds its investment in an ETN until maturity, the issuer will give the Fund a cash amount that would be equal to principal amount (subject to the day’s index factor). ETNs also are subject to credit risk, whereby the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a note is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Equity Risk

The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and

energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, will fall. The value of an equity security may fall due to changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole and that are relatively unrelated to an issuer or its industry. These conditions include changes in interest rates, specific periods of overall market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. An issuer’s common stock in particular may be especially sensitive to, and more adversely affected by, these general movements in the stock market; it is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds.

In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward, and perceptions regarding, particular commodity related industries or economic sectors will become negative. Price changes of equity securities may occur in a particular region, industry, or sector of the market, and as a result, the value of an issuer’s common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as increases in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries.

Equity risk also includes the financial risks of a specific company, including that the value of the company’s securities may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. In particular, the common stock of a company may decline significantly in price over short periods of time. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of common stock; similarly, the common stock of an issuer may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition.

Liquidity Risk

The Fund may invest in instruments that at times may be illiquid. Illiquid investments may be more difficult or costly to buy or to sell as compared to more actively traded investments. Liquidity risk is a factor in the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the market for such an investment. This could have a negative effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and may result in losses to Fund shareholders. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s portfolio holdings, which may cause a variance in the market price of the Shares and their underlying value.

Collateral Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. U.S. Government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. Government, or by various instrumentalities which have

 

 

 

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been established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of those U.S. Government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses, and the Fund’s investments in money market funds will cause it to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds’ operations while simultaneously paying its own management fees and expenses. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Money market funds may not have the value of their investments remain at $1.00 per share; it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Interest Rate Risk

The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government securities and commercial paper will change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed-income securities generally will decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the value of the Fund to decrease. Also, the value of the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities with longer maturities will fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes.

Valuation Risk

During periods of reduced market liquidity or readily available market quotations, the Fund’s ability to obtain reliable, objective pricing data and to value its holdings becomes more difficult, and the judgment of the Adviser (through fair value procedures adopted by the Board of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings. Consequently, while such value determinations may be made by the Adviser in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value to its holdings.

Cash Transaction Risk

Most ETFs generally make in-kind redemptions to avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. However, unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than

principally in-kind, because of the nature of the Fund’s investments. As such, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Therefore, the Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process, and there may be a substantial difference in the after-tax rate of return between the Fund and conventional ETFs.

Tax Risk

To qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income and the diversification of its assets, among other requirements. One requirement is that the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources considered to be “qualifying income” under the Code. However, the income derived from exchange-listed futures contracts on commodities is not considered qualifying income under the Code. Nevertheless, in recent years the IRS has issued private letter rulings (“PLRs”) to other funds stating its view that “qualifying income” does include income derived from a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary (such as the Subsidiary) that is invested in commodity-linked instruments. Therefore, the Fund will invest in the Subsidiary, which is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodities in a manner consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement of the Code applicable to RICs. Although these PLRs were issued to third parties that are unaffiliated with the Fund, and the Fund may not rely on these PLRs as precedent, the Fund has received an opinion of counsel (which is not binding on the IRS or the courts) based, in part, on these PLRs, which states that income that the Fund receives from the Subsidiary will constitute “qualifying income” under the Code when distributed and should constitute “qualifying income” under the Code when undistributed.

However, in 2011, in response to requests from the U.S. Senate to investigate the receipt of PLRs and the use of subsidiaries to invest in commodity-linked futures, the IRS suspended the issuance of PLRs. If the IRS were to change its previous position and declare that the Fund’s income from the Subsidiary was not considered “qualifying income” under the Code, then the Fund—despite the prior issuance of PLRs and the opinion of counsel—might be unable to qualify as a RIC for one or more years.

If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for any taxable year (but was eligible to and did cure the failure) it would incur potentially significant additional federal income tax expense. If, on the other hand, the Fund failed to so qualify for any taxable year, and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure the failure, such a result cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. For example, the Fund would be subject to income tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, with the consequence that its income available for distribution to shareholders would be reduced. In addition, such taxable income also would be subject to tax at the shareholder level as dividend income when such income is distributed to shareholders. If the Fund attempted to re-quality for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make

 

 

 

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certain distributions. In such event, the Trust’s Board may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. Finally, in addition to the IRS’s current moratorium on the issuance of PLRs, it is possible that future legislation, Treasury Regulations, and/or further guidance issued by the IRS may affect the character, timing, and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or capital gains and distributions it makes, which in turn may adversely affect the Fund.

Leverage Risk

Leverage occurs when the Fund’s market exposure exceeds the amounts invested. The Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments, such as investments in commodity futures contracts and other derivatives, which may give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by the Fund, and depending on the investment can potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The Fund may have a substantial cash position due to margin and collateral requirements related to the Fund’s use of derivatives, and to cover its positions in these investments due to the effects of leverage. Such margin and collateral requirements may limit the Fund’s ability to take advantage of other investment opportunities, and the Fund also may have to sell or liquidate a portion of its assets at inopportune times to satisfy these requirements. This may negatively affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the Fund’s assets that are used as collateral to secure these transactions may decrease in value while the positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase collateral.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk

The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Market Risk

The Fund’s holdings are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the holdings in the Fund’s portfolio.

Market Trading Risk

The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Although the Shares are listed for trading on a securities exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or APs, that the Shares will continue to trade on any such

exchange or that the Shares will continue to meet the requirements for listing on an exchange. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

Gap Risk

The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change from one level to another with no trading in between. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day’s closing price.

Investment Risk

As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

Commodity Pool Risk

The Fund’s and the Subsidiary’s investments have caused each to be deemed to be a commodity pool, thereby subjecting the Fund and the Subsidiary to regulation under the CEA and CFTC rules. The Subsidiary’s positions in Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices to prevent the Fund from exceeding any applicable position limits established by the CFTC. Such actions may subject the Fund to substantial losses. The Adviser is registered as a CPO and a CTA, and it will operate the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules. Registration as a commodity pool may have a negative impact on the ability of the Fund to engage in its planned investment program. Moreover, registration as a CPO or CTA subjects the registrant to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which could increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund.

The CFTC’s harmonization rules regarding the disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements apply to the Fund as a result of the Adviser’s registration as a CPO. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser’s compliance with comparable SEC requirements. This means that for most of the CFTC’s disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements applicable to the Adviser as the Fund’s CPO, the Fund’s compliance with SEC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements will be deemed to fulfill the Adviser’s CFTC compliance obligations. As a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses. However, the Fund’s status as a commodity pool and the Adviser’s registration as a CPO do not materially adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Subsidiary Investment Risk

The Subsidiary’s principal investment strategies, investment objective and principal risks are substantially the same as the Fund. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The

 

 

 

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Commodities Futures held by the Subsidiary are similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and thus are subject to the same risks whether or not they are held by the Fund or the Subsidiary.

There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to the regulatory protections of the 1940 Act. The Trust’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. In adhering to the Fund’s investment restrictions and limitations, the Adviser will treat the assets of the Subsidiary generally in the same manner as assets that are held directly by the Fund.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands currently does not impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If this were to change and the Subsidiary was required to pay Cayman Island taxes, the investment returns of the Fund would likely decrease.

Non-Principal Investment Strategies

Each of the investment policies described herein, including the Fund’s investment objective, constitutes a non-fundamental policy that the Board of the Trust may change at any time without shareholder approval. The fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) under the section “Investment Restrictions.”

Borrowing Money

The Fund may borrow money from a bank to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following provides additional risk information regarding investing in the Fund.

Sector Concentration Risk

Because the Fund invests in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Related Assets that are linked to different types of commodities from various sectors, including the energy, agriculture and metal sectors, the Fund is subject to the risks inherent in those economic sectors. Such risks may include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events; increased regulatory burdens; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions. To the extent that the Fund focuses its investments in a particular sector of the commodities market, the

risks associated with that particular commodity or sector will be greater.

Energy Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain energy-related commodities, including crude oil, NY Harbor ULSD, gasoline and natural gas. The market values of such commodities are strongly affected by the supply of, and demand for, those commodities, as well as, among other factors, capital expenditures on exploration and production, energy conservation efforts, government regulation and subsidization, world event, technological advances and general economic conditions. Therefore, energy commodities are subject to swift price fluctuations, and investments in such commodities can be cyclical and/or highly volatile. Additionally, a recent significant decline in the price of oil has contributed to significant market volatility, which may materially impact the Fund. There can be no assurance that the price of oil or gas will not decline further and have a further adverse effect.

Metals Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain industrial and precious metals, including aluminum, copper, gold, silver and zinc. Investments in metals may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the supply and demand of each metal, environmental or labor costs, political, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions can affect the supply of metals, and consequently the value of metal investments. The United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metal investments for strategic or other policy reasons. Further, the principal supplies of metal industries may be concentrated in a small number of countries and regions. Consequently, the price of a metal held by the Fund could decline, which would adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Agricultural Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain agricultural commodities, including corn, soybeans, sugar and wheat. Investments in the agriculture sector may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the supply of and demand of each commodity, legislative or regulatory developments relating to food safety, political, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, increased competition caused by economic recession, labor difficulties and changing consumer tastes and spending can affect the demand for agricultural products, and consequently the value of investments in that sector. As a result, the price of an agricultural commodity could decline, which would adversely affect an investment in the Fund if it held that commodity.

Natural Resources Risk

Equity securities of natural resources companies and associated businesses may be negatively impacted by variations, often rapid,

 

 

 

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in the commodities markets, the supply of and demand for specific products and services, exploration and production spending, government regulation, economic conditions, events relating to international political developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation and the success of exploration projects. Therefore, the securities of companies in the natural resources sector may experience more price volatility than securities of companies in other industries.

Geographic Risk

Natural disasters, climate change or other weather-related disruptions could occur in a geographic region and, as a result, negatively impact certain commodities, including agricultural products produced in that region, thereby negatively affecting the value of those commodities linked to instruments in which the Fund invests.

Trading Issues

Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Moreover, trading in Shares on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NASDAQ, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on NASDAQ is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the NASDAQ “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NASDAQ necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares May Trade at Prices Different Than NAV

The NAV of the Shares generally will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on NASDAQ. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Price differences may be due largely to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings, individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs generally have traded at prices that closely correspond to NAV per share. Given the high level of transparency of the Fund’s holdings, the Adviser believes that the trading experience of the Fund should be similar to that of index-based ETFs. However, there can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which the Shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV.

 

Risk of Adverse Regulatory Developments

Commodity markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations promulgated not only by the CFTC, but also by self-regulatory organizations such as the National Futures Association. Among other things, the CFTC and the exchanges on which futures contracts are traded are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency. Such actions could adversely affect the returns of the Fund by limiting or precluding investment decisions the Fund might otherwise make. The regulation of commodity transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. Although the effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, it could be substantial and adverse.

Increased Competition

The Adviser believes that there has been, over time, a general increase in interest in commodity investing. As the Adviser’s assets under management invested directly or indirectly in the commodities markets increases, an increasing number of traders may attempt to initiate or liquidate substantial positions at or about the same time as the Adviser, or otherwise alter historical trading patterns or affect the execution of trades, to the detriment of the Fund.

Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions

The current historically low interest rate environment was created in part by the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) and certain foreign central banks keeping the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates at or near zero. The “tapering” in 2015 of the FRB’s quantitative easing program, combined with the FRB’s recent raising of the target range for the Federal Funds Rate (and likely eventual increase in equivalent foreign rates) may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities, although it is difficult to predict the impact of this rate increase and any future rate increases on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may persist in the future, potentially leading to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments in fixed income securities as well as its share price, may decline. In addition, because of changing central bank policies, the Fund may experience higher than normal shareholder redemptions which could cause increased portfolio turnover rate, higher transaction costs and potentially lower returns.

 

 

Tax Structure of ETFs

Unlike interests in conventional mutual funds, which typically are bought and sold only at their closing NAV per share, the Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange and are issued and redeemed for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. However, the tax advantages of investing in Shares may be reduced because the Fund is actively managed and, therefore, may have greater turnover in its portfolio securities, which could result in less tax efficiency than an investment in a fund that is not

 

 

 

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actively managed. Additionally, because the Fund intends to effect creations and redemptions for cash, an investment in Shares will be less tax efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs that use an in-kind redemption process.

 

 

Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.powershares.com.

 

 

Management of the Fund

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, a family of ETFs with combined assets under management of approximately $65.2 billion as of January 31, 2017.

As the Fund’s investment adviser, the Adviser has overall responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the Fund’s investments, implementing the Fund’s actively managed investment strategy, managing the Fund’s business affairs, and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services of the Trust.

Portfolio Managers

The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers, investment strategists and other investment specialists in managing the Fund. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s extensive resources.

Peter Hubbard, Vice President of the Trust, oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Fund. In this capacity, Mr. Hubbard receives management assistance from David Hemming and Theodore Samulowitz (collectively, with Mr. Hubbard, the “Portfolio Managers”) who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategy and researching and reviewing investment strategy. Each Portfolio Manager has limitations on his authority for risk management and compliance purposes that the Adviser believes to be appropriate.

Peter Hubbard is Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception. Mr. Hubbard has been a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser since June 2007 and has been associated with the Adviser since 2005.

 

David Hemming is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, Commodities and Alternatives and has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since September 2016. He has been associated with the Adviser since September 2016. From August 2009 to March 2015, he was a Portfolio Manager and Principal of Commodities at Hermes Investment Management Limited.

Theodore Samulowitz is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception. He has been associated with the Adviser since May 2012. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Managing Partner of Endurance Capital Markets LLC.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

Advisory Fees

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual unitary management fee equal to 0.59% of its average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for the fee payment under that agreement, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses (as set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement).

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s unitary management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the management fees that it receives under the unitary management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through August 31, 2018. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of the fees past that date.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement on behalf of the Fund is available in the Trust’s semi-annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2016.

 

 

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units.

Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on NASDAQ under the symbol “PDBC.” Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment required. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will

 

 

 

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incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI. The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

Book Entry

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

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

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of Shares on NASDAQ may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

The approximate value of Shares of the Fund, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the holdings of the Fund and the cash amount required in exchange for Shares (during times when the Fund permitted in-kind transactions), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share because the approximate value will not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.

 

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs. The vast majority of trading in

Shares of the Fund occurs on the secondary market, and does not involve the Fund directly. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units can result in disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Adviser monitors trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading, and the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise not in the best interests of the Fund. In recognition of the nature of the Fund’s investments and that Shares are purchased and redeemed in Creation Units for cash, the Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, which incorporate the practices described above, as well as additional trade monitoring for market timing activities.

 

 

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

Dividends and Other Distributions

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. The Fund also intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of Subchapter M of the Code, and to avoid a federal excise tax imposed on regulated investment companies.

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

Taxes

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information only. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares. Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

 

The Fund makes distributions,

 

 

You sell your Shares (including when you exchange Shares for shares of another ETF), and

 

 

You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

 

 

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Taxes on Distributions

As stated above, dividends from net investment income and/or net realized gains, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid annually. The Fund also may pay a special distribution at the end of the calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements and/or to minimize or eliminate federal tax liability. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in Shares (if reinvestment is available from the broker through whom you purchased your Shares). Dividends paid out of the Fund’s net investment income and net realized short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable as ordinary income. Although the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Shares at the lower maximum rates for long-term capital gains described in the next paragraph and (2) a portion of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations, the Fund does not expect to distribute a significant amount of dividends eligible for those lower rates or deduction.

Distributions to you of net capital gain (that is, net long-term capital gain, if any, in excess of net short-term capital loss), are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held your Shares. Those gains generally are subject to federal income tax for individual shareholders at the maximum rates of 15% (20% for certain high income taxpayers).

Distributions to you in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in your Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you (as ordinary income or long-term capital gain) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution constitutes a partial return of capital.

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of distributions otherwise payable to you if you are an individual shareholder and have not provided a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number or are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Taxes on Share Sales

Any capital gain or loss you realize upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for one year or less. Your ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

Should the Fund permit in-kind transactions, an AP that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a capital gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units and the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash component paid. Similarly, an AP that redeems a Creation Unit in exchange for securities generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to

the difference between the AP’s basis in the Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the securities received plus or minus an amount, if any, equal to the difference between the NAV of the redeemed Shares, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of those securities. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for a Creation Unit, or of a Creation Unit for securities, cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the AP’s economic position. An AP exchanging securities should consult its own tax advisor(s) with respect to whether the wash sale rules apply and when a loss otherwise might not be deductible.

Any capital gain or loss realized on redemption of a Creation Unit generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less. If you purchase or redeem one or more Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the more important possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state, local, and/or foreign tax on the Fund’s distributions and sales and/or redemptions of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor(s) about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws.

Investment in a Subsidiary

One of the requirements for qualification as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code is that the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies. The IRS has concluded that income derived from commodity-linked futures contracts is not qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. As such, the Fund will seek to limit such income so as to qualify as a RIC.

In recent years, the IRS has issued PLRs to other funds that state its view that “qualifying income” does include income derived from a wholly owned foreign subsidiary (such as the Subsidiary) that is invested in commodity-linked instruments. These PLRs were issued to third parties that are unaffiliated with the Fund, and the Fund may not rely on these PLRs as precedent. Nevertheless, the Fund has received an opinion of counsel (which is not binding on the IRS or the courts) based, in part, on these PLRs, which states that income that the Fund receives from the Subsidiary should constitute qualifying income.

If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay

 

 

 

  21  

 


substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund’s Board may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change its investment objective and strategies.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. There remains a risk that the tax treatment of derivative instruments, such as futures contracts, options and swaps, may be affected by future regulatory or legislative changes that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains and distributions.

 

 

Distributor

Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

 

Net Asset Value

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) will calculate the Fund’s NAV at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) every day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. Generally, the portfolio securities are recorded in the NAV no later than trade date plus one day. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board or its delegate.

In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions, and cash equivalents are valued at their daily account value. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Swaps, commodity-linked notes and forwards generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board of the Trust.

Certain securities may not be listed on an exchange; typically, those securities are bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions. Such securities, as well as listed securities whose market price is not readily available, will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing

services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes will better reflect the security’s fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

 

 

Fund Service Providers

BNYM, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, is the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund and performs other related audit services.

 

 

Financial Highlights

The financial highlights table below is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the period since its inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, and which is available upon request.

 

 

 

  22  

 


PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio (PDBC)

(formerly, PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio)

 

    Year Ended
October 31, 2016
   

For the Period

November 5,  2014 (a)
Through
October 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance:

   

Net asset value at beginning of year

  $ 17.64      $ 25.00   

Net investment income (loss) (b)

    (0.04     (0.09

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments

    (0.20     (7.27

Total from investment operations

    (0.24     (7.36

Net asset value at end of year

  $ 17.40      $ 17.64   

Market price at end of year (c)

  $ 17.41      $ 17.64   

Net Asset Value Total Return (d)

    (1.36 )%      (29.44 )% (e)  

Market Price Total Return (d)

    (1.30 )%      (29.44 )% (e)  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

   

Net assets at end of year (000’s omitted)

  $ 381,039      $ 7,128   

Ratio to average net assets of:

   

Expenses, after Waivers

    0.55 % (f)       0.50 % (g) (f)  

Expenses, prior to Waivers

    0.59 % (f)       0.59 % (g) (f)  

Net investment income (loss), after Waivers

    (0.25 )%      (0.47 )% (g)  

 

(a)  

Commencement of investment operations.

(b)  

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)  

The mean between the last bid and ask price.

(d)  

Net asset value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and the redemption on the last day of the period. Net asset value total return includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Market price total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market price at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at market price during the period, and sale at the market price on the last day of the period. Total investment returns calculated for a period of less than one year are not annualized.

(e)  

The net asset value total return from Fund Inception (November 7, 2014, the first day of trading on the exchange) to October 31, 2015 was (29.97)%. The market price total return from Fund Inception to October 31, 2015 was (30.03)%.

(f)  

In addition to the fees and expenses which the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests. Estimated investment companies’ expenses are not expenses that are incurred directly by the Fund. They are expenses that are incurred directly by the investment companies and are deducted from the value of the investment companies the Fund invests in. The effect of the estimated investment companies’ expenses that the Fund bears indirectly is included in the Fund’s total return.

(g)  

Annualized.

 

 

  23  

 


 

Disclaimers

Deutsche Bank (“DB”) is not and will not be an affiliated person, as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor or a promoter of the Fund. Neither the Adviser nor any affiliate of the Adviser has any rights to influence the selection of the components of the Benchmark.

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by DB, and DB does not make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in Shares of the Fund.

DB makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in Shares of the Fund particularly. DB’s only relationship to the Distributor, the Adviser or the Trust is through the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of DB.

The Benchmark is selected without regard to the Distributor, the Adviser, the Trust or any holders of Shares of the Fund. DB has no obligation to take the needs of the Distributor, the Adviser, the Trust or the owners of Shares of the Fund into consideration when determining, composing or calculating the Benchmark. DB is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of Shares of the Fund the timing of the issuance or sale of Shares of the Fund, or in the determination of any financial calculations relating thereto. DB has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration of the Trust or marketing of the Shares of the Fund. DB does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Benchmark or any data included therein, and DB shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. DB makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Distributor, the Adviser, the Trust or owners of Shares of the Fund, or any other person or entity, from the use of the Benchmark or any data included therein. DB makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Benchmark or any data included therein, the Fund, the Trust or the Shares of the Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall DB have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Benchmark or any data included therein, the Fund, the Trust or the Shares of the Fund, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

“Deutsche Bank” and “DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return” are reprinted with permission. ©Copyright 2007 Deutsche Bank AG. All rights reserved. “Deutsche Bank” and DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return are service marks of Deutsche Bank AG and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Deutsche Bank AG or any of its affiliates of subsidiaries. Deutsche Bank AG makes no representation, express or implied, regarding the advisability of investing in this product. Deutsche Bank AG has licensed certain trademarks and trade names which are composed by

Deutsche Bank AG without regard to this product or any investor.

 

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information on the daily NAV per Share can be found at www.powershares.com. Additionally, information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on NASDAQ at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the prior calendar year and subsequent quarters is available at www.powershares.com.

 

 

Other Information

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies (and companies relying on Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act) in the securities of other investment companies. However, 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 an SEC exemptive order issued to the affiliates of the Trust (and which applies equally to the Trust), including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1). Additionally, the Fund is permitted pursuant to an SEC exemptive order to invest in other registered investment companies beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in another exemptive order the SEC has issued to the Trust. If the Fund relies on this exemptive relief, however, other investment companies may not invest in the Fund beyond the statutory provisions of Section 12(d)(1).

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. 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 Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete

 

 

 

  24  

 


description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization 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(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents—Householding

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

For More Information

For more detailed information on the Fund and Shares, you may request a copy of the Fund’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also is available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Report to shareholders. 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 the last fiscal year. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, free of charge, or to make shareholder inquiries, please:

 

  Call: Invesco Distributors, Inc. at 1.800.983.0903
       Monday through Friday
       8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time

 

  Write: PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded
       Commodity Fund Trust
       c/o Invesco Distributors, Inc.
       11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000
       Houston, Texas 77046-1173

 

  Visit: www.powershares.com

Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

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

Dealers effecting transactions in the Fund’s Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

The Trust’s registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-22927.

 

 

 

  25  

 


P-PDBC-PRO-1    LOGO

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

  
www.powershares.com    800 983 0903   LOGO   @PowerShares   


Investment Company Act File No. 811-22927

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated February 24, 2017

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 24, 2017, for the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “Trust”), relating to the series of the Trust listed below, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).

 

Fund

  

Principal U.S. Listing

Exchange

   Ticker

PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio

(formerly, PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio)

   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC    PDBC

Capitalized terms used in this SAI but not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, or by calling toll free 1-800-983-0903. The audited financial statements for the Fund contained in the Trust’s 2016 Annual Report and the related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, are incorporated herein by reference in the section “Financial Statements.” No other portions of the Trust’s Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

General Description of the Trust and the Fund

     2  

Exchange Listing and Trading

     2  

Investment Strategies and Restrictions

     3  

Investment Policies and Risks

     5  

Portfolio Turnover

     14  

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     14  

Management

     14  

Brokerage Transactions

     29  

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     30  

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

     32  

Taxes

     40  

Determination of NAV

     45  

Dividends and Other Distributions

     46  

Miscellaneous Information

     46  

Financial Statements

     46  

Appendix A

     A-1  

 

1


GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 23, 2013 and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust currently consists of two series. This SAI relates to one series of the Trust, the PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio (the “Fund”).The Fund is “non-diversified,” and as such, the Fund’s investments are not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the 1940 Act. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.”

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., manages the Fund.

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of 100,000 Shares (each, a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”). The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units principally for cash, calculated based on the NAV per Share, multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (“Deposit Cash”), plus certain transaction fees. The Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for a designated basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”); however, the Fund presently does not anticipate issuing Creation Units in exchange for Deposit Securities.

Although currently not anticipated, should the Fund in the future permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities, the Fund may issue Shares in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to 105% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To offset the added brokerage and other transaction costs the Fund incurs with using cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the Fund, during each instance of cash creations or redemptions, may impose transaction fees that generally are higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. For more information, see the section below titled “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Fund’s Shares are listed and trade throughout the day on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ” or the “Exchange”). Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, the Trust may decrease the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of its Shares. 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; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition shall 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, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

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

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means, an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in, or responsible for any aspect of, the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

 

2


INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RESTRICTIONS

Investment Strategies

Unlike conventional exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), the Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.

The Fund is an actively managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to the world’s most heavily traded commodities. Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, agricultural produce or raw metals.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”), in a combination of four categories of investments: (i) exchange-traded futures contracts on underlying commodities (“Commodities Futures”); (ii) other instruments whose value is derived from or linked to price movements of underlying physical commodities, represented by exchange-traded futures contracts on commodity indices, commodity-linked notes, exchange-traded options on Commodities Futures, swaps on commodities and commodity-related forward contracts (collectively, these are “Commodity-Linked Instruments”); (iii) exchange-traded products related to or providing exposure to commodities (i.e., commodity-linked equity securities, investment companies, other ETFs, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and commodity pools), as described further below (collectively, the “Commodity-Related Assets”); and (iv) cash, cash-like instruments or high-quality securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; and/or (3) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. Such Collateral is designed to provide liquidity, serve as margin or otherwise collateralize investments in the Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

While the Fund may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets and Collateral, it may not invest directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Instead, the Fund attempts to obtain investment returns that are highly correlated to the commodities markets by investing in these instruments indirectly through its Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments in accordance with the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies like the Fund to invest directly in such investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary operates under Cayman Islands law. It is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the Fund, it may invest without limit in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary will invest in Commodities Futures (or gain exposure to Commodities Futures through the use of swaps) that generally are representative of the components of the DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return (the “Benchmark”), an index composed of futures contracts on 14 of the most heavily traded commodities across the energy, precious metals, industrial metals and agriculture sectors: aluminum, Brent crude oil, copper, corn, gold, New York Harbor Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (“NY Harbor ULSD” previously referred to as Heating Oil), light crude oil, natural gas, “RBOB” gasoline, silver, soybeans, sugar, wheat and zinc. Although the Subsidiary generally provides exposure to the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not seek exposure to all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion as the Benchmark. The Subsidiary may invest in Commodities Futures (or gain exposure to such Commodities Futures through the use of swaps) that are not included in the Benchmark, but reference a commodity represented in the Benchmark by a different futures contract. At times, it also may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark, invest in Commodities Futures with expirations in excess of any contained in the Benchmark or emphasize some commodity sectors more than others.

 

3


The Subsidiary also invests a portion of its assets in Commodity-Linked Instruments to seek to increase its investment returns or hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Commodity-Linked Instruments may be exchange-traded or traded over-the-counter (“OTC”).

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include the PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (the “Commodity Pool”), a commodity pool that seeks to track the performance of the Benchmark. The Fund will limit its investments in the Commodity Pool and other pools so that no single pool represents more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and certain exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) invests its remaining assets directly in Collateral, which consists of high-quality securities such as U.S. Treasuries, other U.S. Government obligations, money market funds, cash and cash-like equivalents (e.g., high quality commercial paper and similar instruments that are rated investment grade or, if unrated, of comparable quality as the Adviser may determine) that provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

During times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may depart temporarily from its principal investment strategies (such as by maintaining a significant uninvested cash position) for defensive purposes. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost investment opportunities. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Investment Restrictions

The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust has adopted as fundamental policies the investment restrictions numbered (1) through (7) below. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not:

(1) Invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

(2) Borrow money, except the Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

(3) Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

(4) Make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

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

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).

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

Except for restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii), and (7), if the Fund adheres to a percentage restriction at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets, or the sale of a security out of its portfolio, will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii), and (7), in the event that the Fund’s borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s

 

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total assets (including the amount borrowed and collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans) due to subsequent changes in the value of the Fund’s assets or otherwise, within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays), the Fund will take corrective action to reduce the amount of its borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities to an extent that such borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and the collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans).

The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed as to the Fund without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.” As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s Shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s Shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s Shares, whichever is less.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund also is subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund may not:

(1) Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

(4) Invest in direct interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration programs or leases; however, the Fund may invest in the securities of issuers that engage in these activities.

(5) Invest in illiquid securities if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

The investment objective of the Fund is a non-fundamental policy that can be changed by the Board without approval by shareholders upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

A discussion of the Fund’s investment policies and the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the “Summary Information—Principal Investment Strategies” and “Summary Information—Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” sections and the “Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks” section of the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, those sections of the Prospectus.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the value of futures contracts, securities and other instruments that the Fund holds, any changes in the financial condition of the issuers of its portfolio holdings and other factors that affect the market.

An investment in the Fund also should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in futures contracts, securities and other assets, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and thus in the value of Shares). The Fund’s portfolio holdings are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and investor emotions and perceptions change. Investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding governmental, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, weather and climate conditions, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend upon whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that dealers will make or maintain a market or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide. Because the Fund issues and redeems Creation Units principally for cash, it may incur higher costs in buying and selling securities than if it issued and redeemed Creation Units principally in-kind.

Equity Securities and Common Stocks.  The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodity related business, including natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stock and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive

 

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payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, equity securities have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity.

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may invest in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying asset, index, interest rate or currency exchange rate. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks including credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk. They also involve the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The counterparty to a derivative contract might default on its obligations. Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund that invests in derivatives may change quickly and without warning. For some derivatives, it is possible to lose more than the amount invested in the derivative. Derivatives may be used to create synthetic exposure to an underlying asset or to hedge a portfolio risk. If the Fund uses derivatives to “hedge” a portfolio risk, it is possible that the hedge may not succeed. This may happen for various reasons, including unexpected changes in the value of the rest of the portfolio of the Fund. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund.

Futures.  The Fund will invest in exchange-listed futures contracts on commodities and commodity indices. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund will be required to deposit with the broker “initial margin” in cash or cash equivalents. This initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the asset underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract.

In addition, the Fund must segregate liquid assets or enter into off-setting positions to “cover” open positions in futures contracts. For futures contracts that do not cash settle, the Fund must segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional value of the futures contracts while the positions are open. For futures contracts that do cash settle, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the futures contract, if any, rather than their full notional value. The Fund intends to invest primarily in futures contracts that do not cash settle.

General Risks of Futures.  The use of futures contracts involves special considerations and risks, as described below:

(1) Successful use of hedging and non-hedging transactions depends upon the Adviser’s ability to correctly predict the direction of changes in the value of the applicable markets and securities. There can be no assurance that any particular hedging strategy will succeed.

(2) In a hedging transaction, there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between the price movements of an instrument (such as a futures contract) and the price movements of the investments being hedged. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as changing interest rates, market liquidity, and speculative or other pressures on the markets in which the hedging instrument is traded.

(3) Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged instruments.

(4) There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time.

(5) The Fund might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in instruments involving obligations to third parties. If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. The requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time.

(6) There is no assurance that the Fund will use hedging transactions. For example, if the Fund determines that the cost of hedging will exceed the potential benefit to the Fund, the Fund will not enter into such transaction.

(7) Non-hedging transactions present greater profit potential but also involve increased risk relative to hedging transactions.

Rolling, Backwardation and Contango.  When purchasing stocks or bonds, a buyer acquires ownership in a security; however, buyers of futures contracts are not entitled to ownership of the underlying commodity until and unless they decide to accept delivery at expiration of the contract. In practice, delivery of the underlying commodity to satisfy a futures contract rarely occurs because most futures traders use the liquidity of the central marketplace to sell their exchange-traded futures contract before expiration. As futures

 

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contracts approach expiration, they may be replaced by similar contracts that have a later expiration. For example, a contract purchased and held in June 2017 may have an expiration date in September 2017. As this contract nears expiration, a long position in the contract may be replaced by selling the September 2017 contract and purchasing a contract expiring in March 2018. This process is referred to as “rolling.”

The price of a futures contract is generally higher or lower than the spot price of the underlying asset when there is significant time to expiration of the contract due to various factors within the market. As a futures contract nears expiration, the futures price will tend to converge to the spot price. Historically, the prices of some futures contracts (generally those relating to commodities that are consumed immediately rather than stored, such as crude oil, NY Harbor ULSD and sugar) with near-term expirations may be higher than for futures contracts with longer-term expirations. This circumstance is referred to as “backwardation.” If the market for futures contracts is in “backwardation,” the sale of the near-term month contract would be at a higher price than the longer-term contract, and futures investors generally will earn positive returns. Conversely, a “contango” market is one in which the price of futures contracts in the near-term months are lower than the price of futures contracts in the longer-term months. If the market for futures contacts is in “contango,” it would create a cost to “roll” the futures contract, resulting in negative returns. The actual realization of a potential roll cost will depend on the difference in price of the near and distant contracts. In addition, the Fund may not “roll” futures contracts on a predefined schedule as they approach expiration; instead the Adviser may determine to roll to another futures contract (chosen from a list of tradable futures that expire in the next 13 months) in an attempt to generate maximum yield. There can be no guarantee that such a strategy will produce the desired results.

Commodity Futures.  The Fund will hold positions in commodity futures contracts on individual underlying commodities or commodity indices. The Fund’s investments in commodity futures contracts may involve substantial risks. Commodity futures contracts are traded on futures exchanges, which offer a central marketplace in which to transact futures contracts, a clearing organization to process trades, a standardization of expiration dates and contract sizes, and the availability of a trading market. Futures markets also specify the terms and conditions of delivery as well as the maximum permissible price movement during a trading session.

In the futures markets, the clearing organization acts as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures contracts. The Fund’s obligation is to the futures commission merchant that carries the Fund’s account, whose obligation is in turn to the clearing organization, and the Fund will look indirectly to the clearing organization to satisfy the Fund’s rights under the futures contract.

Some commodity futures exchanges impose on each commodity futures contract traded on that exchange a maximum permissible price movement for each trading session. If the maximum permissible price movement is achieved on any trading day, no more trades may be executed above (or below, if the price has moved downward) that limit. If the Fund wishes to execute a trade outside the daily permissible price movement, it would be prevented from doing so by exchange rules, and would have to wait for another trading session to execute its transaction. Despite the daily price limits on various futures exchanges, the price volatility of commodity futures contracts historically has been greater than that for traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Because the Fund invests in commodity futures contracts, the assets of the Fund, and therefore the prices of the Fund’s shares, may be subject to greater volatility. The futures clearinghouse marks every futures contract to market at the end of each trading day to ensure that the outstanding futures obligations are limited to the marked-to-market change in price from one day for any given futures contract. This process of marking-to-market is designed to prevent losses from accumulating in any futures account. Therefore, if the Fund’s futures positions have declined in value, the Fund may be required to post variation margin to cover this decline. Alternatively, if the Fund’s futures positions have increased in value, this increase will be credited to the Fund’s account.

Special Risks of Commodity Futures Contracts.  Commodity futures contracts also may be subject to the following special risks:

 

    Storage Costs . The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract (this is sometimes referred to as the “convenience yield”). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while the Fund is long futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.

 

    Reinvestment Risk . In the commodity futures markets, if producers of the underlying commodity wish to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity, they will sell futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery in the future. In order to induce speculators to take the corresponding long side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer must be willing to sell the futures contract at a price that is below the expected future spot price. Conversely, if the predominate hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the underlying commodity who purchase futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only take the short side of the futures contract if the futures price is greater than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price. This can have significant implications for the Fund when it is time to replace an expiring contract with a new contract. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted such that commodity purchasers are the predominate hedgers in the market, the Fund might open the new futures position at a higher price or choose other related commodity investments.

 

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    Additional Economic Factors . The values of commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts are subject to additional variables which may be less significant to the values of traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Variables such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes and tariffs may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, commodity-linked notes, commodity options and commodity swaps, than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.

 

    Deflation and Inflation.  Deflation or unanticipated changes in the rate of inflation may result in changes in the future spot price of the underlying commodities that could negatively affect the Fund’s profitability and result in potential losses. In addition, reduced economic growth may lead to reduced demand for the underlying commodities and put downward pressure on future spot prices, adversely affecting the Fund’s operations and profitability.

 

    Risk of Temporary Market Aberrations or Distortions The Fund is subject to the risk that temporary aberrations or distortions in the markets (such as war, strikes, geopolitical events and natural disasters) will occur that impact commodity prices and negatively impact the value of the Fund’s positions, thereby adversely affecting the value of your shares.

 

    Volatility Risk . The commodity markets have experienced periods of extreme volatility. General market uncertainty and consequent re-pricing risk have led to market imbalances of sellers and buyers, which in turn have resulted in significant reductions in values of a variety of commodities. Similar future market conditions may result in rapid and substantial valuation increases or decreases in the Fund’s holdings.

Position Limits . The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has position limit rules and certain commodity futures exchanges have position accountability levels that limit the amount of futures contracts that any one party may hold in a particular commodity at any point in time. These position limit rules are designed to prevent any one participant from controlling a significant portion of the market. In 2011, the CFTC adopted comprehensive regulations pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) that would have imposed new position limits on 28 physical commodity futures and options contracts (and on swaps that are economically equivalent to such contracts) in order to prevent excessive speculation and manipulation in the commodity markets. In 2012, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated these new position limit regulations and remanded the matter to the CFTC for further consideration consistent with the court’s opinion. In response to the court’s ruling, the CFTC in February 2014 proposed, and sought public comment on, revised position limit regulations; it subsequently supplemented those rules in 2016. Such proposals are still under consideration by the CFTC. These proposed regulations, in their current or a revised form, or other regulations with similar effects, still may become effective in the future. The proposed regulations are extremely complex and, if ultimately implemented, whether in their current or an alternative form, may require further guidance and interpretation by the CFTC to determine in all respects how they apply to the Fund. The full implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy could be negatively impacted by the existing or any future position limit regulations.

It is possible that the Adviser will approach or reach position limits under the existing rules and, if so, will have a conflict of interest with respect to allocating limited positions among various accounts it manages. Further, the investment decisions of the Adviser may be modified to avoid exceeding regulatory position limits, potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses and forcing the Fund to forego certain opportunities. The CFTC’s existing position limit regulations require that a trader aggregate all positions in accounts over which the trader controls trading. However, a trader is not required to aggregate positions in multiple accounts or commodity pools if such trader (or its applicable divisions/subsidiaries) qualifies as an “independent account controller” under applicable CFTC regulations and avails itself of the independent account controller exemption under such regulations. Failure to comply with the requirements of the independent account controller exemption could lead to a CFTC enforcement proceeding against the Adviser and could adversely affect the Fund.

ETFs Risk.  The Fund may invest in other ETFs. The Fund’s investment performance may depend on the investment performance of the ETFs in which it invests. Similarly, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with those ETFs. The Fund will pay indirectly a proportional share of the fees and expenses of the ETFs in which it invests, while continuing to pay its own unitary management fee. As a result, shareholders indirectly will absorb duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other ETFs. In addition, at times certain segments of the market represented by the ETFs in which the Fund invest may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

ETN Risk . ETNs are a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that have characteristics and risks similar to those of fixed-income securities and trade on a major exchange similar to shares of ETFs. This type of debt security differs, however, from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index, minus applicable fees; no period coupon payments are distributed and no principal protections exist. The purpose of ETNs is to create a type of security that combines the aspects of both bonds and ETFs. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and

 

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demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and other economic, legal, political or geographic events. If the Fund must sell some or all of its ETN holdings and the secondary market is weak, it may have to sell such holdings at a discount. If the Fund holds its investment in an ETN until maturity, the issuer will give the Fund a cash amount that would be equal to principal amount (subject to the day’s index factor). ETNs also are subject to credit risk, whereby the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a note is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Commodity Linked Notes.  Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a commodity-linked derivative. Typically, commodity-linked notes are issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer at a specified face value. They usually pay interest at a fixed or floating rate until they mature. At maturity, the Fund receives a payment that is calculated based on the price increase or decrease of an underlying commodity-related variable and may be based on a multiple of the price movement of that variable. The underlying commodity-related variable may be a physical commodity, a commodity futures or option contract or a commodity index. The Fund typically has the right to “put” (or sell) a commodity-linked note to the issuer at any time, at a price that is calculated based on the price movement of the underlying variable.

Risks of Commodity-Linked Notes.  The Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes to gain exposure to commodities markets. Commodity-linked notes may be subject to special risks that do not affect traditional equity and debt securities:

 

    Risk of loss of interest . If the interest rate on a commodity-linked note is based on the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might receive lower interest payments (or not receive any interest) if the value of the underlying investment falls.

 

    Risk of loss of principal . To the extent that the amount of the principal to be repaid upon maturity is linked to the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, the value of the commodity, commodity index or other economic variable may not increase sufficiently so that the Fund might not receive a portion (or any) of the principal when the investment matures or upon earlier exchange.

 

    Credit risk . Commodity-linked notes are subject to credit risks on the underlying investment and to counterparty credit risk. If the counterparty fails to meet its obligations, the Fund may lose money.

 

    Valuation risk . The value of commodity-linked notes may be influenced by several factors, including: value of the commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, volatility, interest and yield rates in the market, the time remaining to maturity and the credit worthiness of the issuer of the commodity-linked note.

 

    Liquidity risk . A liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity-linked notes the Fund buys, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at an acceptable price or to accurately value them.

 

    Volatility risk . The value of the commodity-linked derivatives the Fund buys may fluctuate significantly because the values of the underlying investments to which they are linked are extremely volatile. Additionally, the particular terms of a commodity-linked note may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price increase or decrease of the underlying commodity, commodity index, or other economic variable. Economic leverage increases the volatility of the value of commodity-linked notes and their value may increase or decrease more quickly than the underlying commodity, commodity index or other economic variable.

Swap Agreements.  The Fund may enter into swap agreements, which are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party (the “Counterparty”) based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements usually will be done on a net basis, 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 swap 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.

Risks of Swap Agreements.  The risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default were to occur, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws that could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive). Swaps could result in losses for the Fund if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses. The Fund will earmark or segregate assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents in an amount equal to the aggregate market value of the swaps of which it is the seller, marked-to-market on a daily basis.

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements enhance the Fund’s total return will depend on the Adviser’s ability correctly to predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two-party

 

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contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

Options.  The Fund may invest in options. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific asset at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer,” i.e., the party selling the option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of the asset held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of the asset it is committed to purchase. The Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the assets it holds or is committed to purchase.

Options on Futures Contracts.  An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. 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 purchase, 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 call options on equity securities or indices is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited only by the aggregate strike price of the put option less the premium received.

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

Risks of Options Transactions.  There are several risks accompanying the utilization of options on futures contracts. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. 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 option; however, this risk is substantially minimized because (a) of the regulatory requirement that the broker has to “segregate” customer funds from its corporate funds, and (b) in the case of regulated exchanges in the United States, the clearing corporation stands behind the broker to make good losses in such a situation. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Counterparty Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Commodity Pool Risk.  The Fund may invest in securities of pooled investment vehicles, including commodity pools. Commodity pools invest in futures contracts, which may be highly leveraged, and in markets which may be highly volatile. As such, commodity pools can suffer substantial losses. Such losses can reduce the value of an investment in the pool. In addition, restrictions on redemptions may affect the ability of the Fund to withdraw from its participation in the pool. Additionally, commodity pools may be subject to substantial charges for management, advisory and brokerage fees. It may be necessary for such pools to make substantial trading profits to avoid depletion or exhaustion of their assets.

CFTC Regulation.  Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) significantly limits the ability of certain regulated entities, including registered investment companies such as the Fund, to rely on an exclusion that would not require its investment adviser from registering with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”). However, under Rule 4.5, the investment adviser of a registered investment company may claim exclusion from registration as a CPO only if the registered investment company that it

 

10


advises uses futures contracts solely for “bona fide hedging purposes” or limits its use of futures contracts for non-bona fide hedging purposes such that (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish non-bona fide hedging positions with respect to futures contracts do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio, or (ii) the aggregate “notional value” of the non-bona fide hedging commodity interests do not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio (taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions).

Because the Fund does not use futures contracts solely for “bona fide hedging purposes,” nor limit its use of positions in futures contracts in accordance with the requirements of Rule 4.5, the Fund is unable to rely on the exclusion from Rule 4.5 and therefore is subject to regulation under the CEA and CFTC rules as a commodity pool. The Adviser is registered as a CPO, and the Fund operates in accordance with CFTC rules. Registration as a commodity pool may have a negative impact on the ability of the Fund to engage in its planned investment program, while the Adviser’s registration as a CPO imposes additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, which could increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund. However, the Fund’s status as a commodity pool and the Adviser’s registration as a CPO are not expected to materially adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

Moreover, with the Adviser registered as a CPO, the Fund is subject to dual regulation by the CFTC and the SEC. In 2012, the CFTC issued “harmonization” rules that permit CPOs of registered investment companies, such as the Fund, to rely on substituted compliance, whereby compliance with certain SEC rules is deemed compliant with certain CFTC rules with respect to disclosure and reporting requirements. The CFTC’s harmonization rules relating to disclosure and reporting requirements between the CFTC and the SEC should not materially affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective within the constraints of the dual regulation. If the Fund were to experience difficulty in implementing its investment strategies or achieving its investment objective, the Adviser may recommend that the Board reorganize or close the Fund or to materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies.

Regulatory Developments Could Significantly and Adversely Affect the Fund . Commodity markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations promulgated not only by the CFTC but also by self-regulatory organizations such as the National Futures Association. Among other things, the CFTC and the exchanges on which futures contracts are traded are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily limits and the suspension of trading. Any of these actions, if taken, could adversely affect the returns of the Fund by limiting or precluding investment decisions the Fund might otherwise make. The regulation of commodity transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. In addition, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the currency markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Fund.

Failure of a Clearing Broker.  Under current CFTC regulations, a clearing broker (or futures commission merchant) maintains customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Fund with the clearing broker as margin for futures contracts may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund’s clearing broker or the clearing broker’s own payment obligations. In addition, the assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of that clearing broker’s bankruptcy. In that event, the clearing broker’s customers, such as the Fund, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a pro rata share of all property, if any, available for distribution to all of that clearing broker’s customers. The Fund also may be subject to the risk of the failure of, or delay in performance by, any exchanges and their clearing organizations, if any, on which commodity interest contracts are traded. Similarly, the CEA requires a clearing organization approved by the CFTC as a derivatives clearing organization to segregate all funds and other property received from a clearing member’s clients in connection with domestic futures and options contracts from any funds held at the clearing organization to support the clearing member’s proprietary trading. Nevertheless, all customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any futures or options contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member’s individual customers. With respect to futures and options contracts, a clearing organization may use assets of a non-defaulting customer held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. As a result, in the event of a default of the clearing broker’s other clients or the clearing broker’s failure to extend its own funds in connection with any such default, the Fund would not be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited by the clearing broker on behalf of the Fund with the clearing organization.

Increased Competition . The Adviser believes that there has been, over time, an increase in interest in commodity investing. As the Adviser’s assets under management directly or indirectly invested in the commodities markets increases, an increasing number of traders may attempt to initiate or liquidate substantial positions at or about the same time as the Adviser, or otherwise alter historical trading patterns or affect the execution of trades, to the detriment of the Fund.

An Investment in the Fund May Not Necessarily Diversify an Investor’s Overall Portfolio.  The investment performance of commodities has shown little long-term historical correlation to the performance of other asset classes, such as domestic equities and

 

11


bonds. Little correlation means that there is a low statistical relationship between the performance of commodity investments on the one hand, and domestic equities and bonds on the other hand. Because there is little long-term historical correlation, the Fund cannot be expected to be automatically profitable during unfavorable periods in the stock or bond markets, or vice versa. If, during a particular period of time, the Fund’s performance moves in the same general direction as the other financial markets, or the Fund performs unsuccessfully relative to overall commodity markets, you may obtain little or no diversification benefits during that period from an investment in the Fund’s shares. In such a case, the Fund may have no gains to offset your losses from such other investments, and you may suffer losses on your investment in the Fund at the same time losses on your other investments are increasing.

Money Market Instruments.  The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable CDs, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s or has a similar rating from a comparable rating agency, or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; and (iv) money market mutual funds, including affiliated money market funds. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

U.S. Government Obligations.  The Fund may invest in short-term U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations are a type of bond and include securities, issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, as well as “stripped” or “zero coupon” U.S. Treasury obligations representing future interest or principal payments on U.S. Treasury notes or bonds. Stripped securities are sold at a discount to their “face value,” and may exhibit greater price volatility than interest-bearing securities because investors receive no payment until maturity.

Short-term obligations of certain agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the former Student Loan Marketing Association (“SLMA”), are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s obligations; still others, although issued by an instrumentality chartered by the U.S. Government, like the Federal Farm Credit Bureau (“FFCB”), are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) into conservatorship. Under this conservatorship, the FHFA operates and manages the agencies, and the U.S. Department of Treasury has agreed to provide capital as needed (up to $100 billion per agency) to ensure that the agencies continue to provide liquidity to the housing and mortgage markets. Since that time, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage backed securities. While the purchase programs for mortgage-backed securities ended in 2010, the U.S. Treasury continued its support for the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth. However, no assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, or FHFA initiatives discussed above will ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue. In addition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are also the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. Government is considering multiple options, ranging from significant reform, nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.

The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreements to purchase preferred stock of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) also have imposed strict limits on the size of the mortgage portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In August 2012, the U.S. Treasury amended its preferred stock purchase agreements to provide that the portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be wound down at an annual rate of 15 percent (up from the previously agreed annual rate of 10 percent), requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reach the $250 billion target four years earlier than previously planned. Further, when a ratings agency downgraded long-term U.S. Government debt in August 2011, the agency also downgraded the bond ratings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from AAA to AA+, based on their direct reliance on the U.S. Government (although that rating did not directly relate to their mortgage-backed securities). The U.S. Government’s commitment to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have sufficient capital to meet their obligations was, however, unaffected by the downgrade.

The U.S. Treasury has put in place a set of financing agreements to help ensure that these entities continue to meet their obligations to holders of bonds they have issued or guaranteed. The U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so, in which case, if the issuer were to default, the Fund holding securities of such issuer might not be able to recover their investment from the U.S. Government.

 

12


Other Investment Companies.  The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, non-exchange traded U.S. registered open-end investment companies (mutual funds), closed-end investment companies, or non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges beyond the limits permitted under the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to an affiliate of the Trust in 2012 pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the 1940 Act (the “2012 Order”). Absent such exemptive relief, the Fund’s investments in investment companies would be limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets of investment companies in the aggregate.

Under the pertinent terms of the 2012 Order, the Fund may invest in registered investment companies in excess of the 3% limitations imposed by Sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(C) of the 1940 Act. The total amount of securities held by the Fund, both individually and when aggregated with all other shares of the acquired fund held by other registered investment companies or private investment pools advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (as well as shares held by the Adviser and its affiliates) cannot exceed 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the acquired investment company, and none of these entities (including the Fund) may individually or collectively exert a controlling influence over the acquired investment company. The Fund may not rely on 2012 Order to acquire an investment company that itself has ownership of investment company shares in excess of the limitations contained in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act. To the extent necessary to comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act or the 2012 Order, on any matter upon which an underlying investment company’s shareholders are solicited to vote, the Adviser will vote the underlying investment company shares in the same general proportion as shares held by other shareholders of the underlying investment company.

In addition, an affiliate of the Trust previously obtained exemptive relief in 2007 (which extends to the Trust) that allows other investment companies to acquire shares of the Fund in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12(d)(1)(A) (the “2007 Order”). This relief is conditioned on those acquiring funds obtaining a participation agreement signed by both the acquiring fund and the fund that it wishes to acquire in excess of the 12(d)(1)(A) limitations. If the Fund relies on the 2012 Order, it will not enter into a participation agreement pursuant to the 2007 Order, and if the Fund has a signed participation agreement in effect pursuant to the 2007 Order, it will not rely on the 2012 Order.

Illiquid Securities.  The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are held in illiquid securities or other illiquid assets.

The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that dealers will make or maintain a market or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets.

Borrowing.  The Fund may borrow money from a bank or another person up to limits set forth in the section “Investment Strategies and Restrictions—Investment Restrictions” to meet shareholder redemptions, for temporary or emergency purposes and for other lawful purposes. Borrowed money will cost the Fund interest expense and/or other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing also may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations to repay borrowed monies. To the extent that the Fund has outstanding borrowings, it will be leveraged. Leveraging generally exaggerates the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Leverage.  In addition to structural leverage, such as the Fund’s bank borrowings, the Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments, such as investments in commodity futures contracts and other derivatives, which may give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by a fund, and depending on the investment can potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The total value of all investments of the Fund and the Subsidiary in instruments with economic leverage will be covered with segregated or ear-marked assets of the Fund in accordance with SEC guidance. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous for the Fund to do so.

 

13


Investment in the Subsidiary . The Fund will obtain futures contract exposure through investments in the Subsidiary, which may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of each tax year quarter. The Subsidiary may invest in commodity-linked futures contracts, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral or otherwise support the Subsidiary’s positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in such futures contracts. The Subsidiary otherwise is subject to the same general investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, references to the investment strategies of the Fund include the investment strategies of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act. As an investor in its Subsidiary, the Fund, as the Subsidiary’s sole shareholder, will not have the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investments in its Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary. Also, in managing the Subsidiary’s portfolio, the Adviser is subject to the same investment restrictions and operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Fund. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

Cybersecurity Risk.  The Fund, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks. Cyber security failures or breaches of the Fund or its service providers or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund calculates its portfolio turnover rate by dividing the value of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal period by the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal period. Portfolio turnover rates will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule.  The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. The Trust will also disclose a complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR after its second and fourth fiscal quarters.

The Trust’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs also may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202.942.8090. The Trust’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 630.933.9600 or 800.983.0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Portfolio Holdings Policy.  The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disseminated publicly each day that the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. Information regarding the amount of cash representing one Creation Unit of the Fund is disseminated publicly each day prior to the opening of the Exchange via www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. The Trust, the Adviser and The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM” or the “Administrator”) will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

Access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be permitted at other times to personnel of third party service providers, including the Fund’s custodian, transfer agent, auditors and counsel, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with such service providers’ agreements with the Trust on behalf of the Fund.

MANAGEMENT

The primary responsibility of the Board is to represent the interests of the Fund and to provide oversight of the management of the Fund. The Trust currently has eight Trustees. Six Trustees have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or any of its affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser. These are the “non-interested” (as such term is defined under the 1940 Act) or “independent” Trustees (the “Independent Trustees”). One Trustee (the “Unaffiliated Trustee”) is an officer of a company that has engaged in securities transactions with clients advised by a sub-adviser to one or more PowerShares ETFs (which clients do not include the Fund), but is not an affiliated person of the Adviser. The remaining Trustee (the “Interested Trustee”) is affiliated with the Adviser.

 

14


The Independent Trustees of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex (defined below) that they oversee, and other directorships, if any, that they hold are shown below. The “Fund Complex” includes all open and closed-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Adviser and any funds that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Family” consists of the Trust and four other ETF trusts advised by the Adviser.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth of
Independent Trustees

   Positions
Held
with

Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees
   Other
Directorships
Held by
Independent

Trustee
During the Past

5 Years

Ronn R. Bagge—1958

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman
of the
Nominating
and
Governance
Committee
and Trustee
   Chairman
of the
Nominating
and
Governance
Committee
and Trustee
since

2014

   Founder and Principal, YQA Capital Management LLC (1998-Present); formerly Owner/CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Co., Inc. (high-speed rotating equipment service provider).    133    None

Todd J. Barre—1957

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2014    Assistant Professor of Business, Trinity Christian College(2010-2016); formerly Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001), BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank.    133    None

Marc M. Kole—1960

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman
of the
Audit
Committee
and Trustee
   Chairman
of the Audit
Committee
and Trustee
since 2014
   Senior Director of Finance, By the Hand Club for Kids (2015-Present); formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Hope Network (social services)(2008-2012); Assistant Vice President and Controller, Priority Health (health insurance) (2005-2008); Senior Vice President of Finance, United Healthcare (2004-2005); Chief Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, Oxford Health Plans (2000-2004); Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000).    133    None

 

15


Name, Address and Year of Birth of
Independent Trustees

   Positions
Held
with

Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees
   Other
Directorships
Held by
Independent

Trustee
During the Past

5 Years

Yung Bong Lim—1964 c/o

Invesco PowerShares Capital

Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman
of the
Investment
Oversight
Committee
and
Trustee
   Chairman
of the
Investment
Oversight
Committee
and
Trustee
since 2014
   Managing Partner, Residential Dynamics Group LLC (2008-Present); formerly, Managing Director, Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007).    133    None

Gary R. Wicker—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital

Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since
2014
   Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries (publishing company) (2013-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Zondervan Publishing (a division of Harper Collins/NewsCorp) (2007-2012); Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999), divisions of The Thomson Corporation (information services provider).    133    None

Donald H. Wilson—1959

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital

Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman
of the
Board and
Trustee
   Chairman
and
Trustee

Since
2014

   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. (2010-Present); President and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. (2016-Present); formerly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Financial Shares, Inc. and Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (subsidiary) (2013-2015); Chief Operating Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (bank holding company) (2007-2009); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (2006-2007); Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (bank holding company) (1995-2006).    133    None

 

* This is the date the Independent Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

16


The Unaffiliated Trustee, his term of office and length of time served, his principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Unaffiliated Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Unaffiliated Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth of
Unaffiliated Trustee

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
  Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Unaffiliated
Trustees
   Other Directorships
Held by
Unaffiliated Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Philip M. Nussbaum—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee **   Since 2014    Chairman, Performance Trust Capital Partners (2004-Present).    133    None

 

* This is the date the Unaffiliated Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
** Effective May 18, 2016, Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee.

 

17


The Interested Trustee and the executive officers of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Interested Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Interested Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Interested Trustee

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5
Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Interested
Trustees
   Other Directorships
Held by Interested
Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Kevin M. Carome—1956

Invesco Ltd.

Two Peachtree Pointe

1555 Peachtree St., N.E.,

Suite 1800

Atlanta, GA 30309

   Trustee    Since 2014    Senior Managing Director, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Finance PLC, and Invesco Holding Company Limited; Director and Executive Vice President, Invesco Finance, Inc., Invesco Group Services, Invesco North American Holdings, Inc., Invesco Holding Company (US), Inc., and INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd; Executive Vice President (2008-Present), Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd., Manager, Horizon Flight Works LLC; Director and Secretary, Invesco Services (Bahamas) Private Limited; formerly, Director and Chairman, INVESCO Funds Group, Inc., Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Advisers, Inc.(2003-2006); Director, Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd. (2008-2016); Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (2000-2001); General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1998-2000); Associate General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1993-1998); Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP.    133    None

 

* This is the date the Interested Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

18


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

Daniel E. Draper—1968

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   President and
Principal
Executive Officer
   Since 2015    President and Principal Executive Officer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2015-Present); Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer (2016-Present) and Managing Director (2013-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-2015) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-2015); Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (2010-2013) and Lyxor Asset Management/Societe Generale (2007-2010).

Steven M. Hill—1964

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President
and Treasurer
   Since 2014    Vice President and Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global ETF Administration, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2011-Present); Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); formerly, Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Destra Capital Management LLC and its subsidiaries (2010-2011); Chief Financial Officer, Destra Investment Trust and Destra Investment Trust II (2010-2011); Senior Managing Director, Claymore Securities, Inc. (2003-2010); and Chief Financial Officer, Claymore sponsored mutual funds (2003-2010).

 

19


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

Peter Hubbard—1981

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); formerly, Vice President of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2008-2010); Portfolio Manager, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2007-2008); Research Analyst, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2005-2007); Research Analyst and Trader, Ritchie Capital, a hedge fund operator (2003-2005).

Christopher Joe—1969

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046-1173

   Chief Compliance
Officer
   Since 2014    Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); Chief Compliance Officer of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Chief Compliance Officer, Invesco Investment Advisers, LLC (registered investment adviser) (2010–2013), U.S. Compliance Director, Invesco, Ltd. (2006-2014) and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2014-2015).

 

20


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

Sheri Morris—1964

Invesco Management Group, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046-1173

   Vice President    Since 2014    President and Principal Executive Officer, The Invesco Funds (2016-Present); Treasurer, The Invesco Funds (2008-Present); Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser) (2009-Present) and Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President and Principal Financial Officer, The Invesco Funds (2008-2016); Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-2013); Vice President, Invesco Aim Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.; Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds and Assistant Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.

 

21


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

Anna Paglia—1974

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Secretary    Since 2014    Secretary, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Legal (2010-Present) and Secretary (2015-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; formerly, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (formerly, Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLP) (2007-2010); Associate Counsel at Barclays Global Investors Ltd. (2004-2006).

Rudolf E. Reitmann—1971

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global Exchange Traded Funds Services, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2013-Present).

David Warren—1957

Invesco Canada Ltd.

5140 Yonge Street,

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X7

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Managing Director—Chief Administrative Officer, Americas, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Inc. (2009-Present); Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (2007-Present); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.); Chief Administrative Officer, North American Retail, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Corporate Class Inc. (2014-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate Feeder GP Ltd. (2015-Present); Director, Invesco Canada Holdings Inc. (2002-Present); Director, Invesco Financial Services Ltd. / Services Financiers Invesco Ltée and Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée (2014-Present); Director, Invesco IP Holdings (Canada) Ltd. (2016-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate GP Ltd. (2015-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Inc. (2009-2015); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.) (2000-2011).

 

* This is the date the officer began serving the Trust. Each officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

22


For each Trustee, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee in the Fund and in all registered investment companies overseen by the Trustee as of December 31, 2016 is shown below.

 

Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in PowerShares
Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity

Strategy No K-1 Portfolio
   Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Trustee  in Fund Family

Ronn R. Bagge

   None    Over $100,000

Todd J. Barre

   None    Over $100,000

Marc M. Kole

   None    Over $100,000

Yung Bong Lim

   None    Over $100,000

Philip M. Nussbaum

   None    Over $100,000

Gary R. Wicker

   None    Over $100,000

Donald H. Wilson

   None    Over $100,000

Kevin M. Carome

   None    Over $100,000

The dollar range of Shares for Messrs. Bagge, Lim and Nussbaum includes Shares of certain funds in which each of Messrs. Bagge, Lim and Nussbaum is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Trust’s deferred compensation plan (“DC Plan”), which is described below.

As of December 31, 2016, as to each Independent Trustee and the Unaffiliated Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.

Board and Committee Structure.  As noted above, the Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser for the Fund, under the investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Board generally expects to meet in regularly scheduled meetings five times a year, and may meet more often as required. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Board held six meetings.

The Board has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Investment Oversight Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, and has delegated certain responsibilities to those Committees.

Messrs. Kole (Chair), Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) approve and recommend to the Board the selection of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, (ii) review the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s audit activity, (iii) review the audited financial statements and (iv) review with such independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy and the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Audit Committee held eleven meetings.

Messrs. Bagge (Chair), Barre, Kole, Lim, Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to identify and recommend individuals for Board membership and evaluate candidates for Board membership. The Board will consider recommendations for trustees from shareholders. Nominations from shareholders should be in writing and sent to the Secretary of the Trust to the attention of the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, as described below under the caption “Shareholder Communications.” During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee held four meetings.

Messrs. Bagge, Barre, Lim (Chair) and Nussbaum currently serve as members of the Investment Oversight Committee. The Investment Oversight Committee has the responsibility, among other things, (i) to review the investment performance of the Fund, (ii) to review any proposed changes to the Fund’s investment policies, comparative benchmark indices, and (iii) to review the Fund’s market trading activities and portfolio transactions. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Investment Oversight Committee held four meetings.

Mr. Wilson, one of the Independent Trustees, serves as the chair of the Board (the “Independent Chair”). The Independent Chair, among other things, chairs the Board meetings, participates in the preparation of the Board agendas and serves as a liaison between, and facilitates communication among, the other Independent Trustees, the full Board, the Adviser and other service providers with respect to Board matters. The Chairs of each Committee also serve as liaisons between the Adviser and other service providers and the other Independent Trustees for matters pertaining to the respective Committee. The Board believes that its current leadership structure is appropriate taking into account the assets and number of funds overseen by the Trustees, the size of the Board and the nature of the funds’ business, as the Interested Trustee and officers of the Trust provide the Board with insight as to the daily management of the funds while the Independent Chair promotes independent oversight of the funds by the Board.

 

23


Risk Oversight.  The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including operational, investment and compliance risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, as part of its oversight responsibilities, oversees the services provided by the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers in connection with the management and operations of the Fund, as well as their associated risks. Under the oversight of the Board, the Trust, the Adviser and other service providers have adopted policies, procedures and controls to address these risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, receives and reviews information from the Adviser, other service providers, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Trust counsel and counsel to the Independent Trustees to assist it in its oversight responsibilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, reports regarding the Fund’s investments, including Fund performance and investment practices, valuation of Fund portfolio securities, and compliance. The Board also reviews, and must approve any proposed changes to, the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, and reviews any areas of non-compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. The Audit Committee monitors the Trust’s accounting policies, financial reporting and internal control system and reviews any internal audit reports impacting the Trust. As part of its compliance oversight, the Board reviews the annual compliance report issued by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer on the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers, proposed changes to those policies and procedures and quarterly reports on any material compliance issues that arose during the period.

Experience, Qualifications and Attributes . As noted above, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending trustee candidates. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews the background and the educational, business and professional experience of trustee candidates and the candidates’ expected contributions to the Board. Trustees selected to serve on the Board are expected to possess relevant skills and experience, time availability and the ability to work well with the other Trustees. In addition to these qualities and based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications and attributes and the Trustees’ combined contributions to the Board, following is a brief summary of the information that led to the conclusion that each Board member should serve as a Trustee.

Mr. Bagge has served as a trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee with the Fund Family since 2003. He founded YQA Capital Management, LLC in 1998 and has since served as a principal. Previously, Mr. Bagge was the owner and CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Company from 1988 to 2001. He began his career as a securities analyst for institutional investors, including CT&T Asset Management and J.C. Bradford & Co. The Board considered that Mr. Bagge has served as a board member or advisor for several privately held businesses and charitable organizations and the executive, investment and operations experience that Mr. Bagge has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Barre has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He served as Assistant Professor of Business at Trinity Christian College from 2010 to 2016. Previously, he served in various positions with BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank, including Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001). From 1983 to 1994, Mr. Barre was with the Office of the Manager of Investments at Commonwealth Edison Co. He also was a staff accountant at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. from 1981 to 1983. The Board considered the executive, financial and investment experience that Mr. Barre has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Carome has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He has served as the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Invesco Ltd. since 2006, and has held various senior executive positions with Invesco Ltd. since 2003. Previously, he served in various positions with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., including Senior Vice President and General Counsel (2000-2001), General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries (1998-2000) and Associate General Counsel (1993-1998). Prior to his employment with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., Mr. Carome was an associate with Ropes & Gray LLP. The Board considered Mr. Carome’s senior executive position with Invesco Ltd.

Mr. Kole has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and Chairman of the Audit Committee since 2008. He has been the Senior Director of Finance of By The Hand Club for Kids since 2015. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Hope Network from 2008 to 2012. He also was the Assistant Vice President and Controller at Priority Health from 2005 to 2008, Senior Vice President of Finance of United Healthcare from 2004 to 2005 and Senior Vice President of Finance of Oxford Health Plans from 2000 to 2004. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Kole is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Kole has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Lim has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has been a Managing Partner of Residential Dynamics Group LLC since 2008. Previously, he was a Managing Director and the Head of the Securitized Products Group of Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007). Prior to his employment with Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C., he was a Managing Director with Salomon Smith Barney. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Lim has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

 

24


Mr. Nussbaum has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2003. He has served as the Chairman of Performance Trust Capital Partners since 2004 and was the Executive Vice President of Finance from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Nussbaum also served as Managing Director of the Communication Institute from 2002 to 2003. Prior to joining Performance Trust Capital Partners in 1994, he was a Vice President at Clayton Brown & Associates. Before that, he was a senior examiner with the Financial Markets Unit of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Board considered the executive, financial, investment and operations experience that Mr. Nussbaum has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wicker has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has served as Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries since 2013. He was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zondervan Publishing from 2007 to 2012. Previously, he held various positions with divisions of The Thomson Corporation, including Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999). Prior to that, Mr. Wicker was Senior Manager in the Audit and Business Advisory Services Group of Price Waterhouse (1985-1996). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wicker is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wicker has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wilson has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and as the Independent Chair since 2012. He also served as lead Independent Trustee in 2011. He has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Advisers, Ltd. since 2010 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. since 2016. Previously, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Financial Shares, Inc. and its subsidiary, Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (2013-2015), and was the Chief Operating Officer (2007-2009) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2006-2007) of AMCORE Financial, Inc. Mr. Wilson also served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. from 1995 to 2006. He started his career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, serving in several roles in the bank examination division and the economic research division. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wilson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wilson has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

This disclosure is not intended to hold out any Trustee as having any special expertise and shall not impose greater duties, obligations or liabilities on the Trustees. The Trustees’ principal occupations during the past five years or more are shown in the above tables.

For services as a Trustee of the Trust and other trusts in the Fund Family, each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee receives an annual retainer of $250,000 (the “Retainer”). The Retainer is allocated half pro rata among all of the funds in the Fund Family and the other half is allocated among all of the funds in the Fund Family based on average net assets. Mr. Wilson receives an additional $78,000 per year for his service as the Independent Chair, allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. The chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee of $28,000 per year and the chairs of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Investment Oversight Committee each receive an additional fee of $17,000 per year, all allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. Effective January 1, 2017, the Retainer increased to $290,000. Also effective January 1, 2017, the additional fee for the Independent Chair increased to $100,000. Each Trustee also is reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings.

The DC Plan allows each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee to defer payment of all, or a portion, of the fees the Trustee receives for serving on the Board throughout the year. Each eligible Trustee generally may elect to have deferred amounts credited with a return equal to the total return of one or more registered investment companies within the Fund Family that are offered as investment options under the DC Plan. At the Trustee’s election, distributions are either in one lump sum payment, or in the form of equal annual installments over a period of years designated by the Trustee. The rights of an eligible Trustee and the beneficiaries to the amounts held under the DC Plan are unsecured and such amounts are subject to the claims of the creditors of the Fund. The Independent Trustees and the Unaffiliated Trustee are not eligible for any pension or profit sharing plan in their capacity as Trustees.

 

25


The following sets forth the fees paid to each Trustee for the fiscal year October 31, 2016.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation From
Trust
     Pension or Retirement
Benefits accrued as part of
Fund Expenses
     Total Compensation Paid
From Fund Family  (1)
 

Independent Trustees

 

     

Ronn R. Bagge

   $ 1,764        N/A      $ 262,500  

Todd J. Barre

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

Marc M. Kole

   $ 1,835        N/A      $ 273,334  

Yung Bong Lim

   $ 1,764        N/A      $ 262,500  

Gary R. Wicker

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

Donald H. Wilson

   $ 2,166        N/A      $ 322,500  

Unaffiliated Trustee

        

Philip M. Nussbaum (2)

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

Interested Trustee

        

Kevin M. Carome

     N/A        N/A        N/A  

 

(1) The amounts shown in this column represent the aggregate compensation paid by all funds of the trusts in the Fund Family for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, before deferral by the Trustees under the DC Plan. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, both Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum deferred 100% of his compensation, and Mr. Bagge deferred 10% of his compensation from November 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.
(2) Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee on May 18, 2016, but prior to that he was an Independent Trustee.

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned less than 1% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

Principal Holders and Control Persons.  The following table sets forth the name, address and percentage of ownership of each person who is known by the Trust to own, of record or beneficially, 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding Shares as of February 1, 2017.

 

Name & Address

   % Owned  

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

211 Main Street

San Francisco, California 94105

     24.88

Pershing LLC

1 Pershing Plaza

Jersey City, New Jersey 07399

     15.91

National Financial Services LLC

200 Liberty Street

New York, New York 10281

     10.64

State Street Bank and Trust Company

One Lincoln Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02111

     8.66

Folio Investing

8180 Greensboro Drive

McLean, Virginia 22102

     7.19

Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC

One North Jefferson Avenue

St. Louis, Missouri 63103

     6.45

Shareholder Communications.  Shareholders may send communications to the Trustees by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Other shareholder communications the Trust receives not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

 

26


Investment Adviser.  The Adviser provides investment tools and portfolios for advisers and investors. The Adviser is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline is rooted deeply in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions.

The Adviser acts as investment adviser for, and manages the investment and reinvestment of, the assets of the Fund. The Adviser also administers the Trust’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC was organized February 7, 2003 and is located at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Invesco Ltd. is the parent company of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC and is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries are an independent global investment management group.

Portfolio Managers.  The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers (the “Portfolio Managers”), investment strategists and other investment specialists. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s resources. Peter Hubbard oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Adviser. In this capacity, Mr. Hubbard receives management assistance from Theodore Samulowitz and David Hemming in the day-to-day management of the Fund.

As of October 31, 2016, Mr. Hubbard managed 125 registered investment companies with a total of approximately $59.9 billion in assets, 67 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $51.1 billion in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2016, Mr. Samulowitz managed 18 registered investment companies with a total of approximately $2.3 billion in assets, 12 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $5.6 billion in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2016, Mr. Hemming managed 4 registered investment companies with a total of approximately $774.6 million in assets, 12 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $5.6 billion in assets and no other accounts.

Description of Compensation Structure.  The Portfolio Managers are compensated with a fixed salary amount by the Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of the Adviser will review management bonuses and, depending upon the size, the bonuses may be approved in advance by the Compensation Committee. There is no policy regarding, or agreement with, the Portfolio Managers or any other senior executive of the Adviser to receive bonuses or any other compensation in connection with the performance of any of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers.

Portfolio Holdings. As of October 31, 2016, none of the Portfolio Managers beneficially owned any securities of the Fund.

Because the Portfolio Managers may manage assets for other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts (including institutional clients, pension plans and certain high net worth individuals), there may be an incentive to favor one client over another, resulting in conflicts of interest. For instance, the Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Fund, or it may receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, the Portfolio Managers may have an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Fund. In addition, a conflict of interest could exist to the extent that the Adviser has proprietary investments in certain accounts, where Portfolio Managers have personal investments in certain accounts or when certain accounts are investment options in the Adviser’s employee benefits and/or deferred compensation plans. The Portfolio Manager may have an incentive to favor these accounts over others. If the Adviser manages accounts that engage in short sales of assets of the type in which the Fund invests, the Adviser could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the assets to fall. The Adviser has adopted trade allocation and other policies and procedures that they believe are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest.

Investment Advisory Agreement.  Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee. The Adviser is responsible for all expenses of the Fund, including the costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for advisory fees, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses (as set forth under the Investment Advisory Agreement). For the Adviser’s services to the Fund, the Fund has agreed to pay an annual unitary management fee, paid monthly, equal to 0.59% of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

 

27


The Advisory Fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser and the Advisory Fee waived by the Adviser for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and 2016 are set forth in the charts below.

 

     Advisory Fees Paid for the
Fiscal Year Ended
    

Date of
Commencement
of Investment
Operations

11/05/2014

 

Fund

   October 31, 2016      October 31, 2015     

PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio

   $ 1,602,492      $ 47,247     

 

     Advisory Fees Waived for the
Fiscal Year Ended
        

Fund

   October 31, 2016      October 31, 2015      11/05/2014  

PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio

   $ 104,167      $ 7,673     

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the fees that it receives under the management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through August 31, 2018. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of these fees past that date.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Investment Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following its initial term) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of that Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund.

The Adviser also serves as the Subsidiary’s investment adviser, pursuant to a separate investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and is not subject to the regulatory protections of the 1940 Act. Thus the Fund, as an investor in the Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, because the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Adviser is subject to the oversight of the Board of the Trust, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or the Fund’s shareholders.

The investment advisory agreement with the Subsidiary continues indefinitely; however, the agreement automatically will terminate if the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser is terminated, by assignment or otherwise. In addition, the Trust, as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, may terminate the agreement between the Subsidiary and the Adviser at any time, without penalty, on sixty days notice. As part of the Board’s annual consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, the Board also will consider the Adviser’s performance with regard to the Subsidiary.

Payments to Financial Intermediaries.  The Adviser may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser had arrangements to make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, only to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). Pursuant to the arrangement with Schwab, Schwab has agreed to promote select exchange-traded funds advised by the Adviser to Schwab’s customers and not to charge certain of its customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of those funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker-dealer or intermediary and its clients. These amounts are paid by the Adviser from its own resources and not from the assets of the Fund.

Administrator.  BNYM serves as administrator for the Fund. Its principal address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

 

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BNYM serves as Administrator for the Fund pursuant to a fund administration and accounting services agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) with the Trust. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, BNYM is obligated, on a continuous basis, to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNYM generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust’s and the Fund’s operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other service providers); assist in preparing reports to shareholders or investors; prepare and file tax returns; supply financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC and various state Blue Sky authorities; and supply supporting documentation for meetings of the Board.

Pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties.

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent.  BNYM (the “Custodian” or “Transfer Agent”), located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, also serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). BNYM also serves as the custodian for the Subsidiary. As Custodian, BNYM holds the Fund’s assets, calculates the NAV of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. BNYM also serves as transfer agent of the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Further, BNYM serves as fund accounting agent pursuant to a fund accounting agreement (the “Fund Accounting Agreement”). As compensation for the foregoing services, BNYM receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees, which are accrued daily and paid annually by the Adviser from the Advisory Fee.

Distributor.  Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of the Fund’s Shares. The Distributor’s principal address is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes the Fund’s Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described in the Prospectus and below under the heading “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ written notice by the Trust to the Distributor (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).

Aggregations.  The Distributor does not distribute Shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus (or a Summary Prospectus) and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Unit Aggregations 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Participating Parties (as defined in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations” below) and DTC Participants (as defined in “DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Fund Shares” below).

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policy of the Adviser regarding purchases and sales of securities is to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions under the circumstances. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Adviser’s policies are to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers. The sale of Shares by a broker-dealer is not a factor in the selection of broker-dealers.

In seeking to implement its policies, the Adviser effects transactions with those broker-dealers that the Adviser believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. The Adviser currently does not participate in soft dollar transactions.

The Adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, the Adviser allocates transactions in such securities among the funds, the

 

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several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price under the circumstances.

The aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Fund during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and 2016 are set forth in the chart below.

 

     Brokerage Commissions
Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended
    

Date of
Commencement
of Investment
Operations

11/05/2014

 

Fund

   October 31, 2016      October 31, 2015     

PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio

   $ 138,106      $ 3,371     

Affiliated Transactions . The Adviser may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (“ICMI”) a broker-dealer with whom it is affiliated, provided the Adviser determines that ICMI’s trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser could otherwise place similar trades. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 23, 2013 pursuant to the Declaration of Trust.

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series or “funds.” The Trust currently is composed of two series. The Board has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. The Declaration of Trust provides that the assets associated solely with any series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets of the Trust generally or of any other series, and that liabilities belonging to a particular series shall be enforceable only against the assets belonging to that series and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against the assets belonging to any other series.

Each Share issued by the Fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of the Fund. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and other distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund and in the Fund’s net distributable assets on liquidation.

Each Share has 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. Should the Board establish additional series in the future, the Shares of all funds of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund, and, if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, the shares of that fund will vote separately on such matter.

The Trustees may, except in limited circumstances, amend or supplement the Declaration of Trust without shareholder vote. The holders of Shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Fund, and ownership of Shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation.

The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 33% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust have the right to call a special meeting to remove one or more Trustees or for any other purpose by written request provided that (1) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (2) the shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such shareholders.

The Trust’s bylaws require that to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring derivatively or directly (i) any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware statutory or common law, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or bylaws; or (iv) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

 

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The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held by DTC Participants (as defined below).

Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

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

DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Shares.  Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC, a limited purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (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 also is 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 DTC maintains (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 and sale of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the 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 DTC Participant may transmit such notice, statement or communication, 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.

Fund 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 immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the 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.

Proxy Voting.  The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser votes such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are summarized in Appendix A to this SAI. The Board periodically reviews the Fund’s proxy voting record.

 

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The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Trust also is available at no charge upon request by calling 800-983-0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Trust’s Form N-PX also is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Codes of Ethics.  Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has adopted a Code of Ethics for the Trust and approved Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser and the Distributor (collectively, the “Ethics Codes”). The Ethics Codes are intended to ensure that the interests of shareholders and other clients are placed ahead of any personal interest, that no undue personal benefit is obtained from the person’s employment activities and that actual and potential conflicts of interest are avoided.

The Ethics Codes apply to the personal investing activities of Trustees and officers of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor (“Access Persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Ethics Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under the Ethics Codes, Access Persons may engage in personal securities transactions, but must report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The Ethics Codes permit personnel subject to the Ethics Codes to invest in securities subject to certain limitations, including securities that the Fund may purchase or sell. In addition, certain Access Persons must obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements. The Ethics Codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.942.8090. The Ethics Codes are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov . The Ethics Codes may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

Creation.  The Trust issues Shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their NAVs next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Deposit Cash.  Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund are issued for cash, calculated based on the NAV per Share multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (previously defined as “Deposit Cash”), plus a fixed and/or variable transaction fee, as discussed below.

Right to Request Deposit Securities.  The Fund reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in-kind, in certain circumstances, although it does not currently expect to do so. If in-kind creations are permitted or required, an investor must deposit a designated portfolio of securities (previously defined as the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit Aggregation constituting a substantial replication of the securities included in the Fund (“Fund Securities”) and an amount of cash (previously defined as the “Cash Component”) computed as discussed below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund. If in-kind Creations are permitted or required, the Adviser expects that the Deposit Securities would correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to the securities held by the Fund at the time. In such event, the Cash Component would represent the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit as the market value of the Deposit Securities.

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the “Balancing Amount.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the “Deposit Amount”—an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number ( i.e.,  the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the AP will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number ( i.e.,  the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the creator will receive the Cash Component.

To the extent that the Fund permits or requires Creation Units in-kind, each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund is available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

 

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If the Fund utilizes in-kind creations, the identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to time by the Adviser. In addition, during any time the Fund permits in-kind creations, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash—i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount—to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, (iii) might not be eligible for trading by an AP (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting, or (iv) another relevant reason. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with the acquisition of Deposit Securities not eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, and hence not eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, will be at the expense of the Fund and will affect the value of all Shares; but the Adviser may adjust the transaction fee within the parameters described above to protect shareholders. 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, resulting from certain corporate actions.

Creations and redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund always reserves the right to redeem Creation Aggregations for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities under such laws. An AP (defined below) or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. An AP (as defined below) that is not a qualified institutional buyer (“QIB”) as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations.  To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see the “Book Entry Only System” section), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “AP.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of APs that have signed a Participant Agreement. All Fund Shares, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

The Distributor must receive all orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), in each case on the date such order is placed (the “Transmittal Date”) in order for creation of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. If the Fund permits creation units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities, it may allow an AP to place a custom order, whereby cash replaces any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such AP or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. In the case of custom orders, the Distributor must receive the order no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date.

On days when a listing exchange close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Fund may require orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations to be placed earlier in the day on the Transmittal Date. Orders must be transmitted by an AP by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Orders to create Creation Units of the Fund may be placed through the Clearing Process (see “—Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process (see “—Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an AP.

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

Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Deposit Cash (or, if applicable, the Deposit Securities and accompanying Cash Component).

 

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

An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process that is made in proper form but received by the Trust after Closing Time (“T-1”) will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that the order was placed, and it will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. That next Business Day will be deemed the Transmittal Date. The Creation Unit will be transferred no later than the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+3”). However, because the Fund will invest primarily in futures contracts, which typically settle one Business Day after the Transmittal Date, the Creation Unit may be delivered on the first Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+1”).

Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process.  Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement pre-approved by the Adviser and the Distributor. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units of the Fund does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through a transfer of cash and/or securities directly through DTC. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite amount of Deposit Cash (or, if permitted, the requisite number of Deposit Securities) through DTC to the account of the Fund by no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on T+1.

A standard creation order must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for purchases of Shares, in order for the date the order is placed to be deemed the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom orders (during times when the Fund permits in-kind creations), the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time to be deemed the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a creation order. The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and the Custodian upon receipt of a creation order.

During times when the Fund permits Creation Units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities rather than Deposit Cash, the AP must make available no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, by means approved by the Trust, immediately available or same day funds sufficient for the Trust to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fee. Any excess funds from such Cash Component will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit Aggregation. The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed, provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on such date, and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Transfer Agent by 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, the next Business Day, then the order may be canceled, and the AP shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, that the Fund may incur in purchasing securities for the Creation Unit. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current Deposit Securities along with the Cash Component.

At times when the Fund permits in-kind creations, and in accordance with a Fund’s Participant Agreement, Creation Unit Aggregations may be issued to an AP in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, the AP must deposit cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The Adviser may change the required percentage of the Additional Cash Deposit from time to time. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.

All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. In the event of in-kind creations, the amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, by the “regular way” settlement date. An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is

 

34


deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor no later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Custodian does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, respectively, by the “regular way” settlement date, such order will be canceled.

Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions made in connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units. (See “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees” sections below.)

The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created will occur no later than T+3. However, because the Fund will invest in futures contracts, which typically settle T+1, the settlement and delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations may occur on T+1. For more information, see the chart below setting forth the timing for placement of creation and redemption orders.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations.  The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities (if permitted) delivered are not as designated for that date by the Custodian, 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, Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of Beneficial Owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Distributor or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit Aggregation and/or the AP acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Transfer Agent are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

A confirmation of acceptance of an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of a submission received in good form. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

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

Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees.  APs may be required to pay an administrative fee and a variable transaction fee for purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. Creation and redemption transactions for the Fund are subject to an administrative fee of $500, payable to BNYM, irrespective of the size of the order. The administrative fee has a fixed base amount for each Fund; however, BNYM may increase the administrative fee to up to $2,000, for administration and settlement of non-standard orders requiring additional administrative processing by BNYM. Finally, because of the Fund purchases and sells its investments in commodity-linked futures contracts on futures exchanges, the Adviser may set additional variable fees separate from the fees already described that are payable to the Fund up to 2% of the value of each Creation Unit. These variable fees will be negotiated between the Adviser and the AP and are charged to offset the transaction cost to the Fund of buying (or selling) Deposit Securities, to cover spreads and slippage costs and to protect existing shareholders. From time to time, the Adviser, in its sole discretion, may adjust the Fund’s variable transaction fees or reimburse APs for all or a portion of the creation or redemption transaction fees. If imposed, such fees would be on orders received by the Adviser between 9:00 a.m., Eastern time and 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Transmittal Date. Orders received prior to 9:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date or after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on T-1 will not be charged these additional variable fees.

Redemption of Fund Shares in Creation Unit Aggregations.  Creation Units of the Fund are redeemed for cash in an amount equal to the NAV of its Shares next determined after a redemption request is received (minus any redemption transaction fees imposed, as specified above) (the “Cash Redemption Amount”). Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Unit Aggregations at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Custodian and only on a Business Day. The Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Unit Aggregations. Beneficial owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit Aggregation in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit Aggregation. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit Aggregation.

 

35


To the extent that the Fund permits Creation Units to be redeemed in-kind, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day will be made available. Information on the specific names and holdings of Fund Securities also are available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets net. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Unit Aggregations.

For in-kind redemptions, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit Aggregation generally consist of Fund Securities—as announced on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form—plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Redemption Cash Component”), less a redemption transaction fee as noted above (see “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees”). In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Fund Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an AP by the redeeming shareholder.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE 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 or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.

If the Fund permits in-kind redemptions, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An AP or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. This would specifically prohibit delivery of Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the Securities Act, to a redeeming investor that is not a QIB, as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act. The AP may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment.

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process.  Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations must be delivered through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors other than APs are responsible for making arrangements for an order to redeem to be made through an AP. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Custodian not later than the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that redemption requested was placed, and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or, if in-kind redemptions are permitted, Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component) will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the Transmittal Date.

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process.  Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of Shares of the Fund, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time (for the Shares), on the next Business Day immediately following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”) and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, for any Redemption Cash Component, if any owed to the Fund; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, it will send an acceptance of the redemption order to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of the submission received in good form. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance. The Trust will then initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or, if in-kind redemptions are permitted, Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component, if any, owed to the redeeming Beneficial Owner), which is expected to be delivered to the AP on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received).

A standard order for redemption of Shares must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom redemptions (during periods when the Fund permits in-kind redemptions), the custom order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date. Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for

 

36


the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Should the Fund permit redemptions in-kind, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and in such instances, the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so first without registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

At times when the Fund were to permit in-kind redemptions, and the number of Shares is insufficient on T+1, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities or the Redemption Cash Component to the AP notwithstanding such deficiency, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible. This undertaking shall be secured by such AP’s delivery on the contractual settlement date (and subsequent maintenance) of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105% of the value of the missing Shares. The AP’s agreement permits the Trust, acting in good faith, to purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP will be subject to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, including other expenses incurred by the Trust, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

For in-kind redemptions, the calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered or received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of NAV” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, a redemption order is submitted to the Custodian by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date but either (i) the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, on the Transmittal Date or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day that the order is received by the Trust (i.e., the Business Day on which Shares of the Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off-Time on such Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order).

If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, 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 addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee for cash redemptions, as specified above, to offset the Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities).

Upon receipt of a redemption order in good form, the Transfer Agent deliver acknowledgement of receipt within 15 minutes. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

Additionally, to the extent that the Fund issues redemptions in-kind, the Fund, in its sole discretion, and upon request of a shareholder, may provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, or cash-in-lieu of some Fund Securities, but in no event will the total value of the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An AP or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The AP may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

The chart below describes in further detail the placement of creation and redemption orders through and outside the Clearing Process, presuming a creation or redemption settling no later than T+3. However, because the Fund will invest in futures contracts, which typically settle one Business Day following the Transmittal Date, creations and redemptions for the Fund may settle as soon as T+1. In the latter case, the detail in the chart below under the column labeled T+3 would occur under the column labeled T+1.

 

37


    Transmittal Date (T)     Next Business Day (T+1)     Second
Business Day
(T+2)
    Third Business Day (T+3)  
Creation through NSCC        
Standard Orders    

 


 





4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received
by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after
4:00 p.m. (ET) will be
deemed received on
the next business day
(T+1).

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

    No action.       No action.      
Creation Unit Aggregations
will be delivered.
 
 
Custom Orders (for in-kind creations, when permitted)    

 


 







3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received
by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after
3:00 p.m. (ET) require
portfolio manager
approvals before
acceptance. Orders
may be subject to
additional fees.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    No action.       No action.      
Creation Unit Aggregations
will be delivered.
 
 
Creation Outside NSCC        
Standard Orders    

 



4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form
must be received by
the Distributor.

 

 

 
 
 

   

 


 




 

 


2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Cash must be
received by the Custodian.

 

For in-kind creations:

11:00 a.m. (ET) Deposit
Securities must be received
by the Fund’s account
through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be
received by the Custodian.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

    No action.      
Creation Unit Aggregations
will be delivered.
 
 
Standard Orders created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the Deposit Securities (for in-kind creations, when permitted)    

 



4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form
must be received by
the Distributor.

 

 

 
 
 

   

 


 






11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Available Deposit Securities
must be received.

 

Cash in an amount equal to
the sum of (i) the Cash
Component, plus (ii) 105%
of the market value of the
undelivered Deposit
Securities must be received.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

    No action.      

 





 


1:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Missing Deposit Securities
are due to the Trust or the
Trust may use cash on
deposit to purchase missing
Deposit Securities.

 

Creation Unit Aggregations
will be delivered.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 

Custom Orders (for in-kind creations, when permitted)    

 



 







3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form
must be received by
the Distributor.

 

Orders received after
3:00 p.m. (ET) require
portfolio manager
approvals before
acceptance. Orders
may be subject to
additional fees.

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   

 



 

 


11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be
received by the Fund’s
account through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be
received by the Custodian.

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

    No action.      
Creation Unit Aggregations
will be delivered.
 
 

 

38


     Transmittal Date (T)     Next Business Day (T+1)     Second
Business Day
(T+2)
   Third Business Day (T+3)  
Redemption Through NSCC          
Standard Orders     

 


 




4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the
Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m.
(ET) will be deemed received
on the next business day
(T+1).

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 

    No action.     No action.     







Cash Redemption Amount
will be transferred.

(For in-kind redemptions,
when permitted, Fund
Securities and
Redemption Cash
Component will be
transferred to beneficial
owner.)

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Custom Orders

(for in-kind redemptions, when permitted)

    

 


 





3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the
Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m.
(ET) require portfolio manager
approvals before acceptance.
Orders may be subject to
additional fees.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

    No action.     No action.     



Fund Securities and
Redemption Cash
Component will be
transferred to beneficial
owner.
 
 
 
 
 

Redemption Outside

of NSCC

         
Standard Orders     

 


 




4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the
Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m.
(ET) will be deemed received
on the next business day
(T+1).

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 

   

 



 



 





11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered
through DTC to the
Custodian.

 

For in-kind redemptions:

2:00 p.m. (ET) Redemption
Cash Component, if any,
is due.

 

*If the order is not in
proper form or the
Shares are not delivered,
then the order will not be
deemed received as of T.

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

  No action.     









Cash Redemption Amount
is delivered to the
redeeming beneficial
owner.

(For in-kind redemptions,
when permitted, Fund
Securities and
Redemption Cash
Component are delivered
to the redeeming
beneficial owner.)

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Custom Orders

(for in-kind redemptions, when permitted)

    

 


 





3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the
Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m.
(ET) require portfolio manager
approvals before acceptance.
Orders may be subject to
additional fees.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

   

 



 




 





11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered
through DTC to the
Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)
Redemption Cash
Component, if any, is
due.

 

*If the order is not in
proper form or the
Shares are not delivered,
then the order will not be
deemed received as of T.

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

      



Fund Securities and
Redemption Cash
Component are delivered
to the redeeming
beneficial owner.
 
 
 
 
 

 

39


TAXES

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following is provided as general information only and is not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

General; Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”).  The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal tax purposes and, therefore, is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs (defined in the next paragraph) described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in the Fund would not offset gains in another series of the Trust, and the requirements (other than a certain organizational requirement that the Trust satisfies) for qualifying for RIC status are determined at the series level rather than the Trust level.

The Fund intends to elect to be, and to qualify each taxable year to be treated as, a RIC under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If it satisfies the requirements referred to in the next sentence, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net realized capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders. To qualify for that treatment, the Fund annually must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“net short-term gain”), and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) (“Distribution Requirement”) and must meet several other requirements, including those described below, relating to the nature of its gross income and the diversification of its assets.

Income Requirement . The Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in stock, securities, or such currencies and (2) net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

Asset Diversification Requirements . The Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification requirements at the close of each quarter of its taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and securities of any other issuer (as to which (a) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is in securities of the issuer and (b) the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or, collectively, in the securities of QPTPs.

If the Fund failed to qualify for any taxable year for treatment as a RIC—either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement or (2) by failing to satisfy one or more of the Income and Asset Diversification Requirements and is unable, or determines not to, avail itself of the Internal Revenue Code provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of those requirements as long as the failure “is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect” and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements— all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular federal corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, for federal income tax purposes (a) the Fund’s shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), as dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxable as ordinary income, except that, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”), the part thereof that is “qualified dividend income” (“QDI”) would be subject to federal income tax at the rates for net capital gain—a maximum of 15% (20% for certain high income individual shareholders), and (b) all or part of those distributions might be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders that meet certain holding period and other requirements regarding their Shares. Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, if any, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment.

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute to its shareholders by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for the calendar year plus its capital gain

 

40


net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus certain other amounts. For these purposes, the Fund may defer into the next taxable year any capital loss incurred between November 1 and the end of the current taxable year as well as certain “late-year ordinary losses” incurred between January 1 and the end of the current taxable year. Generally, it is the Fund’s policy to pay sufficient dividends and make other sufficient distributions each year to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax, but the Fund can give no assurance that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided.

The Trust has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, on obtaining the ordered Shares, own 80% or more of the Fund’s outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities to be received in exchange for the ordered Shares different from their market value 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.

Taxation of Shareholders.  Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income and net short-term gain, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income (except for QDI, as described below). Distributions a shareholder reinvests in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service will be taxable to the shareholder to the same extent as if the distributions had been received in cash. Distributions to a shareholder of net capital gain, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held his or her Shares. Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes.

Distributions that the Fund declares in October, November, or December and pays to shareholders of record in one of those months during the following January are treated as having been received by the shareholders on December 31 of the year the distributions were declared.

If, for any taxable year, the total distributions that the Fund makes exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will, for federal income tax purposes, be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of the shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares and thereafter as gain from the sale of those Shares. The amount so treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of those Shares.

The sale or redemption (“disposition”) of Shares may give rise to a capital gain or loss, which generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of individual shareholders generally are subject to federal income tax at the 15%/20% maximum rates noted above. In addition, Fund distributions to an individual shareholder of QDI—which the Fund does not expect to distribute a significant amount of—will qualify for federal income taxation at those rates, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund and the shareholder. The Fund will report to shareholders annually the amount of distributions taxable as ordinary income (from net investment income and net short-term gain), the amount of any distributions from net capital gain, and the portion, if any, of dividends that may qualify as QDI.

A loss realized on a disposition of Shares may be disallowed if other Shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of distributions, if available, or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis in the acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. In addition, any loss on a shareholder’s disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain received or redeemed by the shareholder with respect to such Shares.

An individual is required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally will include dividends and other distributions the Fund pays and gains recognized from the disposition of Shares, or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over $200,000 for single taxpayers ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, that this provision may have on their investment in Shares.

A shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining his or her basis in Shares must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic) with the broker through which he or she purchased the Shares. A shareholder who wishes to use a different Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)-acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method) may elect to do so. Fund shareholders are urged to consult with their brokers regarding the application of the basis determination rules to them.

If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, it will be eligible to, and may, file an election for that year with the IRS that would enable it to pass through to its shareholders to benefit from any foreign tax credits or deductions available with respect to foreign taxes it pays. Pursuant to the election, the Fund would treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders and each shareholder (1) would be required to include in gross income, and treat as paid by the shareholder, the shareholder’s proportionate share of those taxes, (2) would be required to

 

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treat that share of those taxes and of any dividend the Fund paid that represents income from foreign or U.S. possessions sources (“foreign-source income”) as the shareholder’s own income from those sources, and (3) could either use the foregoing information in calculating the foreign tax credit against the shareholder’s federal income tax or, alternatively, deduct the foreign taxes deemed paid by the shareholder in computing taxable income. If the Fund makes this election for a taxable year, it will report to its shareholders shortly after that year their respective shares of the foreign taxes it paid and its foreign-source income for that year.

Individual shareholders of the Fund described in the preceding paragraph who have no more than $300 ($600 for married persons filing jointly) of creditable foreign taxes included on IRS Forms 1099 and all of whose foreign source income is “qualified passive income” may elect each taxable year to be exempt from the foreign tax credit limitation for federal income tax purposes (about which shareholders may wish to consult their tax advisors), in which event they would be able to claim a foreign tax credit without having to file the detailed IRS Form 1116 that otherwise is required. A shareholder will not be entitled to credit or deduct its allocable portion of foreign taxes the Fund paid if the shareholder has not held the Fund’s shares for at least 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-distribution date for those shares. The minimum holding period will be extended if the shareholder’s risk of loss with respect to those shares is reduced by reason of holding an offsetting position. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. A nonresident alien individual, foreign corporation or partnership, or foreign trust or estate holding shares of the Fund (a “foreign shareholder”) may not deduct or claim a credit for foreign taxes in determining its U.S. federal income tax liability unless the Fund dividends paid to it are effectively connected with the foreign shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (“effectively connected”).

Distributions of ordinary income paid to a foreign shareholder that are not effectively connected will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under an applicable treaty). However, a foreign shareholder generally will not be subject to withholding or income tax on gains realized on the disposition of Shares or on net capital gain distributions unless (1) the gain or distribution is effectively connected or (2) in the case of an individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or distribution and certain other conditions are met. In those cases, such gains and distributions generally will be subject to federal income taxation at regular income tax rates. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the federal withholding tax. Nonresident alien individuals also may be subject to federal estate tax.

The Fund must withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department (“U.S. Treasury”) 28% of distributions of ordinary income, capital gains, and any cash received on redemption of Creation Units (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability or refunded. When establishing an account, an investor must certify under penalty of perjury that such number is correct and that the investor is not otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) . Under FATCA, foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”)or non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”) that are shareholders in the Fund may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds of a disposition of Shares paid after December 31, 2018. As discussed in more detail below, the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (1) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (2) by an NFFE, if it certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners and, in certain circumstances, also certifies that (i) it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have any such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding agent (which may be the Fund). The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.

An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to the government of that country (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.

 

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An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying its status as such and, in certain circumstances, that (1) it does not have any substantial U.S. owners, or (2) it does not have one or more such owners and reports the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such owner. The NFFE will report to a Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the IRS.

Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in the Fund.

Taxation of Fund Investments.  The Fund may make investments that are subject to special federal income tax rules. Those rules can, among other things, affect the timing of the recognition of income or gain, the treatment of income as capital or ordinary, and the treatment of capital gain or loss as long-term or short-term. The application of those special rules would therefore also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions that the Fund makes and could require the Fund to borrow money or dispose of some of its investments earlier than anticipated in order to meet its distribution requirements.

Investment income received, and gains realized, by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other form(s) to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on those forms may not be available, such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements that may cause the Fund to not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.

The Fund may invest in the stock of “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”). A PFIC is any foreign corporation (with certain exceptions) that, in general, meets either of the following tests for a taxable year: (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Under certain circumstances, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” it receives on the stock of a PFIC or of any gain on its disposition of that stock (collectively, “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income as a dividend to its shareholders. The balance of the PFIC income will be included in the Fund’s investment company taxable income and, accordingly, will not be taxable to it to the extent it distributes that income to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15%/20% maximum federal income tax rates on individuals’ QDI described above.

If the Fund invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), then in lieu of the foregoing tax and interest obligation, the Fund would be required to include in income each taxable year its pro rata share of the QEF’s annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain—which the Fund likely would have to distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax—even if the Fund did not receive those earnings and gain from the QEF. In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election because of certain requirements thereof. The Fund may elect to “mark to market” any stock in a PFIC it owns at the end of its taxable year, in which event it would be required to distribute to its shareholders any resulting gains in accordance with the Distribution Requirement. “Marking-to-market,” in this context, means including in gross income each taxable year (and treating as ordinary income) the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock over the Fund’s adjusted basis therein (including mark-to-market gain for each prior year for which an election was in effect) as of the end of that year. Pursuant to the election, the Fund also may deduct (as an ordinary, not a capital, loss) the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in PFIC stock over the fair market value thereof as of the taxable year-end, but only to the extent of any net marked-to-market gains with respect to that stock the Fund included in income for prior taxable years under the election. The Fund’s adjusted basis in each PFIC’s stock subject to the election would be adjusted to reflect the amounts of income included and deductions taken thereunder.

Investors should be aware that determining whether a foreign corporation is a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination that is based on various facts and circumstances and thus is subject to change, and the principles and methodology used therein are subject to interpretation. As a result, the Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation’s shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after the Fund acquires shares therein. While the Fund generally will seek not to invest in PFIC shares to avoid the tax consequences detailed above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.

 

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Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts traded in the interbank market, and “nonequity” options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a “broad-based” securities index) except any “securities futures contract” that is not a “dealer securities futures contract” (both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement in which the Fund invests may be subject to Internal Revenue Code section 1256 (collectively, “Section 1256 contracts”). Any Section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year (and generally for purposes of the Excise Tax, on October 31 of each year) must be “marked to market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of Section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss; however, certain foreign currency gains or losses arising from Section 1256 contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement ( i.e. , with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain, which will be includible in its investment company taxable income and thus taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them), and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, even though the Fund may not have closed the transactions and received cash to pay the distributions. The Fund may elect not to have the foregoing rules apply to any “mixed straddle” (that is, a straddle, which the Fund clearly identifies in accordance with applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, at least one (but not all) of the positions of which are Section 1256 contracts), although doing so may have the effect of increasing the relative proportion of short-term capital gain (distributions of which are taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income) and thus increasing the amount of dividends it must distribute.

Offsetting positions the Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded security, option, futures, or forward contract may constitute a “straddle” for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character, and timing of recognition of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) the Fund’s holding period for certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain), and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Applicable U.S. Treasury regulations also provide certain “wash sale” rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and “short sale” rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available to the Fund, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to mixed straddles.

Tax Information Regarding the Subsidiary.  The Fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in the Subsidiary. That investment is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to the futures markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirement under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct its activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Safe Harbor”) pursuant to which the Subsidiary, provided it is not a dealer in stocks, securities or commodities, may engage in the following activities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business: (1) trading in stocks or securities (including contracts or options to buy or sell securities) for its own account; and (2) trading, for its own account, in commodities that are “of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange” if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Thus, the Subsidiary’s securities trading activities should not constitute a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the type described in the Safe Harbor or if the Subsidiary’s gains are attributable to investments in securities that constitute U.S. real property interests (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.

The Fund wholly-owns the Subsidiary. A U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a “U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of the Subsidiary’s Controlled Foreign Corporation (“CFC”) provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. A foreign corporation is a CFC if, on any day of its taxable year, more than 50% of the voting power or value of its stock is owned (directly, indirectly or constructively) by “U.S. Shareholders.” As an investor in the Subsidiary, the Fund is a U.S. person that owns all of the stock of the Subsidiary; as such, the Fund is a “U.S. Shareholder” and the Subsidiary is a CFC. As a “U.S. Shareholder,” the Fund is required to include in its gross income for United States federal income tax purposes the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” (defined, in part, below), whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary’s income is “subpart F income.” “Subpart F income” generally includes interest, original issue discount, dividends, net gains from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. “Subpart F income” also includes the excess of gains over losses from transactions (including futures, forward and similar transactions) in any commodities. The Fund’s recognition of the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” increases the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the

 

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Subsidiary to the Fund are tax-free, to the extent of the Subsidiary’s previously undistributed “subpart F income,” and correspondingly reduce the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary. “Subpart F income” generally is treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary’s underlying income. The Fund intends to distribute its Subpart F income to the extent necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

*   *   *

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under federal, state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Net Asset Value.” Additional information regarding the current NAV per share of the Fund can be found at www.powershares.com.

The Custodian calculates and determines the NAV per Share as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate.

In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price of the exchange where the security primarily is traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Swaps, commodity-linked notes and forwards generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board. Debt and securities not listed on an exchange normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. The Adviser may use various pricing services or discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. When price quotes are not readily available, securities will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes will better reflect the securities’ fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

Intraday Indicative Value. The trading prices of the Shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and are affected by market forces such as the supply of and demand for ETF shares and underlying securities held by the Fund, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the IIV of the Shares is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout each trading day by the Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. However, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV. The IIV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the Fund’s actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IIV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IIV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of

 

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the IIV. Therefore, the IIV may not reflect the best possible valuation of the Fund’s current portfolio. Additionally, the quotations and/or valuations of certain of the Fund’s holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIV, and the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

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

General Policies.  Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid annually by the Fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but 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 its status as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income tax or the Excise Tax on undistributed income. Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of the Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

Dividend Reinvestment Service.  No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Counsel.  Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), located at One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PwC has been retained to audit the Fund’s annual financial statements and performs other related audit services. In connection with the audit of the 2016 financial statements, the Fund entered into an engagement letter with PwC. The terms of the engagement letter required by PwC, and agreed to by the Audit Committee of the Board of the Trust (the “Audit Committee”), include a provision mandating the use of mediation and arbitration to resolve any controversy or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to the engagement letter or the services provided thereunder.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The audited financial statements, including the financial highlights for the Fund appearing in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, and filed electronically with the SEC, are incorporated by reference and made part of this SAI. You may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports at no charge by calling 800.983.0903 during normal business hours.

PwC informed the Audit Committee that it has identified an issue related to its independence under Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X (referred to as the “Loan Rule”). The Loan Rule prohibits accounting firms, such as PwC, from being deemed independent if they have certain financial relationships with their audit clients or certain affiliates of those clients. The Trust is required under various securities laws to have its financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm.

The Loan Rule specifically provides that an accounting firm would not be independent if it receives, or certain of its affiliates or covered persons receive, a loan from a lender that is a record or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of an audit client’s equity securities (referred to as a “more than ten percent owner”). For purposes of the Loan Rule, audit clients include the Fund as well as all registered investment companies advised by the Adviser and its affiliates, including other subsidiaries of the Adviser’s parent company, Invesco Ltd. (collectively, the Invesco Fund Complex). PwC informed the Audit Committee that it has, and that certain of its affiliates or covered persons have, relationships with lenders who hold, as record owner, more than ten percent of the shares of certain funds within the Invesco Fund Complex. These relationships call into question PwC’s independence under the Loan Rule with respect to those funds, as well as all other funds in the Invesco Fund Complex, which may implicate the Loan Rule.

 

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On June 20, 2016, the SEC Staff issued a “no-action” letter to another mutual fund complex (see Fidelity Management & Research Company et al., No-Action Letter) related to the audit independence issue described above. In that letter, the SEC confirmed that it would not recommend enforcement action against a fund that relied on audit services performed by an audit firm that was not in compliance with the Loan Rule in certain specified circumstances.

In an August 18, 2016 letter, and in subsequent communications, PwC affirmed to the Audit Committee that, as of the date of the letter and the subsequent communications, respectively, PwC is an independent accountant with respect to the Trust, within the meaning of PCAOB Rule 3520. In its letter and in its subsequent communications, PwC also informed the Audit Committee that, after evaluating the facts and circumstances and the applicable independence rules, PwC has concluded that with regard to its compliance with the independence criteria set forth in the rules and regulations of the SEC related to the Loan Rule, it believes that it remains objective and impartial despite matters that may ultimately be determined to be inconsistent with these criteria and therefore it can continue to serve as the Trust’s registered public accounting firm. PwC has advised the Audit Committee that this conclusion is based in part on the following considerations: (1) the lenders to PwC have no influence over any Fund, or other entity within the Invesco Fund Complex, or its investment adviser; (2) none of the officers or trustees of the Invesco Fund Complex whose shares are owned by PwC lenders are associated with those lenders; (3) PwC understands that the shares held by PwC lenders are held for the benefit of and on behalf of its policy owners/end investors; (4) investments in funds such as the Invesco Fund Complex funds are passive; (5) the PwC lenders are part of various syndicates of unrelated lenders; (6) there have been no changes to the loans in question since the origination of each respective note; (7) the debts are in good standing and no lender has the right to take action against PwC, as borrower, in connection with the financings; (8) the debt balances with each lender are immaterial to PwC and to each lender; and (9) the PwC audit engagement team has no involvement in PwC’s treasury function and PwC’s treasury function has no oversight of or ability to influence the PwC audit engagement team. In addition, PwC has communicated that the lending relationships appear to be consistent with the lending relationships described in the NAL and that they are not aware of other relationships that would be implicated by the Loan Rule. In addition to relying on PwC’s August 18, 2016 letter and subsequent communications regarding its independence, the Trust intends to rely upon the no-action letter.

If in the future the independence of PwC is called into question under the Loan Rule by circumstances that are not addressed in the SEC’s no-action letter, the Fund may need to take other action in order for the Fund’s filings with the SEC containing financial statements to be deemed compliant with applicable securities laws. Such additional actions could result in additional costs, impair the ability of the Fund to issue new shares or have other material adverse effects on the Fund. In addition, the SEC has indicated that the no-action relief will expire 18 months from its issuance after which the Trust will no longer be able to rely on the letter unless its term is extended or made permanent by the SEC Staff.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

LOGO

Proxy Voting Guidelines

 

Applicable to the Funds   

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively “the Trusts”)

 

Risk Addressed by Policy   

Breach of fiduciary duty to client under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of clients best interest in voting proxies

 

Relevant Law   

Investment Advisers Act of 1940

 

Approved/Adopted Date    March 1, 2016

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (“Invesco PowerShares” or the “Adviser”) has adopted proxy voting policies with respect to securities owned by series of the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively, the “Funds”) for which it serves as investment adviser and has been delegated the authority to vote proxies. Invesco PowerShares’ proxy voting policies are designed to provide that proxies are voted in the best interests of shareholders.

Invesco Ltd, the parent to the Adviser, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Global Invesco Policy”) (see exhibit A), which details Invesco’s views on governance matters and describes the proxy administration and governance approach. The Adviser votes proxies by utilizing the procedures and mechanisms outlined in the Global Invesco Policy, while maintaining the Fund-specific guidelines described below:

 

  1. Overlapping Securities

In instances where both a Fund and a fund advised by an Invesco Ltd entity both hold an equity security (“Overlapping Securities”), the Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of an Invesco Ltd adviser based on the comprehensive proxy review and under the Global Invesco Policy. The Global Invesco Policy is overseen by the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“IPAC”), which also orchestrates the review and analysis of the top twenty-five proxy voting matters, measured by overall size of holdings by funds within the Invesco family. The Adviser consults with the IPAC on specific proxy votes and general proxy voting matters as it deems necessary. In addition, as part of the Global Invesco Proxy Voting Process, the IPAC oversees instances when possible conflicts of interest arise among funds. (Please see the global policy for the detailed conflict of interest approach).

 

 

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In instances where the Global proxy administration team does not receive a recommendation in a timely manner, the proxy administration team will automatically vote such ballots in accordance with the recommendations of a third-party proxy firm, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”).

 

  2. Non-Overlapping Securities

In instances where securities are held only by a Fund, and not also by an Invesco Ltd active equity entity fund, the Adviser will instruct the proxy administration team to vote proxies in accordance ISS.

Under this Policy, the Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of the Invesco Voting Process (for Overlapping Securities) or ISS (for Non-Overlapping Securities) at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.

Proxy Constraints

The adviser will approach proxy constraints according to the Invesco Global statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.

Special Policy

Certain Funds pursue their investment objectives by investing in other registered investment companies pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The relief granted by that order is conditioned upon complying with a number of undertakings, some of which require a Fund to vote its shares in an acquired investment company in the same proportion as other holders of the acquired fund’s shares. In instances in which a Fund is required to vote in this manner to rely on the exemptive order, the Adviser will vote shares of these acquired investment companies in compliance with the voting mechanism required by the order.

Resolving Potential Conflicts of Interest

Voting of Proxies Related to Invesco Ltd.

The adviser will approach conflicts of interest in accordance with Invesco’s Global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.)

Approved June 24, 2014

Amended February 18, 2016

Effective: March 1, 2016

 

 

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Exhibit A to Appendix A

 

LOGO

Invesco’s Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting

 

I. Guiding Principles and Philosophy

Public companies hold shareholder meetings, attended by the company’s executives, directors, and shareholders, during which important issues, such as appointments to the company’s board of directors, executive compensation, and auditors, are addressed and where applicable, voted on. Proxy voting gives shareholders the opportunity to vote on issues that impact the company’s operations and policies without being present at the meetings.

Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invesco’s proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients’ best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients’ best economic interests, this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of Invesco’s regional investment centers.

Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.

The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients’ rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Votes in favor of board or management proposals should not be interpreted as an indication of insufficient consideration by Invesco fund managers. Such votes may reflect the outcome of past or ongoing engagement and active ownership by Invesco with representatives of the companies in which we invest.

 

II. Applicability of this Policy

This Policy sets forth the framework of Invesco’s corporate governance approach, broad philosophy and guiding principles that inform the proxy voting practices of Invesco’s investment teams around the world. Given the different nature of these teams and their respective investment processes, as well as the significant differences in regulatory regimes and market practices across jurisdictions, not all aspects of this Policy may apply to all Invesco investment teams at all times. In the case of a conflict between this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of a regional investment center the latter will control.

 

III. Proxy Voting for Certain Fixed Income, Money Market Accounts and Index

For proxies held by certain client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds), Invesco will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies (“Majority Voting”). In this manner Invesco seeks to leverage the active-equity expertise and comprehensive proxy voting reviews conducted by teams employing active-equity strategies, which typically incorporate analysis of proxy issues as a core component of the investment process. Portfolio managers for accounts employing Majority Voting still retain full discretion to override Majority Voting and to vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest, which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy.

 

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IV. Conflicts of Interest

There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invesco’s clients or vendors. Under Invesco’s Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. “Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.

Firm-level Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote ( e.g. , issuers that are distributors of Invesco’s products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invesco’s proxy governance team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists.

If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment center, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Otherwise, based on a majority vote of its members, the Global IPAC (as described below) will vote the proxy.

Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.’s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients.

Personal Conflicts of Interest

A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.

All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.

Other Conflicts of Interest

In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time. 11  Shares of an Invesco-sponsored fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund.

 

V. Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services

Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. However, Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.

As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staffs and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest. In addition, Invesco regularly monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invesco’s performance and policy standards.

 

 

1   Generally speaking, Invesco does not invest for its clients in the shares of Invesco Ltd., however, limited exceptions apply in the case of funds or accounts designed to track an index that includes Invesco Ltd. as a component.

 

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VI. Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration

Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“Global IPAC”). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams and Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment (“Head of Proxy Governance”). The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex. Absent a conflict of interest, the Global IPAC representatives, in consultation with the respective investment team, are responsible for voting proxies for the securities the team manages (unless such responsibility is explicitly delegated to the portfolio managers of the securities in question) In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties ( e.g. , U.S. mutual fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process. The Global IPAC and Invesco’s proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams regularly communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center to ensure that they remain consistent with clients’ best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.

Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, known as the “fund manager portal” and supported by the Head of Proxy Governance and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.

The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Historical proxy voting information, including commentary by investment professionals regarding the votes they cast, where applicable, is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.

 

VII. Non-Votes

In the great majority of instances, Invesco is able to vote proxies successfully. However, in certain circumstances Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal. In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients’ proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example:

 

  Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting, to vote in line with management or to vote in accordance with proxy advisor recommendations. These matters are left to the discretion of the fund manager.

 

  If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities.

 

  In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (“share blocking”). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the client’s temporary inability to sell the security.

 

  Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person in order to vote a proxy. In such cases, Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy.

 

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VIII. Proxy Voting Guidelines

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy voting issues. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. As noted above, Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each fund manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner they deem most appropriate, consistent with Invesco’s proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in Sections I through IV. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

 

A. Shareholder Access and Treatment of Shareholder Proposals

Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action, and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance, provided that such proposals would not require a disproportionate amount of management attention or corporate resources or otherwise that may inappropriately disrupt the company’s business and main purpose, usually set out in their reporting disclosures and business model. Likewise, Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted (for example, where minority shareholders’ rights are not adequately protected).

 

B. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s long-term response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues can significantly affect its long-term shareholder value. We recognize that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management may consider not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and the local community, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case by case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

 

C. Capitalization Structure Issues

 

  i. Stock Issuances

Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions about the need for additional capital stock to meet ongoing corporate needs, except where the request could adversely affect Invesco clients’ ownership stakes or voting rights. Some capitalization proposals, such as those to authorize common or preferred stock with special voting rights or to issue additional stock in connection with an acquisition, may require additional analysis. Invesco generally opposes proposals to authorize classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend or other rights (“blank check” stock) when they appear to be intended as an anti-takeover mechanism; such issuances may be supported when used for general financing purposes.

 

  ii. Stock Splits

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given the company’s industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.

 

  iii. Share Repurchases

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to institute open-market share repurchase plans only if all shareholders participate on an equal basis.

 

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D. Corporate Governance Issues

i. Board of Directors

 

  1. Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Subject to the other considerations described below, in an uncontested director election for a company without a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of the director slate if it is comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the board’s key committees are fully independent, effective and balanced. Key committees include the audit, compensation/remuneration and governance/nominating committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve.

 

  2. Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiments influence the corporate governance landscape and may influence companies in Invesco clients’ portfolios and more broadly across the market. Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiment may conflict with long-term value creation and as such looks at each proxy contest matter on a case by case basis, considering factors such as:

 

    Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry,

 

    Management’s track record,

 

    Background to the proxy contest,

 

    Qualifications of director nominees (both slates),

 

    Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met, and

 

    Stock ownership positions in the company.

 

  3. Director Accountability

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders. Examples include, without limitation, poor attendance (less than 75%, absent extenuating circumstances) at meetings, failing to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority of votes and/or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

 

  4. Director Independence

Invesco generally supports proposals to require a majority of directors to be independent unless particular circumstances make this not feasible or in the best interests of shareholders. We generally vote for proposals that would require the board’s audit, compensation/remuneration, and/or governance/nominating committees to be composed exclusively of independent directors since this minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

 

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  5. Director Indemnification

Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors’ liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Invesco, therefore, generally supports proposals to limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in criminal matters, are limited to the director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.

 

  6. Separate Chairperson and CEO

Invesco evaluates these proposals on a case by case basis, recognizing that good governance requires either an independent chair or a qualified, proactive, and lead independent director.

Voting decisions may take into account, among other factors, the presence or absence of:

 

    a designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members, with an established term of office and clearly delineated powers and duties;

 

    a majority of independent directors;

 

    completely independent key committees;

 

    committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors;

 

    CEO performance reviewed annually by a committee of independent directors; and

 

    established governance guidelines.

 

  7. Majority/Supermajority/Cumulative Voting for Directors

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. Except in cases where required by law in the jurisdiction of incorporation or when a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally opposes such proposals as unnecessary where the company has adopted a majority voting standard. However, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

 

  8. Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

 

  9. Board Size

Invesco believes that the number of directors is an important factor to consider when evaluating the board’s ability to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco approaches proxies relating to board size on a case by case basis but generally will defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective.

 

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  10. Term Limits for Directors

Invesco believes it is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. We generally believe that an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits.

ii. Audit Committees and Auditors

 

  1. Qualifications of Audit Committee and Auditors

Invesco believes a company’s Audit Committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s Audit Committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the Audit Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

 

  2. Auditor Indemnifications

A company’s independent auditors play a critical role in ensuring and attesting to the integrity of the company’s financial statements. It is therefore essential that they perform their work in accordance with the highest standards. Invesco generally opposes proposals that would limit the liability of or indemnify auditors because doing so could serve to undermine this obligation.

 

  3. Adequate Disclosure of Auditor Fees

Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence. Invesco’s support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration the availability of adequate disclosure concerning the amount and nature of audit versus non-audit fees. Invesco generally will support proposals that call for this disclosure if it is not already being made.

 

E. Remuneration and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of portfolio companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the client’s investment.

i. Independent Compensation/Remuneration Committee

Invesco believes that an independent, experienced and well-informed compensation/remuneration committee is critical to ensuring that a company’s remuneration practices align with shareholders’ interests and, therefore, generally supports proposals calling for a compensation/remuneration committee to be comprised solely of independent directors.

ii. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation

Invesco believes that an independent compensation/remuneration committee of the board, with input from management, is generally best positioned to determine the appropriate components and levels of executive compensation, as well as the appropriate frequency of related shareholder advisory votes. This is particularly the case where shareholders have the ability to express their views on remuneration matters through annual votes for or against the election of the individual directors who comprise the compensation/remuneration committee. Invesco, therefore, generally will support management’s recommendations with regard to the components and levels of executive compensation and the frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation. However, Invesco will vote against such recommendations where Invesco determines that a company’s executive remuneration policies are not properly aligned with shareholder interests or may create inappropriate incentives for management.

 

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iii. Equity Based Compensation Plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include, without limitation, the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability to replenish shares automatically without shareholder approval.

iv. Severance Arrangements

Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as “golden parachute” arrangements) on a case-by-case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, may be in shareholders’ best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high quality executive talent. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of senior executives’ severance agreements while generally opposing proposals that require such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption.

v. “ Claw Back” Provisions

Invesco generally supports so called “claw back” policies intended to recoup remuneration paid to senior executives based upon materially inaccurate financial reporting (as evidenced by later restatements) or fraudulent accounting or business practices.

vi.  Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price.

 

F. Anti-Takeover Defenses; Reincorporation

Measures designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they have the potential to create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Such measures include adopting or renewing shareholder rights plans (“poison pills”), requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. In determining whether to support a proposal to add, eliminate or restrict anti-takeover measures, Invesco will examine the particular elements of the proposal to assess the degree to which it would adversely affect shareholder rights of adopted. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote. Invesco generally opposes payments by companies to minority shareholders intended to dissuade such shareholders from pursuing a takeover or other changes (sometimes known as “greenmail”) because these payments result in preferential treatment of some shareholders over others.

Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction. Invesco generally will vote for proposals to reincorporate a company provided that the board and management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Invesco generally will oppose proposals to reincorporate if they are solely part of an anti-takeover defense or intended to limit directors’ liability.

 

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LOGO

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED COMMODITY FUND TRUST

POWERSHARES BLOOMBERG COMMODITY STRATEGY PORTFOLIO

SUPPLEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 24, 2017 TO THE

PROSPECTUS DATED FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Shares of PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio (the “Fund”) are currently not available for purchase, as the Fund has not yet commenced operations.


Table of Contents

 

Summary Information

     3  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

     9  

Tax Structure of ETFs

     19  

Portfolio Holdings

     19  

Management of the Fund

     19  

How to Buy and Sell Shares

     20  

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

     21  

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

     21  

Distributor

     23  

Net Asset Value

     23  

Fund Service Providers

     24  

Financial Highlights

     24  

Disclaimers

     24  

Premium/Discount Information

     25  

Other Information

     25  

 

2


LOGO   

PowerShares Bloomberg

Commodity Strategy Portfolio

Summary Information

Investment Objective

The PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks long term capital appreciation.

Fund Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 

 

Management Fees

     0.59

Other Expenses (1)

     0.00

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2)

     0.10

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

     0.69

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (3)

     0.10

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

     0.59

 

(1) Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies (including money market funds). Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(3) Through August 31, 2018, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fees an affiliate of the Adviser receives that are attributable to certain of the Fund’s investments in money market funds managed by that affiliate. This waiver will have the effect of reducing the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses that are indirectly borne by the Fund. The Adviser cannot discontinue this waiver prior to its expiration.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This 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 are equal to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement in the first year and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses thereafter. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

 

1 Year

   3 Years  

$60

   $ 211  

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. At the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and turnover data therefore is not available.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to the world’s most heavily traded commodities. Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, agricultural produce or raw metals.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”), in a combination of four categories of investments: (i) exchange-traded futures contracts on underlying commodities (“Commodities Futures”); (ii) other instruments whose value is derived from or linked to price movements of underlying physical commodities, represented by exchange-traded futures contracts on commodity indices, commodity-linked notes, exchange-traded options on Commodities Futures, swaps on commodities and commodity-related forward contracts (collectively, these are “Commodity-Linked Instruments”); (iii) exchange-traded products related to or providing exposure

 

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to commodities ( i.e. , commodity-linked equity securities, investment companies, other ETFs, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and commodity pools), as described further below (collectively, the “Commodity-Related Assets”); and (iv) cash, cash-like instruments or high-quality securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; and/or (3) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. Such Collateral is designed to provide liquidity, serve as margin or otherwise collateralize investments in the Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

While the Fund may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets and Collateral, it may not invest directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Instead, the Fund attempts to obtain investment returns that are highly correlated to the commodities markets by investing in these instruments indirectly through its Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments in accordance with the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies like the Fund to invest directly in such investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary operates under Cayman Islands law. It is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the Fund, it may invest without limit in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary invests in Commodities Futures that are components of the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index (the “Benchmark”), an index composed of 22 futures contracts of varying maturities on up to 20 physical commodities: aluminum, coffee, copper, corn, cotton, crude oil, diesel oil, gold, lean hogs, live cattle, natural gas, nickel, silver, soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, sugar, unleaded gasoline, wheat, and zinc. Although the Subsidiary generally holds the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not invest in all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion as the Benchmark. At times, it also may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark and emphasize some commodity sectors more than others. The Adviser employs a rules-based investment approach when selecting futures contracts for the Subsidiary so that the weight of the futures contracts in the Subsidiary’s portfolio reflects the Adviser’s view of the economic significance and market liquidity of the corresponding, underlying commodities. Pursuant to that process, all Commodities Futures selected for the Fund will have an expiration no longer than nine months, and the Adviser will limit the Fund’s economic exposure to any one commodity to 15% of the Fund’s assets and to any sector to 33% of the Fund’s assets.

The Subsidiary also invests a portion of its assets in Commodity-Linked Instruments to seek to increase its investment returns or hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Commodity-Linked Instruments may be exchange-traded or traded over-the-counter (“OTC”).

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include the PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (the “Commodity Pool”), a commodity pool that seeks to track the performance of the Benchmark. The Fund will limit its investments in the Commodity Pool and other pools so that no single pool represents more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and certain exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) invests its remaining assets directly in Collateral, which consists of high-quality securities such as U.S. Treasuries, other U.S. Government obligations, money market funds, cash and cash-like equivalents ( e.g. , high quality commercial paper and similar instruments that are rated investment grade or, if unrated, of comparable quality as the Adviser may determine) that provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following summarizes the principal risks of the Fund.

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

4


Management Risk.  The Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund. There can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Commodity-Linked Derivative Risk. Investments linked to the prices of commodities may be considered speculative. The Fund’s significant investment exposure to commodities may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Therefore, the value of such instruments may be volatile and fluctuate widely based on a variety of macroeconomic factors or commodity-specific factors. At times, prices fluctuations may be quick and significant and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments (including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements and forward contracts) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Certain derivative transactions may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. For example, a small investment in a derivative instrument may have a significant impact on the Fund’s exposure to commodities or other investments. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a derivative instrument may cause an immediate and substantial loss or gain.

Counterparty Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Futures Contract Risk. Risks of futures contracts include: (i) an imperfect correlation between the value of the futures contract and the underlying commodity or commodity index; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market; (iii) the inability to close a futures contract when desired; (iv) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which may be unlimited; (v) an obligation for the Fund to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin, particularly at times when the Fund may have insufficient cash or must sell securities to meet those margin requirements; (vi) the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in the Fund receiving an illiquid commodity; and (vii) unfavorable execution prices from rapid selling.

Strategy Risk. As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as “rolling” a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may endure a cost to “roll” the contracts. The Adviser may not be successful in selecting futures contracts to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Risk of Commodity-Linked Notes. Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a derivative; typically, they are issued by a bank at a specified face value and pay a fixed or floating rate linked to the performance of an underlying asset, such as commodity indices, particular commodities or commodity futures contracts. As such, the Fund faces the economic risk of movements in commodity prices by investing in such notes. These notes also are subject to credit, market and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities. In addition, these notes may be leveraged, increasing the volatility of each note’s market value relative to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract or commodity index; as a result, at the maturity of the note, the Fund may receive more or less principal than it originally invested.

Options Risk. Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies is potentially unlimited. There also is 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 option. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends; such predictions could prove incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Swaps Risk. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks that may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument that underlies the swap agreement.

 

5


Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, such as a commodity, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and, as such, are subject to leveraging risk. Swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk and also may be difficult to value. A swap agreement can increase or decrease the volatility of the Fund’s investments and its net asset value. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Adverse changes in the value or level of an underlying commodity can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

Clearing Broker Risk. The Fund’s investments in exchange-traded futures contracts expose it to the risks of a clearing broker (or a futures commission merchant (“FCM”)). Under current regulations, a clearing broker or FCM maintains customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that Fund assets deposited with the clearing broker to serve as margin may be used to satisfy the broker’s own obligations or the losses of the broker’s other clients. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets and may not see any recovery at all.

Pooled Investment Vehicle Risk. The Fund faces the risk that a pooled investment vehicle will not achieve its investment objective. The Fund also is subject to the risks of the underlying commodities in which the pooled vehicles invest. As a shareholder in such a vehicle, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses, bearing its share of that vehicle’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of pooled investment vehicles.

Investment Company Risk. An investment in other investment companies (including other ETFs) is subject to the risks associated with those investment companies, which include, but are not limited to, the risk that such fund’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results; the risk that securities in such fund may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes; and the risk that the fund will be concentrated in a particular issuer, market, industry or sector, and therefore will be especially susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer, market, industry or sector. Moreover, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses from such investments, bearing its share of that fund’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees.

ETN Risk. ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities of an issuer that are designed to provide returns that are linked to a particular benchmark. ETNs do not provide principal protection and may not make periodic coupon payments. ETNs have a maturity date and generally are backed only by the creditworthiness of the issuer. As a result, ETNs are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer cannot pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Additionally, the value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market ( e.g.,  the commodities market), changes in interest rates or the issuer’s credit rating, and other economic, legal, political or geographic events.

Equity Risk. The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, may fall due to both changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole, as well as factors that directly relate to a specific company or commodity related industries in general. Such general economic conditions include changes in interest rates, periods of market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. It is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds. In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward particular industries will become negative. The value of a company’s common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as an increase in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same region, industry or sector of the market. A company’s common stock also may decline significantly in price over a short period of time due to factors specific to that company, including decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report or the failure to make anticipated dividend payments, may depress the value of common stock.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest in instruments that at times may be illiquid. Such instruments may have a limited trading volume, and the size of the market for such an investment may be smaller. Illiquid instruments may be more difficult or costly to buy or sell as compared to more actively traded investments, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

Collateral Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that

 

6


the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund.

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses, and the Fund’s investments in money market funds will cause it to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds’ operations while simultaneously paying its own management fees and expenses. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although a money market fund may seek to preserve the value of an investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may carry variable or floating rates of interest, as well as credit risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government securities and commercial paper will change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed-income securities generally decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s value to decrease. Also, investments in fixed-income securities with longer maturities fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes.

Valuation Risk. During periods of reduced market liquidity or readily available market quotations, the Fund’s ability to obtain reliable, objective pricing data and to value its holdings becomes more difficult. Consequently, while valuation determinations made by the Adviser (using fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “Trust”)) may be done in good faith, it may be difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value to its holdings.

Cash Transaction Risk. Unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally in-kind, due to the nature of the Fund’s investments. As such, an investment in Shares may be less tax efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs, which utilize an entirely in-kind redemption process. Also, there may be a substantial difference in the after-tax rate of return between the Fund and conventional ETFs.

Tax Risk. To qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must meet certain requirements concerning the source of its income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to commodities in a manner consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement applicable to RICs. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has ceased issuing private revenue rulings regarding whether the use of subsidiaries by investment companies to invest in commodity-linked instruments constitutes qualifying income. If the IRS determines that this source of income is not “qualifying income,” the Fund may cease to qualify as a RIC. Failure to qualify as a RIC could subject the Fund to adverse tax consequences, including a federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates, as well as a tax to shareholders on such income when distributed as an ordinary dividend.

Leverage Risk. The Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments that can give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by the Fund, and may potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous for the Fund to do so.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Market Risk.  The Fund’s holdings are subject to market fluctuations. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the holdings in the Fund’s portfolio.

Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for the Shares, losses from trading in secondary markets and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”).

 

7


Gap Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change between periods of trading. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day’s closing price.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. In pursuing its investment strategy, particularly when “rolling” futures contracts, the Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio securities, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate (such as 100% or more) could result in high brokerage costs for the Fund or an increase in taxable capital gain distributions to the Fund’s shareholders.

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

Commodity Pool Risk. Under amended regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Subsidiary and the Fund will be considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) and as a commodity trading advisor (“CTA”), and will manage both the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Registration as a CPO or CTA subjects the registrant to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund or the Subsidiary. Additionally, the Subsidiary’s positions in futures contracts may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices to prevent the Fund from exceeding any applicable position limits established by the CFTC. Such actions may subject the Fund to substantial losses.

Subsidiary Investment Risk.  By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act; therefore, the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

Performance

The Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.powershares.com and will provide some indication of the risk of investing in the Fund.

Management of the Fund

Investment Adviser. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

Portfolio Managers.  The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

Name    Title with Adviser/Trust    Date Began
Managing
the Fund
 

Peter Hubbard

   Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and Vice President of the Trust      Since inception  

Theodore Samulowitz

   Portfolio Manager of the Adviser      Since inception  

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only with authorized participants (“APs”) and only in large blocks of 100,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”) in exchange for cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable, typically as either ordinary income or long-term capital gain, unless you are invested through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account; in such cases, taxation will be deferred until assets are withdrawn from the plan. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.

 

8


Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund is an actively managed ETF that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its investment objective by gaining exposure to a broadly diversified representation of commodity markets through investments, either directly or through the Subsidiary, in a combination of: (i) Commodities Futures; (ii) Commodity-Linked Instruments; that provide economic exposure to the commodities markets; (iii) Commodity-Related Assets; and (iv) Collateral designed to collateralize investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

Unlike securities, commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, metal or agricultural products. Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments provide exposure to these physical commodities markets without requiring a direct investment into such commodities. Federal tax laws limit registered investment companies, such as the Fund, from investing directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Therefore, the Fund will invest indirectly in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments via its wholly-owned Subsidiary. Such investment is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to, and income from, Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments within the limits of the federal tax laws, including Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, which will not be sold or offered to other investors. The Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors. The Adviser serves as the Subsidiary’s investment adviser and manages the Subsidiary to comply with the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund, but unlike the Fund, it may invest without limitation in commodity-linked futures contracts. Like the Fund, the Subsidiary also may invest in cash or highly liquid securities intended to promote liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s positions in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

The Subsidiary invests in Commodities Futures that comprise the Benchmark, a diversified index composed of futures contracts on physical commodities that is developed, maintained and sponsored by Bloomberg. Historically, the Benchmark has included 22 futures contracts in several sectors—i.e., energy, agriculture, metals and livestock—on 20 underlying physical commodities: aluminum, coffee, copper, corn, cotton, crude oil, diesel oil, gold, lean hogs, live cattle, natural gas, nickel, silver, soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, sugar, unleaded gasoline, wheat, and zinc.

The selection and weighting of the futures contracts are determined based on the five-year average of the trading volume and the production figures for the underlying commodities. Although the Subsidiary generally holds the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not invest in all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion, may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark, and, at times, may emphasize investments in some commodity sectors more than others.

The Fund is non-diversified and, as such, may invest indirectly a greater percentage of its assets in Commodities Futures representing a particular sector in comparison to a diversified fund. The Adviser employs a rules-based investment approach when selecting Commodities Futures for the Subsidiary, so that the weight of each of those futures contracts in the Subsidiary’s portfolio reflects the Adviser’s view of the economic significance and market liquidity of the corresponding, underlying commodity. The Adviser will select Commodities Futures that expire in no more than nine months, and will limit the Fund’s indirect economic exposure to any single commodity to no more than 15% of the Fund’s assets, and to any sector to no more than 33% of the Fund’s assets.

Futures contracts, by their terms, reflect the expected future value of a reference asset. Commodity-linked futures contracts reflect the value of price movements of the underlying commodity (which serves as the reference asset) on which the contract is based. These contracts are agreements between two parties where one party agrees to buy, and the other to sell, a set amount of the reference asset (or, in some instances, a cash equivalent) at a pre-determined price (the “spot price”) on a pre-determined future date (the “expiration date”). As the expiration date for a futures contract draws closer, an investor wishing to maintain its exposure to that commodity will close out its position in the expiring futures contract and open a new position in a futures contract with a later expiration date. This process is referred to as “rolling.”

The Adviser will attempt to generate yield for the Fund by “rolling” the Fund’s investments in Commodities Futures. As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. In general, as the time to the expiration date of a futures contract draws closer, the price of the futures contract will tend towards its spot price. If the price of a long-term futures contract is greater than the near-term futures price, the market is considered to be in “contango.” If the price of a long-term futures contract is

 

9


less than the near-term futures price, the market is considered to be in “backwardation.” In “contango” markets, the price of futures contracts with expiration dates in the near term generally is lower than the price of futures contracts with more distant expiration dates, resulting in a cost to “roll” the futures contract by replacing the near-term contract with the long-term contract (the “roll cost”). The opposite is true when the market is in backwardation, resulting in a gain from rolling the futures contract (the “roll yield”). Whether an investor realizes roll costs or roll yields depends upon the price differences between near-term and long-term contracts. Rather than roll the futures contracts on a predefined schedule, the Subsidiary will roll to another futures contract (which the Adviser selects from a universe of futures contracts with nine or fewer months until expiration) that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest roll yield. However, there can be no guarantee that such a strategy will produce the desired results.

The Subsidiary also invests in Commodity-Linked Instruments that are expected to provide investment returns that are highly correlated to those of the commodities markets, to seek to increase its investment returns or hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. These commodity-linked derivatives have values linked to the price movement of a commodity, commodity index, or futures contract. The Subsidiary will only invest in those Commodity-Linked Instruments that are based on the price of a relevant Commodities Future, and if such instruments tend to exhibit trading prices or returns that correlate with any Commodity Futures and that further the investment objective of the Fund. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Fund is subject to legal requirements applicable to all mutual funds that are designed to reduce the effects of any leverage created by the use of derivative instruments. Generally, the Fund will enter into swap agreements and other OTC transactions only with large, established and well capitalized financial institutions that meet certain credit quality standards and monitoring policies.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) also may gain economic exposure to the investment returns of underlying commodities by investing directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include commodity pools that, in turn, invest in the underlying commodities; however, no single pool may represent more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) will invest its remaining assets in Collateral to provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments. Such Collateral includes: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks, fixed-time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, of comparable quality, as the Adviser determines; and (iv) money market mutual funds, including affiliated money market mutual funds. The Fund will not invest in collateral securities that are below investment grade.

The CFTC has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its NAV in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Because of the Fund’s use of futures, options and swaps above levels prescribed by the CFTC, it is considered a “commodity pool.” The Adviser is registered as a CPO and a CTA and will manage both the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies.

Temporary Defensive Strategies

During times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions, the Fund may depart temporarily from its principal investment strategies for defensive purposes or hold a large portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents that may include unaffiliated money market funds. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost investment opportunities in a period of rising market prices. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

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

 

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Management Risk

The Fund is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund. There can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Commodity-Linked Derivative Risk

Investments linked to the prices of commodities may be considered speculative. The Fund’s significant investment exposure to commodities may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of an asset, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The value of commodity-linked instruments typically is based upon the price movements of the underlying commodities. Therefore, the value of such instruments may be volatile and fluctuate widely based on a variety of macroeconomic factors, including changes in overall market movements; domestic and foreign political and economic events, policies and developments; geo-political concerns, war, and acts of terrorism; changes in domestic or foreign interest rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates; domestic and foreign inflation rates; consumer supply and demand; and trading activities in commodities, including currency devaluations, market liquidity or the imposition of embargoes, tariffs or other regulatory barriers. The value may fluctuate due to commodity-specific factors, such as weather and climate conditions; natural disasters like drought, flood or livestock disease; changes in labor conditions and technology; or supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. At times, prices fluctuations may be quick and significant and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash. Each of these factors and events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

Derivatives Risk

The Fund’s use of derivative instruments (including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements and forward contracts) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Certain derivative transactions may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. For example, a small investment in a derivative instrument may have a significant impact on the Fund’s exposure to commodities or other investments. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a derivative instrument may cause an immediate and substantial loss or gain. The Fund may engage in such transactions regardless of whether the Fund owns the asset, instrument or components of the asset underlying the derivative instrument. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the value of the underlying asset, with the performance of the commodities markets or to the performance of the overall securities market. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets. The full extent and impact of the regulation is not yet known and may not be known for some time, but may make derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.

Counterparty Risk

Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Futures Contract Risk

Unlike equities, which typically entitle the holder to a continuing stake in a corporation, futures contracts normally specify a certain date for delivery of the underlying asset for settlement in cash based on the level of the underlying asset. As the futures contracts approach expiration, they may be replaced by similar contracts that have a later expiration. This process is referred to as “rolling.” If the market for these contracts is in “contango,” meaning that the prices of futures contracts in the nearer months are lower than the price of contracts in the distant months, the sale of the near-term month contract would be at a lower price than the longer-term contract, resulting in a cost to “roll” the futures contract. The actual realization of a potential roll cost will depend on the difference in price of the near and distant contracts.

The successful use of a futures contract depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments. Futures contracts may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Such risks include:

 

(i) an imperfect correlation between the value of the futures contract and the value of the underlying commodity;

 

(ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract;

 

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(iii) the inability to open or close a futures contract or cash commodity position when desired;

 

(iv) losses caused by unanticipated market movement, which may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract (and potentially may be unlimited);

 

(v) in the event of adverse price movements, an obligation of the Fund to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin, including at times when it may have insufficient cash and must sell securities from its portfolio to meet those margin requirements at a disadvantageous time;

 

(vi) the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in delivery of an illiquid commodity to the Fund; and

 

(vii) the possibility that rapid selling to avoid delivery of a commodity may result in unfavorable execution prices.

To enter into a futures contract, a Fund must post an amount of assets with a FCM to serve as “initial margin,” which is a good faith deposit on the contract and which the FCM returns to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Because futures contracts project price levels in the future, market circumstances may cause a discrepancy between the price of a futures contract and the movement in the underlying asset. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund may be required to post additional “variation margin” to satisfy the necessary collateral requirements of the FCM.

In addition, to comply with federal securities rules, the Fund must segregate liquid assets or take other appropriate measures to “cover” the Subsidiary’s open positions in futures contracts. Depending on their terms, futures contracts settle through either physical delivery of the underlying commodity (“physically settle”) or payment of an equivalent cash amount (“cash settle”). Cash settled futures contracts require that a registered investment company set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to its daily marked-to-market net obligations under the contract ( i.e. , its daily net liability, minus any posted margin and variation margin). Physically settled futures contracts require that a registered investment company segregate a greater amount of liquid assets, equal to the full notional value of the contract (minus any applicable margin and variation margin posted with the FCM). As the Subsidiary invests primarily in physically settled futures, the Fund must segregate a greater amount of its liquid assets to cover the Subsidiary’s open positions than it would if the Subsidiary invested in cash settled futures.

Strategy Risk

As a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and replace it with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. The successful use of this “rolling” strategy depends upon the Adviser’s skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may endure a cost to “roll” the contracts. There can be no guarantee that such a strategy will obtain yield when rolling futures contracts. The Adviser may not be successful in selecting futures contracts that will help the Fund achieve its investment objective.

Risk of Commodity-Linked Notes

Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a commodity-linked derivative. Typically, commodity-linked notes are issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer at a specified face value and usually pay interest at a fixed or floating rate until maturity, at which time the Fund receives a payment that is calculated based on the price increase or decrease of an underlying commodity-related variable. Such underlying commodity-related variable may be a physical commodity, a commodity futures or option contract or a commodity index. By investing in such notes, the Fund faces the risk of loss of interest if the value of the underlying commodity falls, the risk of loss of principal, credit risk, counterparty risk, valuation risk and liquidity risk.

Options Risk

Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract, rather than to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies is potentially unlimited. 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 option; however, this risk is substantially minimized because (a) of the regulatory requirement that the broker has to “segregate” customer funds from its corporate funds, and (b) in the case of regulated exchanges in the United States, the clearing corporation stands behind the broker to make good losses in such a situation. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends; such predictions could prove incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Swaps Risk

Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks that may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument that underlies the swap agreement.

 

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Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, such as a commodity, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and, as such, are subject to leveraging risk. Swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk and also may be difficult to value. A swap agreement can increase or decrease the volatility of the Fund’s investments and its net asset value. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Adverse changes in the value or level of an underlying commodity can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

Clearing Broker Risk

The Subsidiary will invest in certain derivatives that are traded on an exchange; in such cases, a clearing organization acts as the counterparty. For Commodities Futures, the Fund’s obligation is to the FCM that carries the Fund’s account, whose obligation is in turn to the clearing organization. The Fund’s investments therefore introduce the risk that its FCM would default on an obligation to the Fund, including the FCM’s obligation to return margin posted in connection with the Fund’s futures contracts. The risk exists at, and from the time that, the Fund enters into a contractual arrangement with its FCM to bring about the settlement and clearing of futures contracts. The FCM may hold margin posted in connection with those contracts and that margin may be re-hypothecated (or re-pledged) by the FCM and lost or its return delayed due to a default by the FCM or other customer of the FCM. The FCM may itself file for bankruptcy, which would either delay the return of, or jeopardize altogether the assets posted by the FCM as margin in response to margin calls relating to futures positions.

Pooled Investment Vehicle Risk

The Fund faces the risk that a pooled investment vehicle will not achieve its investment objective. The Fund also is subject to the risks of the underlying assets in which the pooled vehicles invest. As a shareholder in a pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicle’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Therefore, shareholders would be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent that the Fund invests in pooled investment vehicles. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of pooled investment vehicles. Moreover, commodity pools invest in futures contracts and in markets which may be highly volatile, and commodity pools also may be subject to substantial charges for management, advisory and brokerage fees. As such, commodity pools can suffer substantial losses, thereby reducing the value of an investment in the pool. Restrictions on redemptions may affect the ability of the Fund to withdraw from its participation in the pool.

Investment Company Risk

An investment in other investment companies (including other ETFs) is subject to the risks associated with those investment companies, which include, but are not limited to, the risk that such fund’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results; the risk that securities in such fund may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes; and the risk that the fund will be concentrated in a particular issuer, market, industry or sector, and therefore will be especially susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer, market, industry or sector. Moreover, the Fund will incur duplicative expenses from such investments, bearing its share of that fund’s expenses while also paying its own advisory and administrative fees.

ETN Risk

ETNs are a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that have characteristics and risks similar to those of fixed-income securities of an issuer and trade on a major exchange similar to shares of ETFs. This type of debt security differs, however, from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index, minus applicable fees. The purpose of ETNs is to create a type of security that combines the aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns generally are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs do not provide principal protection and may or may not make periodic coupon payments. ETNs are subject to credit risk, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and other economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the commodities markets. If the Fund must sell some or all of its ETN holdings and the secondary market is weak, it may have to sell such holdings at a discount. If the Fund holds its investment in an ETN until maturity, the issuer will give the Fund a cash amount that would be equal to principal amount (subject to the day’s index factor). ETNs also are subject to credit risk, whereby the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a note is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

 

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Equity Risk

The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, will fall. The value of an equity security may fall due to changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole and that are relatively unrelated to an issuer or its industry. These conditions include changes in interest rates, specific periods of overall market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. An issuer’s common stock in particular may be especially sensitive to, and more adversely affected by, these general movements in the stock market; it is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds.

In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward, and perceptions regarding, particular commodity related industries or economic sectors will become negative. Price changes of equity securities may occur in a particular region, industry, or sector of the market, and as a result, the value of an issuer’s common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as increases in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries.

Equity risk also includes the financial risks of a specific company, including that the value of the company’s securities may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. In particular, the common stock of a company may decline significantly in price over short periods of time. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of common stock; similarly, the common stock of an issuer may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition.

Liquidity Risk

The Fund may invest in instruments that at times may be illiquid. Illiquid investments may be more difficult or costly to buy or to sell as compared to more actively traded investments. Liquidity risk is a factor in the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the market for such an investment. This could have a negative effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and may result in losses to Fund shareholders.

Collateral Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. U.S. Government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. Government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of those U.S. Government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses, and the Fund’s investments in money market funds will cause it to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds’ operations while simultaneously paying its own management fees and expenses. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Money market funds may not have the value of their investments remain at $1.00 per share; it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

Interest Rate Risk

The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government securities and commercial paper will change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed-income securities generally will decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the value of the Fund to decrease. Also, the value of the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities with longer maturities will fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes.

 

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Valuation Risk

During periods of reduced market liquidity or readily available market quotations, the Fund’s ability to obtain reliable, objective pricing data and to value its holdings becomes more difficult, and the judgment of the Adviser (through fair value procedures adopted by the Board of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings. Consequently, while such value determinations may be made by the Adviser in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value to its holdings.

Cash Transaction Risk

Most ETFs generally make in-kind redemptions to avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. However, unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally in-kind, because of the nature of the Fund’s investments. As such, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Therefore, the Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process, and there may be a substantial difference in the after-tax rate of return between the Fund and conventional ETFs.

Tax Risk

To qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income and the diversification of its assets, among other requirements. One requirement is that the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources considered to be “qualifying income” under the Code. However, the income derived from exchange-listed futures contracts on commodities is not considered qualifying income under the Code. Nevertheless, in recent years the IRS has issued private letter rulings (“PLRs”) to other funds stating its view that “qualifying income” does include income derived from a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary (such as the Subsidiary) that is invested in commodity-linked instruments. Therefore, the Fund will invest in the Subsidiary, which is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodities in a manner consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement of the Code applicable to RICs. Although these PLRs were issued to third parties that are unaffiliated with the Fund, and the Fund may not rely on these PLRs as precedent, the Fund has received an opinion of counsel (which is not binding on the IRS or the courts) based, in part, on these PLRs, which states that income that the Fund receives from the Subsidiary will constitute “qualifying income” under the Code when distributed and should constitute “qualifying income” under the Code when undistributed.

However, in 2011, in response to requests from the U.S. Senate to investigate the receipt of PLRs and the use of subsidiaries to invest in commodity-linked futures, the IRS suspended the issuance of PLRs. If the IRS were to change its previous position and declare that the Fund’s income from the Subsidiary was not considered “qualifying income” under the Code, then the Fund—despite the prior issuance of PLRs and the opinion of counsel—might be unable to qualify as a RIC for one or more years.

If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for any taxable year (but was eligible to and did cure the failure) it would incur potentially significant additional federal income tax expense. If, on the other hand, the Fund failed to so qualify for any taxable year, and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure the failure, such a result cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. For example, the Fund would be subject to income tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, with the consequence that its income available for distribution to shareholders would be reduced. In addition, such taxable income also would be subject to tax at the shareholder level as dividend income when such income is distributed to shareholders. If the Fund attempted to re-quality for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. In such event, the Trust’s Board may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. Finally, in addition to the IRS’s current moratorium on the issuance of PLRs, it is possible that future legislation, Treasury Regulations, and/or further guidance issued by the IRS may affect the character, timing, and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or capital gains and distributions it makes, which in turn may adversely affect the Fund.

Leverage Risk

Leverage occurs when the Fund’s market exposure exceeds the amounts invested. The Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments, such as investments in commodity futures contracts and other derivatives, which may give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by the Fund, and depending on the investment can potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The Fund may have a substantial cash position due to margin and collateral requirements related to the Fund’s use of derivatives, and to cover its positions in these investments due to the effects of leverage. Such margin and collateral requirements may limit the Fund’s ability to take advantage of other investment opportunities, and the Fund also may

 

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have to sell or liquidate a portion of its assets at inopportune times to satisfy these requirements. This may negatively affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the Fund’s assets that are used as collateral to secure these transactions may decrease in value while the positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase collateral.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk

The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Market Risk

The Fund’s holdings are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the holdings in the Fund’s portfolio.

Market Trading Risk

The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for the Shares, losses from trading in secondary markets and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

Gap Risk

The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change from one level to another with no trading in between. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day’s closing price.

Portfolio Turnover Risk

In pursuing its investment strategy, particularly when “rolling” Commodities Futures, the Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of its portfolio securities, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate. A portfolio turnover rate of 200%, for example, is equivalent to the Fund buying and selling all of its securities two times during the course of a year. A high portfolio turnover rate (such as 100% or more) may increase the Fund’s transaction costs and may generate a greater amount of taxable capital gain distributions to Fund shareholders.

Investment Risk

As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

Commodity Pool Risk

The Fund’s and the Subsidiary’s investments have caused each to be deemed to be a commodity pool, thereby subjecting the Fund and the Subsidiary to regulation under the CEA and CFTC rules. The Subsidiary’s positions in Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices to prevent the Fund from exceeding any applicable position limits established by the CFTC. Such actions may subject the Fund to substantial losses. The Adviser is registered as a CPO and a CTA, and it will operate the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules. Registration as a CPO or a CTA subjects the registrant to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund or the Subsidiary. However, the Fund’s and Subsidiary’s status as commodity pools and the Adviser’s registration as a CPO and CTA are not expected to materially adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

The CFTC’s harmonization rules regarding the disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements apply to the Fund as a result of the Adviser’s registration as a CPO. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser’s compliance with comparable SEC requirements. This means that for most of the CFTC’s disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements applicable to the Adviser as the Fund’s CPO, the Fund’s compliance with SEC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements will be deemed to fulfill the Adviser’s CFTC compliance obligations. As a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses. However, the Fund’s status as a commodity pool and the Adviser’s registration as a CPO do not materially adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

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Subsidiary Investment Risk

The Subsidiary’s principal investment strategies, investment objective and principal risks are substantially the same as the Fund. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Commodities Futures held by the Subsidiary are similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and thus are subject to the same risks whether or not they are held by the Fund or the Subsidiary.

There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to the regulatory protections of the 1940 Act. The Trust’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. In adhering to the Fund’s investment restrictions and limitations, the Adviser will treat the assets of the Subsidiary generally in the same manner as assets that are held directly by the Fund.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands currently does not impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If this were to change and the Subsidiary was required to pay Cayman Island taxes, the investment returns of the Fund would likely decrease.

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following provides additional risk information regarding investing in the Fund.

Sector Concentration Risk

Because the Fund invests in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Related Assets that are linked to different types of commodities from various sectors, including the energy, agriculture and metal sectors, the Fund is subject to the risks inherent in those economic sectors. Such risks may include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events; increased regulatory burdens; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions. To the extent that the Fund focuses its investments in a particular sector of the commodities market, the risks associated with that particular commodity or sector will be greater.

Energy Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain energy-related commodities, including crude oil, heating oil, gasoline and natural gas. The market values of such commodities are strongly affected by the supply of, and demand for, those commodities, as well as, among other factors, capital expenditures on exploration and production, energy conservation efforts, government regulation and subsidization, world event, technological advances and general economic conditions. Therefore, energy commodities are subject to swift price fluctuations, and investments in such commodities can be cyclical and/or highly volatile. Additionally, a recent significant decline in the price of oil has contributed to significant market volatility, which may materially impact the Fund. There can be no assurance that the price of oil or gas will not decline further and have a further adverse effect.

Metals Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain industrial and precious metals, including aluminum, copper, gold, silver and zinc. Investments in metals may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the supply and demand of each metal, environmental or labor costs, political, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions can affect the supply of metals, and consequently the value of metal investments. The United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metal investments for strategic or other policy reasons. Further, the principal supplies of metal industries may be concentrated in a small number of countries and regions. Consequently, the price of a metal held by the Fund could decline, which would adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Agricultural Sector Investment Risk

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain agricultural commodities, including corn, soybeans, sugar and wheat. Investments in the agriculture sector may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the supply of and demand of each commodity, legislative or regulatory developments relating to food safety, political, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters and

 

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other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, increased competition caused by economic recession, labor difficulties and changing consumer tastes and spending can affect the demand for agricultural products, and consequently the value of investments in that sector. As a result, the price of an agricultural commodity could decline, which would adversely affect an investment in the Fund if it held that commodity.

Natural Resources Risk

Equity securities of natural resources companies and associated businesses may be negatively impacted by variations, often rapid, in the commodities markets, the supply of and demand for specific products and services, exploration and production spending, government regulation, economic conditions, events relating to international political developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation and the success of exploration projects. Therefore, the securities of companies in the natural resources sector may experience more price volatility than securities of companies in other industries.

Geographic Risk

Natural disasters, climate change or other weather-related disruptions could occur in a geographic region and, as a result, negatively impact certain commodities, including agricultural products produced in that region, thereby negatively affecting the value of those commodities linked to instruments in which the Fund invests.

Trading Issues

Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Moreover, trading in Shares on The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”) may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NASDAQ, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on NASDAQ is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the NASDAQ “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NASDAQ necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares May Trade at Prices Different Than NAV

The NAV of the Shares generally will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on NASDAQ. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Price differences may be due largely to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings, individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs generally have traded at prices that closely correspond to NAV per share. Given the high level of transparency of the Fund’s holdings, the Adviser believes that the trading experience of the Fund should be similar to that of index-based ETFs. However, there can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which the Shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV.

Risk of Adverse Regulatory Developments

Commodity markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations promulgated not only by the CFTC, but also by self-regulatory organizations such as the National Futures Association. Among other things, the CFTC and the exchanges on which futures contracts are traded are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency. Such actions could adversely affect the returns of the Fund by limiting or precluding investment decisions the Fund might otherwise make. The regulation of commodity transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. Although the effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, it could be substantial and adverse.

Increased Competition

The Adviser believes that there has been, over time, a general increase in interest in commodity investing. As the Adviser’s assets under management invested directly or indirectly in the commodities markets increases, an increasing number of traders may attempt to initiate or liquidate substantial positions at or about the same time as the Adviser, or otherwise alter historical trading patterns or affect the execution of trades, to the detriment of the Fund.

 

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Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions

The current historically low interest rate environment was created in part by the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) and certain foreign central banks keeping the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates at or near zero. The “tapering” in 2015 of the FRB’s quantitative easing program, combined with the FRB’s recent raising of the target range for the Federal Funds Rate (and likely eventual increase in equivalent foreign rates) may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities, although it is difficult to predict the impact of this rate increase and any future rate increases on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may persist in the future, potentially leading to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments in fixed income securities as well as its share price, may decline. In addition, because of changing central bank policies, the Fund may experience higher than normal shareholder redemptions which could cause increased portfolio turnover rate, higher transaction costs and potentially lower returns.

Non-Principal Investment Strategies

Each of the investment policies described herein, including the Fund’s investment objective, constitutes a non-fundamental policy that the Board of the Trust may change at any time without shareholder approval. The fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) under the section “Investment Restrictions.”

Borrowing Money

The Fund may borrow money from a bank to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Tax Structure of ETFs

Unlike interests in conventional mutual funds, which typically are bought and sold only at their closing NAV per share, the Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange and are issued and redeemed for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. However, the tax advantages of investing in Shares may be reduced because the Fund is actively managed and, therefore, may have greater turnover in its portfolio securities, which could result in less tax efficiency than an investment in a fund that is not actively managed. Additionally, because the Fund intends to effect creations and redemptions for cash, an investment in Shares will be less tax efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs.

Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.powershares.com.

Management of the Fund

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Trust. In addition, the Adviser serves as the investment adviser to PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, a family of ETFs with combined assets under management of approximately $65.2 billion as of January 31, 2017.

As the Fund’s investment adviser, the Adviser has overall responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the Fund’s investments, implementing the Fund’s actively managed investment strategy, managing the Fund’s business affairs, and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services of the Trust.

Portfolio Managers

The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers, investment strategists and other investment specialists in managing the Fund. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s extensive resources.

Peter Hubbard, Vice President of the Trust, oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Fund. In this capacity, Mr. Hubbard receives management assistance from Theodore Samulowitz (collectively with Mr. Hubbard, the “Portfolio Managers”).

 

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Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategy and researching and reviewing investment strategy. Each Portfolio Manager has limitations on his authority for risk management and compliance purposes that the Adviser believes to be appropriate.

Peter Hubbard is Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception. Mr. Hubbard has been a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser since June 2007 and has been associated with the Adviser since 2005.

Theodore Samulowitz, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception. He has been associated with the Adviser since May 2012. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Managing Partner of Endurance Capital Markets LLC.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

Advisory Fees

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual unitary management fee equal to 0.59% of its average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for the fee payment under that agreement, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses (as set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement).

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s unitary management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the management fees that it receives under the unitary management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through August 31, 2018. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of the fees past that date.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement on behalf of the Fund is available in the Trust’s semi-annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2016.

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units.

Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on NASDAQ under the symbol “CMDY.” Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment required. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI. The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

Book Entry

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

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares.

 

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Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of Shares on NASDAQ may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

The approximate value of Shares of the Fund, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the holdings of the Fund and the cash amount required in exchange for Shares (during times when the Fund permitted in-kind transactions), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share because the approximate value will not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs. The vast majority of trading in Shares of the Fund occurs on the secondary market, and does not involve the Fund directly. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units can result in disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Adviser monitors trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading, and the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise not in the best interests of the Fund. In recognition of the nature of the Fund’s investments and that Shares are purchased and redeemed in Creation Units for cash, the Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, which incorporate the practices described above, as well as additional trade monitoring for market timing activities.

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

Dividends and Other Distributions

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. The Fund also intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of Subchapter M of the Code, and to avoid a federal excise tax imposed on regulated investment companies.

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

Taxes

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information only. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

    The Fund makes distributions,

 

    You sell your Shares, and

 

    You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

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Taxes on Distributions

As stated above, dividends from net investment income and/or net realized gains, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid annually. The Fund also may pay a special distribution at the end of the calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements and/or to minimize or eliminate federal tax liability. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in Shares (if reinvestment is available from the broker through whom you purchased your Shares). Dividends paid out of the Fund’s net investment income and net realized short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable as ordinary income. Although the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Shares at the lower maximum rates for long-term capital gains described in the next paragraph and (2) a portion of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations, the Fund does not expect to distribute a significant amount of dividends eligible for those lower rates or deduction.

Distributions to you of net capital gain (that is, net long-term capital gain, if any, in excess of net short-term capital loss), are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held your Shares. Those gains generally are subject to federal income tax for individual shareholders at the maximum rates of 15% (20% for certain high income taxpayers).

Distributions to you in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in your Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you (as ordinary income or long-term capital gain) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution constitutes a partial return of capital.

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of distributions otherwise payable to you if you are an individual shareholder and have not provided a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number or are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Taxes on Share Sales

Any capital gain or loss you realize upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for one year or less. Your ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

Should the Fund permit in-kind transactions, an AP that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a capital gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units and the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash component paid. Similarly, an AP that redeems a Creation Unit in exchange for securities generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the AP’s basis in the Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the securities received plus or minus an amount, if any, equal to the difference between the NAV of the redeemed Shares, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of those securities. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for a Creation Unit, or of a Creation Unit for securities, cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the AP’s economic position. An AP exchanging securities should consult its own tax advisor(s) with respect to whether the wash sale rules apply and when a loss otherwise might not be deductible.

Any capital gain or loss realized on redemption of a Creation Unit generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less. If you purchase or redeem one or more Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the more important possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state, local, and/or foreign tax on the Fund’s distributions and sales and/or redemptions of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor(s) about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws.

Investment in a Subsidiary

One of the requirements for qualification as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code is that the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies. The IRS has concluded that income derived from commodity-linked futures contracts is not qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. As such, the Fund will seek to limit such income so as to qualify as a RIC.

 

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In recent years, the IRS has issued PLRs to other funds that state its view that “qualifying income” does include income derived from a wholly owned foreign subsidiary (such as the Subsidiary) that is invested in commodity-linked instruments. These PLRs were issued to third parties that are unaffiliated with the Fund, and the Fund may not rely on these PLRs as precedent. Nevertheless, the Fund has received an opinion of counsel (which is not binding on the IRS or the courts) based, in part, on these PLRs, which states that income that the Fund receives from the Subsidiary should constitute qualifying income.

If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund’s Board may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change its investment objective and strategies.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. There remains a risk that the tax treatment of derivative instruments, such as futures contracts, options and swaps, may be affected by future regulatory or legislative changes that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains and distributions.

Distributor

Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.

Net Asset Value

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) will calculate the Fund’s NAV at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) every day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. Generally, the portfolio securities are recorded in the NAV no later than trade date plus one day. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board or its delegate.

In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Swaps, commodity-linked notes and forwards generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. If a security’s market price is not readily available, the security will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes will better reflect the security’s fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board.

 

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Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

Fund Service Providers

BNYM, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, is the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund and performs other related audit services.

Financial Highlights

The Fund has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus. Financial information therefore is not available. Once such information is available, the Fund will present consolidated financial statements of both the Fund and the Subsidiary.

Disclaimers

Bloomberg is not and will not be an affiliated person, as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor or a promoter of the Fund. Neither the Adviser nor any affiliate of the Adviser has any rights to influence the selection of the components of the Benchmark.

“Bloomberg ® ” and “Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index SM ” are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Bloomberg”) and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser.

The Fund is are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities LLC (“UBS Securities”) or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. None of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparties to the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities or commodities generally or in the Fund particularly. The only relationship of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates to the Adviser is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index SM , which is determined, composed and calculated by Bloomberg in conjunction with UBS Securities without regard to the Adviser or the Fund. Bloomberg and UBS Securities have no obligation to take the needs of Adviser or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index SM . None of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates is responsible for or has participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash.

None of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates shall have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to Fund customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, UBS AG, UBS Securities and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund currently being issued by the Adviser, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Funds. In addition, UBS AG, UBS Securities and their subsidiaries and affiliates actively trade commodities, commodity indexes and commodity futures (including the Bloomberg Commodity Index SM and Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index SM ), as well as swaps, options and derivatives which are linked to the performance of such commodities, commodity indexes and commodity futures. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Index SM and the Fund.

 

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The prospectus relates only to the Fund and does not relate to the exchange-traded physical commodities underlying any of the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Index SM components. Purchasers of the Fund should not conclude that the inclusion of a futures contract in the Bloomberg Commodity Index SM  is any form of investment recommendation of the futures contract or the underlying exchange-traded physical commodity by Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. The information in the prospectus regarding the Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index SM  components has been derived solely from publicly available documents. None of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates has made any due diligence inquiries with respect to the Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index SM components in connection with Fund. None of Bloomberg, UBS AG, UBS Securities or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates makes any representation that these publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index SM components, including without limitation a description of factors that affect the prices of such components, are accurate or complete.

NONE OF BLOOMBERG, UBS AG, UBS SECURITIES OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES GUARANTEES THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG ROLL SELECT COMMODITY TOTAL RETURN INDEX SM OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO AND NONE OF BLOOMBERG, UBS AG, UBS SECURITIES OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. NONE OF BLOOMBERG, UBS AG, UBS SECURITIES OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OWNERS OF THE FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BLOOMBERG ROLL SELECT COMMODITY TOTAL RETURN INDEX SM  OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. NONE OF BLOOMBERG, UBS AG, UBS SECURITIES OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG ROLL SELECT COMMODITY TOTAL RETURN INDEX SM  OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, BLOOMBERG, ITS LICENSORS (INCLUDING UBS), AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUND OR THE BLOOMBERG ROLL SELECT COMMODITY TOTAL RETURN INDEX SM  OR ANY DATA OR VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS AMONG BLOOMBERG, UBS SECURITIES AND THE ADVISER, OTHER THAN UBS AG.

Premium/Discount Information

Information on the daily NAV per Share can be found at www.powershares.com. Additionally, information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on NASDAQ at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the prior calendar year and subsequent quarters is available at www.powershares.com.

Other Information

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies (and companies relying on Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act) in the securities of other investment companies. However, 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 an SEC exemptive order issued to the affiliates of the Trust (and which applies equally to the Trust), including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1). Additionally, the Fund is permitted pursuant to an SEC exemptive order to invest in other registered investment companies beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in another exemptive order the SEC has issued to the Trust. If the Fund relies on this exemptive relief, however, other investment companies may not invest in the Fund beyond the statutory provisions of Section 12(d)(1).

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may

 

25


occur at any point. 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 Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization 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(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents—Householding

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

For More Information

For more detailed information on the Fund and Shares, you may request a copy of the Fund’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also will be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, when available. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, when available, free of charge, or to make shareholder inquiries, please:

 

  Call: Invesco Distributors, Inc. at 1.800.983.0903

Monday through Friday

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time

  Write: PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

c/o Invesco Distributors, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

  Visit: www.powershares.com

Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street N.E., in Washington, D.C. 20549, and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

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

 

26


Dealers effecting transactions in the Fund’s Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

The Trust’s registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-22927.

 

27


LOGO


Investment Company Act File No. 811-22927

PowerShares Actively Managed

Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated February 24, 2017

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 24, 2017, for the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “Trust”), relating to the series of the Trust listed below, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).

 

Fund

  

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange

   Ticker
PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio    The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC    CMDY

Capitalized terms used in this SAI but not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, or by calling toll free 1-800-983-0903.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

General Description of the Trust and the Fund

     2  

Exchange Listing and Trading

     2  

Investment Strategies and Restrictions

     3  

Investment Policies and Risks

     5  

Portfolio Turnover

     14  

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     14  

Management

     14  

Brokerage Transactions

     28  

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     29  

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

     31  

Taxes

     38  

Determination of NAV

     43  

Dividends and Other Distributions

     44  

Miscellaneous Information

     44  

Financial Statements

     44  

Appendix A

     A-1  

 

1


GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 23, 2013 and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust currently consists of two series. This SAI relates to one series of the Trust, the PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio (the “Fund”). The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.”

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., manages the Fund.

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of 100,000 Shares (each a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”). The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units for cash, calculated based on the NAV per Share, multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (“Deposit Cash”), plus a fixed and/or variable transaction fee. The Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for a designated basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”); however, the Fund presently does not anticipate issuing Creation Units in exchange for Deposit Securities.

Although currently not anticipated, should the Fund in the future permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities, the Fund may issue Shares in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to 105% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To offset the added brokerage and other transaction costs the Fund incurs with using cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the Fund, during each instance of cash creations or redemptions, may impose transaction fees that generally are higher than the transaction fees that normally would be imposed for in-kind creations or redemptions. For more information, see the section below titled “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Fund is expected to be approved for listing, subject to notice of issuance, on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ” or the “Exchange”). Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, the Trust may decrease the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

Shares of the Fund are expected to be listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the NASDAQ.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of its Shares. 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; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition shall 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, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

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

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means, an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in, or responsible for any aspect of, the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

 

2


INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RESTRICTIONS

Investment Strategies

Unlike conventional exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), the Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.

The Fund is an actively managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to the world’s most heavily traded commodities. Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, agricultural produce or raw metals.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”), in a combination of four categories of investments: (i) exchange-traded futures contracts on underlying commodities (“Commodities Futures”); (ii) other instruments whose value is derived from or linked to price movements of underlying physical commodities, represented by exchange-traded futures contracts on commodity indices, commodity-linked notes, exchange-traded options on Commodities Futures, swaps on commodities and commodity-related forward contracts (collectively, these are “Commodity-Linked Instruments”); (iii) exchange-traded products related to or providing exposure to commodities (i.e., commodity-linked equity securities, investment companies, other ETFs, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and commodity pools), as described further below (collectively, the “Commodity-Related Assets”); and (iv) cash, cash-like instruments or high-quality securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; and/or (3) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. Such Collateral is designed to provide liquidity, serve as margin or otherwise collateralize investments in the Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

While the Fund may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets and Collateral, it may not invest directly in physical commodities, Commodities Futures or Commodity-Linked Instruments. Instead, the Fund attempts to obtain investment returns that are highly correlated to the commodities markets by investing in these instruments indirectly through its Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments in accordance with the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies like the Fund to invest directly in such investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Subsidiary operates under Cayman Islands law. It is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the Fund, it may invest without limit in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary invests in Commodities Futures that are components of the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index (the “Benchmark”), an index composed of 22 futures contracts of varying maturities on up to 20 physical commodities: aluminum, coffee, copper, corn, cotton, crude oil, diesel oil, gold, lean hogs, live cattle, natural gas, nickel, silver, soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, sugar, unleaded gasoline, wheat, and zinc. Although the Subsidiary generally holds the components of the Benchmark, the Fund is not an “index tracking” ETF and instead seeks to exceed the performance of the Benchmark. Therefore, the Subsidiary may not invest in all of the Benchmark’s components or in the same proportion as the Benchmark. At times, it also may invest in Commodities Futures outside the Benchmark and emphasize some commodity sectors more than others. The Adviser employs a rules-based investment approach when selecting futures contracts for the Subsidiary so that the weight of the futures contracts in the Subsidiary’s portfolio reflects the Adviser’s view of the economic significance and market liquidity of the corresponding, underlying commodities. Pursuant to that process, all Commodities Futures selected for the Fund will have an expiration no longer than nine months, and the Adviser will limit the Fund’s economic exposure to any one commodity to 15% of the Fund’s assets and to any sector to 33% of the Fund’s assets.

The Subsidiary also invests in Commodity-Linked Instruments to seek to increase its investment returns or hedge against declines in the value of its other investments. Although the Fund does not seek leveraged returns, investing in Commodity-Linked Instruments may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. The Commodity-Linked Instruments may be exchange-traded or traded over-the-counter (“OTC”).

The Fund (and the Subsidiary) may invest directly in Commodity-Related Assets. Such investments include the PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (the “Commodity Pool”), a commodity pool that seeks to track the performance of the Benchmark. The Fund will limit its investments in the Commodity Pool and other pools so that no single pool represents more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may invest directly in ETNs, ETFs and other investment companies (including U.S. registered open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end investment companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or exchange-traded non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges), to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and certain exemptive relief therefrom. In addition, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded common stocks of companies that operate in commodities, natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses.

 

3


The Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) invests its remaining assets directly in Collateral, which consists of high-quality securities such as U.S. Treasuries, other U.S. Government obligations, money market funds, cash and cash-like equivalents (e.g., high quality commercial paper and similar instruments that are rated investment grade or, if unrated, of comparable quality as the Adviser may determine) that provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary’s investments in Commodities Futures and Commodity-Linked Instruments.

During times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may depart temporarily from its principal investment strategies (such as by maintaining a significant uninvested cash position) for defensive purposes. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost investment opportunities. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Investment Restrictions

The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted as fundamental policies the respective investment restrictions numbered (1) through (7) below. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not:

(1) Invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

(2) Borrow money, except the Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

(3) Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

(4) Make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

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

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).

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

Except for restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii), and (7), if the Fund adheres to a percentage restriction at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets, or the sale of a security out of its portfolio, will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii), and (7), in the event that the Fund’s borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and the collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans) due to subsequent changes in the value of the Fund’s assets or otherwise, within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays), the Fund will take corrective action to reduce the amount of its borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities to an extent that such borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and the collateral received ) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans).

The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed as to the Fund without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.” As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s Shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s Shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s Shares, whichever is less.

 

4


In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund also is subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund may not:

(1) Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

(4) Invest in direct interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration programs or leases; however, the Fund may invest in the securities of issuers that engage in these activities.

(5) Invest in illiquid securities if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

The investment objective of the Fund is a non-fundamental policy that can be changed by the Board without approval by shareholders upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

A discussion of the Fund’s investment policies and the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the “Summary Information—Principal Investment Strategies” and “Summary Information—Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” sections and the “Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks” section of the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, those sections of the Prospectus.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the value of futures contracts, securities and other instruments that the Fund holds, any changes in the financial condition of the issuers of its portfolio holdings and other factors that affect the market.

An investment in the Fund also should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in futures contracts, securities and other assets, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and thus in the value of Shares). The Fund’s portfolio holdings are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and investor emotions and perceptions change. Investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding governmental, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, weather and climate conditions, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend upon whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that dealers will make or maintain a market or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide. Because the Fund issues and redeems Creation Units for cash, it may incur higher costs in buying and selling securities than if it issued and redeemed Creation Units in-kind.

Equity Securities and Common Stocks.  The Fund may invest in equity securities and common stocks of companies that operate in commodity related business, including natural resources and energy businesses, and in associated businesses, as well as companies that provide services or have exposure to such businesses. Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stock and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, equity securities have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity.

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may invest in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying asset, index, interest rate or currency exchange rate. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks including credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk. They also involve the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly

 

5


with the underlying asset, rate or index. The counterparty to a derivative contract might default on its obligations. Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund that invests in derivatives may change quickly and without warning. For some derivatives, it is possible to lose more than the amount invested in the derivative. Derivatives may be used to create synthetic exposure to an underlying asset or to hedge a portfolio risk. If the Fund uses derivatives to “hedge” a portfolio risk, it is possible that the hedge may not succeed. This may happen for various reasons, including unexpected changes in the value of the rest of the portfolio of the Fund. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund.

Futures. The Fund will invest in exchange-listed futures contracts on commodities and commodity indices. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund will be required to deposit with the broker “initial margin” in cash or cash equivalents. This initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the asset underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract.

In addition, the Fund must segregate liquid assets or enter into off-setting positions to “cover” open positions in futures contracts. For futures contracts that do not cash settle, the Fund must segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional value of the futures contracts while the positions are open. For futures contracts that do cash settle, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the futures contract, if any, rather than their full notional value. The Fund intends to invest primarily in futures contracts that do not cash settle.

General Risks of Futures.  The use of futures contracts involves special considerations and risks, as described below:

(1) Successful use of hedging and non-hedging transactions depends upon the Adviser’s ability to correctly predict the direction of changes in the value of the applicable markets and securities. There can be no assurance that any particular hedging strategy will succeed.

(2) In a hedging transaction, there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between the price movements of an instrument (such as a futures contract) and the price movements of the investments being hedged. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as changing interest rates, market liquidity, and speculative or other pressures on the markets in which the hedging instrument is traded.

(3) Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged instruments.

(4) There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time.

(5) The Fund might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in instruments involving obligations to third parties. If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. The requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time.

(6) There is no assurance that the Fund will use hedging transactions. For example, if the Fund determines that the cost of hedging will exceed the potential benefit to the Fund, the Fund will not enter into such transaction.

(7) Non-hedging transactions present greater profit potential but also involve increased risk relative to hedging transactions.

Rolling, Backwardation and Contango.  When purchasing stocks or bonds, a buyer acquires ownership in a security; however, buyers of futures contracts are not entitled to ownership of the underlying commodity until and unless they decide to accept delivery at expiration of the contract. In practice, delivery of the underlying commodity to satisfy a futures contract rarely occurs because most futures traders use the liquidity of the central marketplace to sell their exchange-traded futures contract before expiration. As futures contracts approach expiration, they may be replaced by similar contracts that have a later expiration. For example, a contract purchased and held in June 2015 may have an expiration date in September 2015. As this contract nears expiration, a long position in the contract may be replaced by selling the September 2015 contract and purchasing a contract expiring in March 2016. This process is referred to as “rolling.”

The price of a futures contract is generally higher or lower than the spot price of the underlying asset when there is significant time to expiration of the contract due to various factors within the market. As a futures contract nears expiration, the futures price will tend to converge to the spot price. Historically, the prices of some futures contracts (generally those relating to commodities that are

 

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consumed immediately rather than stored, such as crude oil, heating oil and sugar) with near-term expirations may be higher than for futures contracts with longer-term expirations. This circumstance is referred to as “backwardation.” If the market for futures contracts is in “backwardation,” the sale of the near-term month contract would be at a higher price than the longer-term contract, and futures investors generally will earn positive returns. Conversely, a “contango” market is one in which the price of futures contracts in the near-term months are lower than the price of futures contracts in the longer-term months. If the market for futures contacts is in “contango,” it would create a cost to “roll” the futures contract, resulting in negative returns. The actual realization of a potential roll cost will depend on the difference in price of the near and distant contracts. In addition, the Fund may not “roll” futures contracts on a predefined schedule as they approach expiration; instead the Adviser may determine to roll to another futures contract (chosen from a list of tradable futures that expire in the next nine months) in an attempt to generate maximum yield. There can be no guarantee that such a strategy will produce the desired results.

Commodity Futures.  The Fund will hold positions in commodity futures contracts on individual underlying commodities or commodity indices. The Fund’s investments in commodity futures contracts may involve substantial risks. Commodity futures contracts are traded on futures exchanges, which offer a central marketplace in which to transact futures contracts, a clearing organization to process trades, a standardization of expiration dates and contract sizes, and the availability of a trading market. Futures markets also specify the terms and conditions of delivery as well as the maximum permissible price movement during a trading session.

In the futures markets, the clearing organization acts as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures contracts. The Fund’s obligation is to the futures commission merchant that carries the Fund’s account, whose obligation is in turn to the clearing organization, and the Fund will look indirectly to the clearing organization to satisfy the Fund’s rights under the futures contract.

Some commodity futures exchanges impose on each commodity futures contract traded on that exchange a maximum permissible price movement for each trading session. If the maximum permissible price movement is achieved on any trading day, no more trades may be executed above (or below, if the price has moved downward) that limit. If the Fund wishes to execute a trade outside the daily permissible price movement, it would be prevented from doing so by exchange rules, and would have to wait for another trading session to execute its transaction. Despite the daily price limits on various futures exchanges, the price volatility of commodity futures contracts historically has been greater than that for traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Because the Fund invests in commodity futures contracts, the assets of the Fund, and therefore the prices of the Fund’s shares, may be subject to greater volatility. The futures clearinghouse marks every futures contract to market at the end of each trading day to ensure that the outstanding futures obligations are limited to the marked-to-market change in price from one day for any given futures contract. This process of marking-to-market is designed to prevent losses from accumulating in any futures account. Therefore, if the Fund’s futures positions have declined in value, the Fund may be required to post variation margin to cover this decline. Alternatively, if the Fund’s futures positions have increased in value, this increase will be credited to the Fund’s account.

Special Risks of Commodity Futures Contracts.  Commodity futures contracts also may be subject to the following special risks:

 

    Storage Costs . The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract (this is sometimes referred to as the “convenience yield”). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while the Fund is long futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.

 

    Reinvestment Risk . In the commodity futures markets, if producers of the underlying commodity wish to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity, they will sell futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery in the future. In order to induce speculators to take the corresponding long side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer must be willing to sell the futures contract at a price that is below the expected future spot price. Conversely, if the predominate hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the underlying commodity who purchase futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only take the short side of the futures contract if the futures price is greater than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price. This can have significant implications for the Fund when it is time to replace an expiring contract with a new contract. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted such that commodity purchasers are the predominate hedgers in the market, the Fund might open the new futures position at a higher price or choose other related commodity investments.

 

    Additional Economic Factors . The values of commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts are subject to additional variables which may be less significant to the values of traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Variables such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes and tariffs may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, commodity-linked notes, commodity options and commodity swaps, than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.

 

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    Deflation and Inflation.  Deflation or unanticipated changes in the rate of inflation may result in changes in the future spot price of the underlying commodities that could negatively affect the Fund’s profitability and result in potential losses. In addition, reduced economic growth may lead to reduced demand for the underlying commodities and put downward pressure on future spot prices, adversely affecting the Fund’s operations and profitability.

 

    Risk of Temporary Market Aberrations or Distortions The Fund is subject to the risk that temporary aberrations or distortions in the markets (such as war, strikes, geopolitical events and natural disasters) will occur that impact commodity prices and negatively impact the value of the Fund’s positions, thereby adversely affecting the value of your shares.

 

    Volatility Risk The commodity markets have experienced periods of extreme volatility. General market uncertainty and consequent re-pricing risk have led to market imbalances of sellers and buyers, which in turn have resulted in significant reductions in values of a variety of commodities. Similar future market conditions may result in rapid and substantial valuation increases or decreases in the Fund’s holdings.

Position Limits . The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has position limit rules and certain commodity futures exchanges have position accountability levels that limit the amount of futures contracts that any one party may hold in a particular commodity at any point in time. These position limit rules are designed to prevent any one participant from controlling a significant portion of the market. In 2011, the CFTC adopted comprehensive regulations pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) that would have imposed new position limits on 28 physical commodity futures and options contracts (and on swaps that are economically equivalent to such contracts) in order to prevent excessive speculation and manipulation in the commodity markets. In 2012, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated these new position limit regulations and remanded the matter to the CFTC for further consideration consistent with the court’s opinion. In response to the court’s ruling, the CFTC in February 2014 proposed, and sought public comment on, revised position limit regulations, and such proposals are still under consideration by the CFTC. These proposed regulations, in their current or a revised form, or other regulations with similar effects, still may become effective in the future. The proposed regulations are extremely complex and, if ultimately implemented, whether in their current or an alternative form, may require further guidance and interpretation by the CFTC to determine in all respects how they apply to the Fund. The full implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy could be negatively impacted by the existing or any future position limit regulations.

It is possible that the Adviser will approach or reach position limits under the existing rules and, if so, will have a conflict of interest with respect to allocating limited positions among various accounts it manages. Further, the investment decisions of the Adviser may be modified to avoid exceeding regulatory position limits, potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses and forcing the Fund to forego certain opportunities. The CFTC’s existing position limit regulations require that a trader aggregate all positions in accounts over which the trader controls trading. However, a trader is not required to aggregate positions in multiple accounts or commodity pools if such trader (or its applicable divisions/subsidiaries) qualifies as an “independent account controller” under applicable CFTC regulations and avails itself of the independent account controller exemption under such regulations. Failure to comply with the requirements of the independent account controller exemption could lead to a CFTC enforcement proceeding against the Adviser and could adversely affect the Fund.

ETFs Risk.  The Fund may invest in other ETFs. The Fund’s investment performance may depend on the investment performance of the ETFs in which it invests. Similarly, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with those ETFs. The Fund will pay indirectly a proportional share of the fees and expenses of the ETFs in which it invests, while continuing to pay its own unitary management fee. As a result, shareholders indirectly will absorb duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other ETFs. In addition, at times certain segments of the market represented by the ETFs in which the Fund invest may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

ETN Risk . ETNs are a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that have characteristics and risks similar to those of fixed-income securities and trade on a major exchange similar to shares of ETFs. This type of debt security differs, however, from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index, minus applicable fees; no period coupon payments are distributed and no principal protections exist. The purpose of ETNs is to create a type of security that combines the aspects of both bonds and ETFs. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and other economic, legal, political or geographic events. If the Fund must sell some or all of its ETN holdings and the secondary market is weak, it may have to sell such holdings at a discount. If the Fund holds its investment in an ETN until maturity, the issuer will give the Fund a cash amount that would be equal to principal amount (subject to the day’s index factor). ETNs also are subject to credit risk, whereby the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a note is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

 

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Commodity Linked Notes.  Commodity-linked notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a commodity-linked derivative. Typically, commodity-linked notes are issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer at a specified face value. They usually pay interest at a fixed or floating rate until they mature. At maturity, the Fund receives a payment that is calculated based on the price increase or decrease of an underlying commodity-related variable and may be based on a multiple of the price movement of that variable. The underlying commodity-related variable may be a physical commodity, a commodity futures or option contract or a commodity index. The Fund typically has the right to “put” (or sell) a commodity-linked note to the issuer at any time, at a price that is calculated based on the price movement of the underlying variable.

Risks of Commodity-Linked Notes.  The Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes to gain exposure to commodities markets. Commodity-linked notes may be subject to special risks that do not affect traditional equity and debt securities:

 

    Risk of loss of interest . If the interest rate on a commodity-linked note is based on the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might receive lower interest payments (or not receive any interest) if the value of the underlying investment falls.

 

    Risk of loss of principal . To the extent that the amount of the principal to be repaid upon maturity is linked to the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, the value of the commodity, commodity index or other economic variable may not increase sufficiently so that the Fund might not receive a portion (or any) of the principal when the investment matures or upon earlier exchange.

 

    Credit risk . Commodity-linked notes are subject to credit risks on the underlying investment and to counterparty credit risk. If the counterparty fails to meet its obligations, the Fund may lose money.

 

    Valuation risk . The value of commodity-linked notes may be influenced by several factors, including: value of the commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, volatility, interest and yield rates in the market, the time remaining to maturity and the credit worthiness of the issuer of the commodity-linked note.

 

    Liquidity risk . A liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity-linked notes the Fund buys, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at an acceptable price or to accurately value them.

 

    Volatility risk . The value of the commodity-linked derivatives the Fund buys may fluctuate significantly because the values of the underlying investments to which they are linked are extremely volatile. Additionally, the particular terms of a commodity-linked note may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price increase or decrease of the underlying commodity, commodity index, or other economic variable. Economic leverage increases the volatility of the value of commodity-linked notes and their value may increase or decrease more quickly than the underlying commodity, commodity index or other economic variable.

Swap Agreements.  The Fund may enter into swap agreements, which are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party (the “Counterparty”) based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements usually will be done on a net basis, 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 swap 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.

Risks of Swap Agreements.  The risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default were to occur, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws that could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive). Swaps could result in losses for the Fund if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses. The Fund will earmark or segregate assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents in an amount equal to the aggregate market value of the swaps of which it is the seller, marked-to-market on a daily basis.

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements enhance the Fund’s total return will depend on the Adviser’s ability correctly to predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

Options.  The Fund may invest in options. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific asset at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer,” i.e., the party selling the

 

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option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of the asset held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of the asset it is committed to purchase. The Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the assets it holds or is committed to purchase.

Options on Futures Contracts.  An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put)at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. 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 purchase, 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 call options on equity securities or indices is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited only by the aggregate strike price of the put option less the premium received.

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

Risks of Options Transactions.  There are several risks accompanying the utilization of options on futures contracts. The risk of loss in trading uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. 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 option; however, this risk is substantially minimized because (a) of the regulatory requirement that the broker has to “segregate” customer funds from its corporate funds, and (b) in the case of regulated exchanges in the United States, the clearing corporation stands behind the broker to make good losses in such a situation. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect and a part or all of the premium paid therefore could be lost.

Counterparty Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives (such as swaps and forward contracts) may involve counterparties, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party in an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a swap counterparty, might default on a contract or fail to perform by not paying amounts due or fulfilling the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction. In that event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering its assets and may not receive any recovery at all. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund, which may cause the Fund to experience difficulty in purchasing or selling these instruments in a timely manner.

Commodity Pool Risk.  The Fund may invest in securities of pooled investment vehicles, including commodity pools. Commodity pools invest in futures contracts, which may be highly leveraged, and in markets which may be highly volatile. As such, commodity pools can suffer substantial losses. Such losses can reduce the value of an investment in the pool. In addition, restrictions on redemptions may affect the ability of the Fund to withdraw from its participation in the pool. Additionally, commodity pools may be subject to substantial charges for management, advisory and brokerage fees. It may be necessary for such pools to make substantial trading profits to avoid depletion or exhaustion of their assets.

CFTC Regulation.  Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) significantly limits the ability of certain regulated entities, including registered investment companies such as the Fund, to rely on an exclusion that would not require its investment adviser from registering with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”). However, under Rule 4.5, the investment adviser of a registered investment company may claim exclusion from registration as a CPO only if the registered investment company that it advises uses futures contracts solely for “bona fide hedging purposes” or limits its use of futures contracts for non-bona fide hedging purposes such that (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish non-bona fide hedging positions with respect to futures contracts do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio, or (ii) the aggregate “notional value” of the non-bona fide hedging commodity interests do not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio (taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions).

Because the Fund does not use futures contracts solely for “bona fide hedging purposes,” nor limit its use of positions in futures contracts in accordance with the requirements of Rule 4.5, the Fund is unable to rely on the exclusion from Rule 4.5 and therefore is subject to regulation under the CEA and CFTC rules as a commodity pool. The Adviser is registered as a CPO, and the Fund will be

 

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operated in accordance with CFTC rules. Registration as a commodity pool may have a negative impact on the ability of the Fund to engage in its planned investment program, while the Adviser’s registration as a CPO imposes additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, which could increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund. However, the Fund’s status as a commodity pool and the Adviser’s registration as a CPO are not expected to materially adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

Moreover, with the Adviser registered as a CPO, the Fund will be subject to dual regulation by the CFTC and the SEC. In 2012, the CFTC issued “harmonization” rules that permit CPOs of registered investment companies, such as the Fund, to rely on substituted compliance, whereby compliance with certain SEC rules is deemed compliant with certain CFTC rules with respect to disclosure and reporting requirements. The CFTC’s harmonization rules relating to disclosure and reporting requirements between the CFTC and the SEC should not materially affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective within the constraints of the dual regulation. If the Fund were to experience difficulty in implementing its investment strategies or achieving its investment objective, the Board may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or to materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies.

Regulatory Developments Could Significantly and Adversely Affect the Fund . Commodity markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations promulgated not only by the CFTC but also by self-regulatory organizations such as the National Futures Association. Among other things, the CFTC and the exchanges on which futures contracts are traded are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily limits and the suspension of trading. Any of these actions, if taken, could adversely affect the returns of the Fund by limiting or precluding investment decisions the Fund might otherwise make. The regulation of commodity transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. In addition, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the currency markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Fund.

Failure of a Clearing Broker.  Under current CFTC regulations, a clearing broker (or futures commission merchant) maintains customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Fund with the clearing broker as margin for futures contracts may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund’s clearing broker or the clearing broker’s own payment obligations. In addition, the assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of that clearing broker’s bankruptcy. In that event, the clearing broker’s customers, such as the Fund, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a pro rata share of all property, if any, available for distribution to all of that clearing broker’s customers. The Fund also may be subject to the risk of the failure of, or delay in performance by, any exchanges and their clearing organizations, if any, on which commodity interest contracts are traded. Similarly, the CEA requires a clearing organization approved by the CFTC as a derivatives clearing organization to segregate all funds and other property received from a clearing member’s clients in connection with domestic futures and options contracts from any funds held at the clearing organization to support the clearing member’s proprietary trading. Nevertheless, all customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any futures or options contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member’s individual customers. With respect to futures and options contracts, a clearing organization may use assets of a non-defaulting customer held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. As a result, in the event of a default of the clearing broker’s other clients or the clearing broker’s failure to extend its own funds in connection with any such default, the Fund would not be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited by the clearing broker on behalf of the Fund with the clearing organization.

Increased Competition . The Adviser believes that there has been, over time, an increase in interest in commodity investing. As the Adviser’s assets under management directly or indirectly invested in the commodities markets increases, an increasing number of traders may attempt to initiate or liquidate substantial positions at or about the same time as the Adviser, or otherwise alter historical trading patterns or affect the execution of trades, to the detriment of the Fund.

An Investment in the Fund May Not Necessarily Diversify an Investor’s Overall Portfolio.  The investment performance of commodities has shown little long-term historical correlation to the performance of other asset classes, such as domestic equities and bonds. Little correlation means that there is a low statistical relationship between the performance of commodity investments on the one hand, and domestic equities and bonds on the other hand. Because there is little long-term historical correlation, the Fund cannot be expected to be automatically profitable during unfavorable periods in the stock or bond markets, or vice versa. If, during a particular period of time, the Fund’s performance moves in the same general direction as the other financial markets, or the Fund performs unsuccessfully relative to overall commodity markets, you may obtain little or no diversification benefits during that period from an investment in the Fund’s shares. In such a case, the Fund may have no gains to offset your losses from such other investments, and you may suffer losses on your investment in the Fund at the same time losses on your other investments are increasing.

 

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Money Market Instruments.  The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable CDs, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s or has a similar rating from a comparable rating agency, or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; and (iv) money market mutual funds, including affiliated money market funds. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

U.S. Government Obligations.  The Fund may invest in short-term U.S. Government obligations. Short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities include bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, as well as “stripped” or “zero coupon” U.S. Treasury obligations representing future interest or principal payments on U.S. Treasury notes or bonds. Stripped securities are sold at a discount to their “face value,” and may exhibit greater price volatility than interest-bearing securities because investors receive no payment until maturity.

Short-term obligations of certain agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the former Student Loan Marketing Association (“SLMA”), are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s obligations; still others, although issued by an instrumentality chartered by the U.S. Government, like the Federal Farm Credit Bureau (“FFCB”), are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) into conservatorship.

Since that time, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage backed securities. While the purchase programs for mortgage-backed securities ended in 2010, the U.S. Treasury continued its support for the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth. No assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, or FHFA initiatives discussed above will ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue. In addition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are also the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. Government is considering multiple options, ranging from significant reform, nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.

The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreements to purchase preferred stock of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) also have imposed strict limits on the size of the mortgage portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In August 2012, the U.S. Treasury amended its preferred stock purchase agreements to provide that the portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be wound down at an annual rate of 15 percent (up from the previously agreed annual rate of 10 percent), requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reach the $250 billion target four years earlier than previously planned. Further, when a ratings agency downgraded long-term U.S. Government debt in August 2011, the agency also downgraded the bond ratings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from AAA to AA+, based on their direct reliance on the U.S. Government (although that rating did not directly relate to their mortgage-backed securities). The U.S. Government’s commitment to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have sufficient capital to meet their obligations was, however, unaffected by the downgrade.

The U.S. Treasury has put in place a set of financing agreements to help ensure that these entities continue to meet their obligations to holders of bonds they have issued or guaranteed. The U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so, in which case, if the issuer were to default, the Fund holding securities of such issuer might not be able to recover their investment from the U.S. Government.

Other Investment Companies.  The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, non-exchange traded U.S. registered open-end investment companies (mutual funds), closed-end investment companies, or non-U.S. investment companies traded on foreign exchanges beyond the limits permitted under the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to an affiliate of the Trust in 2012 pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the 1940 Act (the “2012 Order”). Absent such exemptive relief, the Fund’s investments in investment companies would be limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets of investment companies in the aggregate. However, as a non-fundamental restriction, the Fund may not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) and 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

Under the pertinent terms of the 2012 Order, the Fund may invest in registered investment companies in excess of the 3% limitations imposed by Sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(C) of the 1940 Act. The total amount of securities held by the Fund, both individually

 

12


and when aggregated with all other shares of the acquired fund held by other registered investment companies or private investment pools advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (as well as shares held by the Adviser and its affiliates) cannot exceed 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the acquired investment company, and none of these entities (including the Fund) may individually or collectively exert a controlling influence over the acquired investment company. The Fund may not rely on 2012 Order to acquire an investment company that itself has ownership of investment company shares in excess of the limitations contained in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act. To the extent necessary to comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act or the 2012 Order, on any matter upon which an underlying investment company’s shareholders are solicited to vote, the Adviser will vote the underlying investment company shares in the same general proportion as shares held by other shareholders of the underlying investment company.

In addition, an affiliate of the Trust previously obtained exemptive relief in 2007 (which extends to the Trust) that allows other investment companies to acquire shares of the Fund in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12(d)(1)(A) (the “2007 Order”). This relief is conditioned on those acquiring funds obtaining a participation agreement signed by both the acquiring fund and the fund that it wishes to acquire in excess of the 12(d)(1)(A) limitations. If the Fund relies on the 2012 Order, it will not enter into a participation agreement pursuant to the 2007 Order, and if the Fund has a signed participation agreement in effect pursuant to the 2007 Order, it will not rely on the 2012 Order.

Illiquid Securities.  The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are held in illiquid securities or other illiquid assets.

The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that dealers will make or maintain a market or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets.

Borrowing.  The Fund may borrow money from a bank or another person up to limits set forth in the section “Investment Strategies and Restrictions—Investment Restrictions” to meet shareholder redemptions, for temporary or emergency purposes and for other lawful purposes. Borrowed money will cost the Fund interest expense and/or other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing also may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations to repay borrowed monies. To the extent that the Fund has outstanding borrowings, it will be leveraged. Leveraging generally exaggerates the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Leverage.  In addition to structural leverage, such as the Fund’s bank borrowings, the Subsidiary may invest in portfolio investments, such as investments in commodity futures contracts and other derivatives, which may give rise to a form of economic leverage. Because derivatives may have a component of economic leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset can result in the magnification of gains or losses on the investment held by a fund, and depending on the investment can potentially result in a loss greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The total value of all investments of the Fund and the Subsidiary in instruments with economic leverage will be covered with segregated or ear-marked assets of the Fund in accordance with SEC guidance. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous for the Fund to do so.

Investment in the Subsidiary . The Fund will obtain futures contract exposure through investments in the Subsidiary, which may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of each tax year quarter. The Subsidiary may invest in commodity-linked futures contracts, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral or otherwise support the Subsidiary’s positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in such futures contracts. The Subsidiary otherwise is subject to the same general investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, references to the investment strategies of the Fund include the investment strategies of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act. As an investor in its Subsidiary, the Fund, as the Subsidiary’s sole shareholder, will not have the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investments in its Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary. Also, in managing the Subsidiary’s portfolio, the Adviser is subject to the same investment restrictions and operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Fund. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

 

13


Cybersecurity Risk.  The Fund, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks. Cyber security failures or breaches of the Fund or its service providers or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund calculates its portfolio turnover rate by dividing the value of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal period by the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal period. Portfolio turnover rates will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions. At the date of this SAI, the Fund has no operating history, and portfolio turnover information therefore is not available.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule.  The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. The Trust will also disclose a complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR after its second and fourth fiscal quarters.

The Trust’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs also may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202.942.8090. The Fund’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 630.933.9600 or 800.983.0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Portfolio Holdings Policy.  The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disseminated publicly each day that the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. As the Fund issues and redeems Creation Units principally for cash, information regarding the amount of cash representing one Creation Unit of the Fund is disseminated publicly each day prior to the opening of the Exchange via www. powershares.com/capitalmarkets. The Trust, the Adviser and The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM” or the “Administrator”) will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust. Access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be permitted at other times to personnel of third party service providers, including the Fund’s custodian, transfer agent, auditors and counsel, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with such service providers’ agreements with the Trust on behalf of the Fund.

MANAGEMENT

The primary responsibility of the Board is to represent the interests of the Fund and to provide oversight of the management of the Fund. The Trust currently has eight Trustees. Six Trustees have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or any of its affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser. These are the “non-interested” (as such term is defined under the 1940 Act) or “independent” Trustees (the “Independent Trustees”). One Trustee (the “Unaffiliated Trustee”) is an officer of a company that has engaged in securities transactions with clients advised by a sub-adviser to one or more PowerShares ETFs (which clients do not include the Fund), but is not an affiliated person of the Adviser. The remaining Trustee (the “Interested Trustee”) is affiliated with the Adviser.

The Independent Trustees of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex (defined below) overseen by each Independent Trustee, and other directorships, if any, held by the Trustee are shown below. The “Fund Complex” includes all open and closed-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Adviser and any funds that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Family” consists of the Trust and four other ETF trusts advised by the Adviser.

 

14


Name, Address and Year of Birth
of Independent Trustees

  

Positions
Held
with
Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees

  

Other Directorships
Held by
Independent Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Ronn R. Bagge—1958

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Trustee    Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Trustee since 2014    Founder and Principal, YQA Capital Management LLC (1998-Present); formerly Owner/CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Co., Inc. (high-speed rotating equipment service provider).    133    None

Todd J. Barre—1957

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2014    Assistant Professor of Business, Trinity Christian College (2010-2016); formerly Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001), BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank.    133    None

Marc M. Kole—1960

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Audit Committee and Trustee    Chairman of the Audit Committee and Trustee since 2014    Senior Director of Finance, By the Hand Club for Kids (2015-Present); formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Hope Network (social services)(2008-2012); Assistant Vice President and Controller, Priority Health (health insurance) (2005-2008); Senior Vice President of Finance, United Healthcare (2004-2005); Chief Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, Oxford Health Plans (2000-2004); Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000).    133    None

Yung Bong Lim—1964

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital

Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee and Trustee    Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee and Trustee since 2014    Managing Partner, Residential Dynamics Group LLC (2008- Present); formerly, Managing Director, Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007).    133    None

 

15


Name, Address and Year of Birth
of Independent Trustees

  

Positions
Held
with
Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees

  

Other Directorships
Held by
Independent Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Gary R. Wicker—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2014    Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries (publishing company) (2013 -Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Zondervan Publishing (a division of Harper Collins/NewsCorp) (2007-2012); Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999), divisions of The Thomson Corporation (information services provider).    133    None

Donald H. Wilson—1959

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Board and Trustee   

Chairman and Trustee

Since 2014

   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. (2010-Present); President and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. (2016-Present); formerly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Financial Shares, Inc. and Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (subsidiary) (2013-2015); Chief Operating Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (bank holding company) (2007-2009); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (2006-2007); Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (bank holding company) (1995-2006).    133    None

 

* This is the date the Independent Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

16


The Unaffiliated Trustee, his term of office and length of time served, his principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Unaffiliated Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Unaffiliated Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Unaffiliated Trustee

  

Position(s)
Held
with
Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During At Least the Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by

Unaffiliated
Trustees

  

Other Directorships
Held by
Unaffiliated Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Philip M. Nussbaum—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee**    Since 2014    Chairman, Performance Trust Capital Partners (2004-Present).    133    None

 

* This is the date the Unaffiliated Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
** Effective May 18, 2016, Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee.

 

17


The Interested Trustee and the executive officers of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Interested Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Interested Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Interested Trustee

  

Position(s)

Held
with
Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Interested
Trustees

  

Other Directorships
Held by Interested
Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Kevin M. Carome—1956

Invesco Ltd.

Two Peachtree Pointe

1555 Peachtree St., N.E.,

Suite 1800

Atlanta, GA 30309

   Trustee    Since 2014    Senior Managing Director, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Finance PLC, and Invesco Holding Company Limited; Director and Executive Vice President, Invesco Finance, Inc., Invesco Group Services, Invesco North American Holdings, Inc., Invesco Holding Company (US), Inc., and INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd; Executive Vice President (2008-Present), Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd., Manager, Horizon Flight Works LLC; Director and Secretary, Invesco Services (Bahamas) Private Limited; formerly, Director and Chairman, INVESCO Funds Group, Inc., Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2003-2006); Director, Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd. (2008-2016); Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (2000-2001); General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1998-2000); Associate General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1993-1998); Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP.    133    None

 

* This is the date the Interested Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

18


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

Daniel E. Draper—1968

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   President and Principal Executive Officer    Since 2015    President and Principal Executive Officer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2015-Present); Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer (2016-Present) and Managing Director (2013-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-2015) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-2015); Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (2010-2013) and Lyxor Asset Management/Societe Generale (2007-2010).

Steven M. Hill—1964

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President and Treasurer    Since 2014    Vice President and Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global ETF Administration, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2011-Present); Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); formerly, Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Destra Capital Management LLC and its subsidiaries (2010-2011); Chief Financial Officer, Destra Investment Trust and Destra Investment Trust II (2010-2011); Senior Managing Director, Claymore Securities, Inc. (2003-2010); and Chief Financial Officer, Claymore sponsored mutual funds (2003-2010).

 

19


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

Peter Hubbard—1981

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management,Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); formerly, Vice President of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2008-2010); Portfolio Manager, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2007-2008); Research Analyst, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2005-2007); Research Analyst and Trader, Ritchie Capital, a hedge fund operator (2003-2005).

Christopher Joe—1969

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046-1173

   Chief Compliance Officer    Since 2014    Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); Chief Compliance Officer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Chief Compliance Officer, Invesco Investment Advisers, LLC (registered investment adviser) (2010-2013), U.S. Compliance Director, Invesco, Ltd. (2006-2014) and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2014-2015).

 

20


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

Sheri Morris—1964

Invesco Management Group, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046-1173

   Vice President    Since 2014    President and Principal Executive Officer, The Invesco Funds (2016-Present); Treasurer, The Invesco Funds (2008-Present); Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser) (2009-Present) and Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President and Principal Financial Officer, The Invesco Funds (2008-2016); Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-2013); Vice President, Invesco Aim Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.; Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds and Assistant Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.

Anna Paglia—1974

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Secretary    Since 2014    Secretary, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Legal (2010-Present) and Secretary (2015-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; formerly, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (formerly, Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLP) (2007-2010); Associate Counsel at Barclays Global Investors Ltd. (2004-2006).

Rudolf E. Reitmann—1971

Invesco PowerShares

Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global Exchange Traded Funds Services, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2013-Present).

 

21


Name, Address and Year of Birth of

Executive Officer

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

David Warren—1957

Invesco Canada Ltd.

5140 Yonge Street,

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X7

   Vice President    Since 2014    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Managing Director—Chief Administrative Officer, Americas, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Inc. (2009-Present); Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (2007-Present); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.); Chief Administrative Officer, North American Retail, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Corporate Class Inc. (2014-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate Feeder GP Ltd. (2015-Present); Director, Invesco Canada Holdings Inc. (2002-Present); Director, Invesco Financial Services Ltd. / Services Financiers Invesco Ltée and Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée (2014-Present); Director, Invesco IP Holdings (Canada) Ltd. (2016-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate GP Ltd. (2015-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Inc. (2009-2015); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.) (2000-2011).

 

* This is the date the officer began serving the Trust. Each officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

As of December 31, 2016, none of the Trustees held securities in the Fund. However, each Trustee beneficially owns more than $100,000 in securities in the Funds of the Fund Complex.

For each Trustee, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee in the Fund and in all registered investment companies overseen by the Trustee as of December 31, 2016 is shown below.

 

Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in PowerShares
Bloomberg Commodity
Strategy Portfolio
   Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Trustee  in Fund Family

Ronn R. Bagge

   None    Over $100,000

Todd J. Barre

   None    Over $100,000

Marc M. Kole

   None    Over $100,000

Yung Bong Lim

   None    Over $100,000

Philip M. Nussbaum

   None    Over $100,000

Gary R. Wicker

   None    Over $100,000

Donald H. Wilson

   None    Over $100,000

Kevin M. Carome

   None    Over $100,000

 

22


The dollar range of Shares for Messrs. Bagge, Lim and Nussbaum includes Shares of certain funds in which each of Messrs. Bagge, Lim and Nussbaum is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Trust’s deferred compensation plan (“DC Plan”), which is described below.

As of December 31, 2016, as to each Independent Trustee and the Unaffiliated Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.

Board and Committee Structure.  As noted above, the Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser for the Fund, under the investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Board generally expects to meet in regularly scheduled meetings five times a year, and may meet more often as required. For the fiscal period ending October 31, 2016, the Board held six meetings.

The Board has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Investment Oversight Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, and has delegated certain responsibilities to those Committees.

Messrs. Kole (Chair), Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) approve and recommend to the Board the selection of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, (ii) review the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s audit activity, (iii) review the audited financial statements and (iv) review with such independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy and the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting. For the fiscal period ending October 31, 2016, the Audit Committee met eleven times.

Messrs. Bagge (Chair), Barre, Kole, Lim, Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to identify and recommend individuals for Board membership and evaluate candidates for Board membership. The Board will consider recommendations for trustees from shareholders. Nominations from shareholders should be in writing and sent to the Secretary of the Trust to the attention of the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, as described below under the caption “Shareholder Communications.” For the fiscal period ending October 31, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee met four times.

Messrs. Bagge, Barre, Lim (Chair) and Nussbaum currently serve as members of the Investment Oversight Committee. The Investment Oversight Committee has the responsibility, among other things, (i) to review the investment performance of the Fund, (ii) to review any proposed changes to the Fund’s investment policies, comparative benchmark indices, and (iii) to review the Fund’s market trading activities and portfolio transactions. For the fiscal period ending October 31, 2016, the Investment Oversight Committee met four times.

Mr. Wilson, one of the Independent Trustees, serves as the chair of the Board (the “Independent Chair”). The Independent Chair, among other things, chairs the Board meetings, participates in the preparation of the Board agendas and serves as a liaison between, and facilitates communication among, the other Independent Trustees, the full Board, the Adviser and other service providers with respect to Board matters. The Chairs of each Committee also serve as liaisons between the Adviser and other service providers and the other Independent Trustees for matters pertaining to the respective Committee. The Board believes that its current leadership structure is appropriate taking into account the assets and number of funds overseen by the Trustees, the size of the Board and the nature of the funds’ business, as the Interested Trustee and officers of the Trust provide the Board with insight as to the daily management of the funds while the Independent Chair promotes independent oversight of the funds by the Board.

Risk Oversight.  The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including operational, investment and compliance risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, as part of its oversight responsibilities, oversees the services provided by the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers in connection with the management and operations of the Fund, as well as their associated risks. Under the oversight of the Board, the Trust, the Adviser and other service providers have adopted policies, procedures and controls to address these risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, receives and reviews information from the Adviser, other service

 

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providers, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Trust counsel and counsel to the Independent Trustees to assist it in its oversight responsibilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, reports regarding the Fund’s investments, including Fund performance and investment practices, valuation of Fund portfolio securities, and compliance. The Board also reviews, and must approve any proposed changes to, the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, and reviews any areas of non-compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. The Audit Committee monitors the Trust’s accounting policies, financial reporting and internal control system and reviews any internal audit reports impacting the Trust. As part of its compliance oversight, the Board reviews the annual compliance report issued by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer on the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers, proposed changes to those policies and procedures and quarterly reports on any material compliance issues that arose during the period.

Experience, Qualifications and Attributes . As noted above, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending trustee candidates. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews the background and the educational, business and professional experience of trustee candidates and the candidates’ expected contributions to the Board. Trustees selected to serve on the Board are expected to possess relevant skills and experience, time availability and the ability to work well with the other Trustees. In addition to these qualities and based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications and attributes and the Trustees’ combined contributions to the Board, following is a brief summary of the information that led to the conclusion that each Board member should serve as a Trustee.

Mr. Bagge has served as a trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee with the Fund Family since 2003. He founded YQA Capital Management, LLC in 1998 and has since served as a principal. Previously, Mr. Bagge was the owner and CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Company from 1988 to 2001. He began his career as a securities analyst for institutional investors, including CT&T Asset Management and J.C. Bradford & Co. The Board considered that Mr. Bagge has served as a board member or advisor for several privately held businesses and charitable organizations and the executive, investment and operations experience that Mr. Bagge has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Barre has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He served as Assistant Professor of Business at Trinity Christian College from 2010 to 2016. Previously, he served in various positions with BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank, including Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001). From 1983 to 1994, Mr. Barre was with the Office of the Manager of Investments at Commonwealth Edison Co. He also was a staff accountant at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. from 1981 to 1983. The Board considered the executive, financial and investment experience that Mr. Barre has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Carome has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He has served as the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Invesco Ltd. since 2006, and has held various senior executive positions with Invesco Ltd. since 2003. Previously, he served in various positions with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., including Senior Vice President and General Counsel (2000-2001), General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries (1998-2000) and Associate General Counsel (1993-1998). Prior to his employment with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., Mr. Carome was an associate with Ropes & Gray LLP. The Board considered Mr. Carome’s senior executive position with Invesco Ltd.

Mr. Kole has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and Chairman of the Audit Committee since 2008. He has been the Senior Director of Finance of By The Hand Club for Kids since 2015. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Hope Network from 2008 to 2012. He also was the Assistant Vice President and Controller at Priority Health from 2005 to 2008, Senior Vice President of Finance of United Healthcare from 2004 to 2005 and Senior Vice President of Finance of Oxford Health Plans from 2000 to 2004. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Kole is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Kole has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Lim has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has been a Managing Partner of Residential Dynamics Group LLC since 2008. Previously, he was a Managing Director and the Head of the Securitized Products Group of Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007). Prior to his employment with Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C., he was a Managing Director with Salomon Smith Barney. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Lim has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Nussbaum has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2003. He has served as the Chairman of Performance Trust Capital Partners since 2004 and was the Executive Vice President of Finance from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Nussbaum also served as Managing Director of the Communication Institute from 2002 to 2003. Prior to joining Performance Trust Capital Partners in 1994, he was a Vice President at Clayton Brown & Associates. Before that, he was a senior examiner with the Financial Markets Unit of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Board considered the executive, financial, investment and operations experience that Mr. Nussbaum has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

 

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Mr. Wicker has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has served as Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries since 2013. He was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zondervan Publishing from 2007 to 2012. Previously, he held various positions with divisions of The Thomson Corporation, including Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999). Prior to that, Mr. Wicker was Senior Manager in the Audit and Business Advisory Services Group of Price Waterhouse (1985-1996). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wicker is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wicker has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wilson has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and as the Independent Chair since 2012. He also served as lead Independent Trustee in 2011. He has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Advisers, Ltd. since 2010 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. since 2016. Previously, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Financial Shares, Inc. and its subsidiary, Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (2013-2015), and was the Chief Operating Officer (2007-2009) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2006-2007) of AMCORE Financial, Inc. Mr. Wilson also served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. from 1995 to 2006. He started his career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, serving in several roles in the bank examination division and the economic research division. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wilson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wilson has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

This disclosure is not intended to hold out any Trustee as having any special expertise and shall not impose greater duties, obligations or liabilities on the Trustees. The Trustees’ principal occupations during the past five years or more are shown in the above tables.

For services as a Trustee of the Trust and other trusts in the Fund Family, each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee receives an annual retainer of $250,000 (the “Retainer”). The Retainer is allocated half pro rata among all of the funds in the Fund Family and the other half is allocated among all of the funds in the Fund Family based on average net assets. Mr. Wilson receives an additional $78,000 per year for his service as the Independent Chair, allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. The chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee of $28,000 per year and the chairs of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Investment Oversight Committee each receive an additional fee of $17,000 per year, all allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. Effective January 1, 2017, the Retainer increased to $290,000. Also effective January 1, 2017, the additional fee for the Independent Chair increased to $100,000. Each Trustee also is reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings.

The DC Plan allows each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee to defer payment of all, or a portion, of the fees the Trustee receives for serving on the Board throughout the year. Each eligible Trustee generally may elect to have deferred amounts credited with a return equal to the total return of one or more registered investment companies within the Fund Family that are offered as investment options under the DC Plan. At the Trustee’s election, distributions are either in one lump sum payment, or in the form of equal annual installments over a period of years designated by the Trustee. The rights of an eligible Trustee and the beneficiaries to the amounts held under the DC Plan are unsecured and such amounts are subject to the claims of the creditors of the Fund. The Independent Trustees and the Unaffiliated Trustee are not eligible for any pension or profit sharing plan in their capacity as Trustees.

The following sets forth the fees paid to each Trustee for the fiscal year October 31, 2016.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation From
Trust
     Pension or Retirement
Benefits accrued as part of
Fund Expenses
     Total Compensation Paid
From Fund Family (1)
 

Independent Trustees

        

Ronn R. Bagge

   $ 1,764        N/A      $ 262,500  

Todd J. Barre

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

 

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Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation From
Trust
     Pension or Retirement
Benefits accrued as part of
Fund Expenses
     Total Compensation Paid
From Fund Family (1)
 

Marc M. Kole

   $ 1,835        N/A      $ 273,334  

Yung Bong Lim

   $ 1,764        N/A      $ 262,500  

Gary R. Wicker

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

Donald H. Wilson

   $ 2,166        N/A      $ 322,500  

Unaffiliated Trustee

        

Philip M. Nussbaum (2)

   $ 1,651        N/A      $ 245,833  

Interested Trustee

        

Kevin M. Carome

     N/A        N/A        N/A  

 

(1) The amounts shown in this column represent the aggregate compensation paid by all funds of the trusts in the Fund Family for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, before deferral by the Trustees under the DC Plan. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, both Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum deferred 100% of his compensation, and Mr. Bagge deferred 10% of his compensation from November 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.
(2) Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee on May 18, 2016, but prior to that he was an Independent Trustee.

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned less than 1% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

Principal Holders and Control Persons.  As of the date of this SAI, no person owned of record more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Communications.  Shareholders may send communications to the Trustees by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Other shareholder communications the Trust receives not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

Investment Adviser.  The Adviser provides investment tools and portfolios for advisers and investors. The Adviser is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline is rooted deeply in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions.

The Adviser acts as investment adviser for, and manages the investment and reinvestment of, the assets of the Fund. The Adviser also administers the Trust’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC was organized February 7, 2003 and is located at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Invesco Ltd. is the parent company of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC and is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries are an independent global investment management group.

Portfolio Managers.  The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers (the “Portfolio Managers”), investment strategists and other investment specialists. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s resources. Peter Hubbard oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Adviser. In this capacity, Mr. Hubbard receives management assistance from Theodore Samulowitz in the day-to-day management of the Fund.

As of October 31, 2016, Mr. Hubbard managed 125 registered investment companies with a total of approximately $59.9 billion in assets, 67 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $51.1 billion in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2016, Mr. Samulowitz managed 18 registered investment companies with a total of approximately $2.3 billion in assets, 12 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $5.6 billion in assets and no other accounts.

 

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Description of Compensation Structure.  The Portfolio Managers are compensated with a fixed salary amount by the Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of the Adviser will review management bonuses and, depending upon the size, the bonuses may be approved in advance by the Compensation Committee. There is no policy regarding, or agreement with, the Portfolio Managers or any other senior executive of the Adviser to receive bonuses or any other compensation in connection with the performance of any of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers.

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund had not yet commenced operations and none of the Portfolio Managers beneficially own any Shares of the Fund.

Investment Advisory Agreement.  Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee. The Adviser is responsible for all expenses of the Fund, including the costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for advisory fees, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses (as set forth under the Investment Advisory Agreement). For the Adviser’s services to the Fund, the Fund has agreed to pay a unitary management fee, paid monthly, equal to 0.59% of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the fees that it receives under the management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through August 31, 2018. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of these fees past that date.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Investment Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following the initial term of the Investment Advisory Agreement) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of that Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund.

The Adviser also serves as the Subsidiary’s investment adviser, pursuant to a separate investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and is not subject to the regulatory protections of the 1940 Act. Thus the Fund, as an investor in the Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, because the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Adviser is subject to the oversight of the Board of the Trust, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or the Fund’s shareholders.

The investment advisory agreement with the Subsidiary continues indefinitely; however, the agreement automatically will terminate if the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser is terminated, by assignment or otherwise. In addition, the Trust, as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, may terminate the agreement between the Subsidiary and the Adviser at any time, without penalty, on sixty days notice. As part of the Board’s annual consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, the Board also will consider the Adviser’s performance with regard to the Subsidiary. Payments to Financial Intermediaries.  The Adviser may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser had arrangements to make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, only to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). Pursuant to the arrangement with Schwab, Schwab has agreed to promote select exchange-traded funds advised by the Adviser to Schwab’s customers and not to charge certain of its customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of those funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker-dealer or intermediary and its clients. These amounts are paid by the Adviser from its own resources and not from the assets of the Fund.

Administrator.  BNYM serves as administrator for the Fund. Its principal address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

BNYM serves as Administrator for the Fund pursuant to a fund administration and accounting services agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) with the Trust. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, BNYM is obligated, on a continuous basis, to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNYM generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust’s and the Fund’s operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other service providers); assist in preparing reports to shareholders or investors; prepare and file tax returns; supply financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC and various state Blue Sky authorities; and supply supporting documentation for meetings of the Board.

 

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Pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties.

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent.  BNYM (the “Custodian” or “Transfer Agent”), located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, also serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). BNYM also serves as the custodian for the Subsidiary. As Custodian, BNYM holds the Fund’s assets, calculates the NAV of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. BNYM also serves as transfer agent of the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Further, BNYM serves as fund accounting agent pursuant to a fund accounting agreement (the “Fund Accounting Agreement”). As compensation for the foregoing services, BNYM receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees, which are accrued daily and paid annually by the Adviser from the Advisory Fee.

Distributor.  Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of the Fund’s Shares. The Distributor’s principal address is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes the Fund’s Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described in the Prospectus and below under the heading “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ written notice by the Trust to the Distributor (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).

Aggregations.  The Distributor does not distribute Shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus (or a Summary Prospectus) and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Unit Aggregations 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Participating Parties (as defined in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations” below) and DTC Participants (as defined in “DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Fund Shares” below).

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policy of the Adviser regarding purchases and sales of securities is to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions under the circumstances. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Adviser’s policies are to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers. The sale of Shares by a broker-dealer is not a factor in the selection of broker-dealers.

In seeking to implement its policies, the Adviser effects transactions with those broker-dealers that the Adviser believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. The Adviser currently does not participate in soft dollar transactions.

The Adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, the Adviser allocates transactions in such securities among the funds, the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price under the circumstances.

 

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Affiliated Transactions . The Adviser may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (“ICMI”) a broker-dealer with whom it is affiliated, provided the Adviser determines that ICMI’s trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser could otherwise place similar trades. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Funds and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 23, 2013 pursuant to the Declaration of Trust.

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series or “funds.” The Trust currently is composed of two series. The Board has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. The Declaration of Trust provides that the assets associated solely with any series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets of the Trust generally or of any other series, and that liabilities belonging to a particular series shall be enforceable only against the assets belonging to that series and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against the assets belonging to any other series.

Each Share issued by the Fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of the Fund. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and other distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund and in the Fund’s net distributable assets on liquidation.

Each Share has 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. Should the Board establish additional series in the future, the Shares of all funds of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund, and, if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, the shares of that fund will vote separately on such matter.

The Trustees may, except in limited circumstances, amend or supplement the Declaration of Trust without shareholder vote. The holders of Shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Fund, and ownership of Shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation.

The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 33% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust have the right to call a special meeting to remove one or more Trustees or for any other purpose by written request provided that (1) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (2) the shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such shareholders.

The Trust’s bylaws require that to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring derivatively or directly (i) any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware statutory or common law, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or bylaws; or (iv) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held by DTC Participants (as defined below).

Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

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

DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Shares.  Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

 

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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 also is 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 DTC maintains (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 and sale of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is affected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the 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 DTC Participant may transmit such notice, statement or communication, 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.

Fund 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 immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the 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.

Proxy Voting.  The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser votes such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are summarized in Appendix A to this SAI. The Board periodically reviews the Fund’s proxy voting record.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Trust also is available at no charge upon request by calling 800-983-0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Trust’s Form N-PX also will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Codes of Ethics.  Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has adopted a Code of Ethics for the Trust and approved Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser and the Distributor (collectively, the “Ethics Codes”). The Ethics Codes are intended to ensure that the interests of shareholders and other clients are placed ahead of any personal interest, that no undue personal benefit is obtained from the person’s employment activities and that actual and potential conflicts of interest are avoided.

The Ethics Codes apply to the personal investing activities of Trustees and officers of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor (“Access Persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Ethics Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under the Ethics Codes, Access Persons may engage in personal securities transactions, but must report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The Ethics Codes permit personnel subject to the Ethics Codes to

 

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invest in securities subject to certain limitations, including securities that the Fund may purchase or sell. In addition, certain Access Persons must obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements. The Ethics Codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.942.8090. The Ethics Codes are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov . The Ethics Codes may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

Creation.  The Trust issues Shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their NAVs next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form.

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

Deposit Cash.  Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund are issued for cash, calculated based on the NAV per Share multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (previously defined as “Deposit Cash”), plus a fixed and/or variable transaction fee, as discussed below.

Right to Request Deposit Securities.  The Fund reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in-kind, in certain circumstances, although it does not currently expect to do so. If in-kind creations are permitted or required, an investor must deposit a designated portfolio of securities (previously defined as the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit Aggregation constituting a substantial replication of the securities included in the Fund (“Fund Securities”) and an amount of cash (previously defined as the “Cash Component”) computed as discussed below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund. If in-kind Creations are permitted or required, the Adviser expects that the Deposit Securities would correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to the securities held by the Fund at the time. In such event, the Cash Component would represent the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit as the market value of the Deposit Securities.

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the “Balancing Amount.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the “Deposit Amount”—an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number ( i.e.,  the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the AP will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number ( i.e.,  the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the creator will receive the Cash Component.

To the extent that the Fund permits or requires Creation Units in-kind, each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund will be available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

If the Fund utilizes in-kind creations, the identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to time by the Adviser. In addition, during any time the Fund permits in-kind creations, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash—i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount—to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, (iii) might not be eligible for trading by an AP (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting, or (iv) another relevant reason. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with the acquisition of Deposit Securities not eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, and hence not eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, will be at the expense of the Fund and will affect the value of all Shares; but the Adviser may adjust the transaction fee within the parameters described above to protect shareholders. 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, resulting from certain corporate actions.

Creations and redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund always reserves the right to redeem Creation Aggregations for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities under such laws. An AP (defined below) or an investor for

 

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which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. An AP (as defined below) that is not a qualified institutional buyer (“QIB”) as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations.  To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see the “Book Entry Only System” section), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “AP.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of APs that have signed a Participant Agreement. All Fund Shares, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

The Distributor must receive all orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), in each case on the date such order is placed (the “Transmittal Date”) in order for creation of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. If the Fund permits creation units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities, it may allow an AP to place a custom order, whereby cash replaces any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such AP or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. In the case of custom orders, the Distributor must receive the order no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date.

On days when a listing exchange close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Fund may require orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations to be placed earlier in the day on the Transmittal Date. Orders must be transmitted by an AP by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Orders to create Creation Units of the Fund may be placed through the Clearing Process (see “—Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process (see “—Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an AP.

All orders from investors who are not APs to create Creation Unit Aggregations shall be placed with an AP, in the form required by such AP. In addition, the AP may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases, there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those placing orders for Creation Unit Aggregations through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date. Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Deposit Cash (or, if applicable, the Deposit Securities and accompanying Cash Component).

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

An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process that is made in proper form but received by the Trust after Closing Time (“T-1”) will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that the order was placed, and it will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. That next Business Day will be deemed the Transmittal Date. The Creation Unit will be transferred no later than the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+3”). However, because the Fund will invest primarily in futures contracts, which typically settle one Business Day after the Transmittal Date, the Creation Unit may be delivered on the first Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+1”).

 

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Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process.  Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement pre-approved by the Adviser and the Distributor. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units of the Fund does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through a transfer of cash and/or securities directly through DTC. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite amount of Deposit Cash (or, if permitted, the requisite number of Deposit Securities) through DTC to the account of the Fund by no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on T+1.

A standard creation order must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for purchases of Shares, in order for the date the order is placed to be deemed the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom orders (during times when the Fund permits in-kind creations), the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time to be deemed the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a creation order. The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and the Custodian upon receipt of a creation order.

During times when the Fund permits Creation Units to be issued in exchange for Deposit Securities rather than Deposit Cash, the AP must make available no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, by means approved by the Trust, immediately available or same day funds sufficient for the Trust to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fee. Any excess funds from such Cash Component will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit Aggregation. The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed, provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on such date, and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Transfer Agent by 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, the next Business Day, then the order may be canceled, and the AP shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, that the Fund may incur in purchasing securities for the Creation Unit. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current Deposit Securities along with the Cash Component.

At times when the Fund permits in-kind creations, and in accordance with a Fund’s Participant Agreement, Creation Unit Aggregations may be issued to an AP in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, the AP must deposit cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The Adviser may change the required percentage of the Additional Cash Deposit from time to time. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.

All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. In the event of in-kind creations, the amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, by the “regular way” settlement date. An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor no later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Custodian does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, respectively, by the “regular way” settlement date, such order will be canceled. Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions made in connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units. (See “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees” sections below.)

The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created will occur no later than T+3. However, because the Fund will invest in futures contracts, which typically settle T+1, the settlement and delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations may occur on T+1. For more information, see the chart below setting forth the timing for placement of creation and redemption orders.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations.  The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities (if permitted) delivered are not as designated for that date by the Custodian, 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, Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of Beneficial Owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of

 

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the Trust, the Custodian, the Distributor or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit Aggregation and/or the AP acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Transfer Agent are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

A confirmation of acceptance of an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of a submission received in good form. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

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

Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees.  APs may be required to pay an administrative fee and a variable transaction fee for purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. Creation and redemption transactions for the Fund are subject to an administrative fee of $500, payable to BNYM, irrespective of the size of the order. The administrative fee has a fixed base amount for each Fund; however, BNYM may increase the administrative fee to up to $2,000 for administration and settlement of non-standard orders requiring additional administrative processing by BNYM. Finally, because of the Fund purchases and sells its investments in commodity-linked futures contracts on futures exchanges, the Adviser may set additional variable fees separate from the fees already described that are payable to the Fund up to 2% of the value of each Creation Unit. These variable fees will be negotiated between the Adviser and the AP and are charged to offset the transaction cost to the Fund of buying (or selling) Deposit Securities, to cover spreads and slippage costs and to protect existing shareholders against sudden movements in the prices of the portfolio investments due to market events. From time to time, the Adviser, in its sole discretion, may adjust the Fund’s variable transaction fees or reimburse APs for all or a portion of the creation or redemption transaction fees. If imposed, such fees would be on orders received by the Adviser between 9:00 a.m., Eastern time and 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Transmittal Date. Orders received prior to 9:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date or after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on T-1 will not be charged these additional variable fees.

Redemption of Fund Shares in Creation Unit Aggregations.  Creation Units of the Fund will be redeemed for cash in an amount equal to the NAV of its Shares next determined after a redemption request is received (minus any redemption transaction fees imposed, as specified above) (the “Cash Redemption Amount”). Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Unit Aggregations at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Custodian and only on a Business Day. The Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Unit Aggregations. Beneficial owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit Aggregation in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit Aggregation. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit Aggregation.

To the extent that the Fund permits Creation Units to be redeemed in-kind, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day will be made available. Information on the specific names and holdings of Fund Securities also will be available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Unit Aggregations.

For in-kind redemptions, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit Aggregation generally consist of Fund Securities—as announced on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form—plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Redemption Cash Component”), less a redemption transaction fee as noted above (see “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees”). In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Fund Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an AP by the redeeming shareholder.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE 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 or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.

 

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If the Fund permits in-kind redemptions, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An AP or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. This would specifically prohibit delivery of Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the Securities Act, to a redeeming investor that is not a QIB, as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act. The AP may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment.

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process.  Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations must be delivered through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors other than APs are responsible for making arrangements for an order to redeem to be made through an AP. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Custodian not later than the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that redemption requested was placed, and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or, if in-kind redemptions are permitted, Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component) will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the Transmittal Date.

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process.  Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of Shares of the Fund, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time (for the Shares), on the next Business Day immediately following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”) and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, for any Redemption Cash Component, if any owed to the Fund; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, it will send an acceptance of the redemption order to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of the submission received in good form. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance. The Trust will then initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or, if in-kind redemptions are permitted, Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component, if any, owed to the redeeming Beneficial Owner), which is expected to be delivered to the AP on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received).

A standard order for redemption of Shares must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom redemptions (during periods when the Fund permits in-kind redemptions), the custom order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date. Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Should the Fund permit redemptions in-kind, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and in such instances, the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so first without registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

At times when the Fund were to permit in-kind redemptions, and the number of Shares is insufficient on T+1, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities or the Redemption Cash Component to the AP notwithstanding such deficiency, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible. This undertaking shall be secured by such AP’s delivery on the contractual settlement date (and subsequent maintenance) of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105% of the value of the missing Shares. The AP’s agreement permits the Trust, acting in good faith, to purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP will be subject to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, including other expenses incurred by the Trust, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

For in-kind redemptions, the calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered or received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of NAV” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the

 

35


requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, a redemption order is submitted to the Custodian by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date but either (i) the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, on the Transmittal Date or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day that the order is received by the Trust (i.e., the Business Day on which Shares of the Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off-Time on such Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order).

If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, 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 addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee for cash redemptions, as specified above, to offset the Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities).

Upon receipt of a redemption order in good form, the Transfer Agent deliver acknowledgement of receipt within 15 minutes. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

Additionally, to the extent that the Fund issues redemptions in-kind, the Fund, in its sole discretion, and upon request of a shareholder, may provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, or cash-in-lieu of some Fund Securities, but in no event will the total value of the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An AP or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The AP may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

The chart below describes in further detail the placement of creation and redemption orders through and outside the Clearing Process, presuming a creation or redemption settling no later than T+3. However, because the Fund will invest in futures contracts, which typically settle one Business Day following the Transmittal Date, creations and redemptions for the Fund may settle as soon as T+1. In the latter case, the detail in the chart below under the column labeled T+3 would occur under the column labeled T+1.

 

    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second
Business Day
(T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Creation through NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
Custom Orders (for in-kind creations, when permitted)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

 

36


    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second
Business Day
(T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Creation Outside NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Cash must be received by the Custodian.

 

For in-kind creations:

11:00 a.m. (ET) Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
Standard Orders created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the Deposit Securities (for in-kind creations, when permitted)   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Available Deposit Securities must be received.

 

Cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities must be received.

   No action.   

1:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Missing Deposit Securities are due to the Trust or the Trust may use cash on deposit to purchase missing Deposit Securities.

 

Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

Custom Orders (for in-kind creations, when permitted)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

Redemption Through NSCC

           
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.   

Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred.

 

(For in-kind redemptions, when permitted, Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner.)

 

37


    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second
Business Day
(T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Custom Orders

(for in-kind redemptions, when permitted)

  

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner.
Redemption Outside of NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

For in-kind redemptions:

2:00 p.m. (ET) Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

   No action.   

Cash Redemption Amount is delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner.

 

(For in-kind redemptions, when permitted, Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component are delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner.)

Custom Orders (for in-kind redemptions, when permitted)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

      Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component are delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner.

TAXES

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following is provided as general information only and is not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

General; Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”).  The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal tax purposes and, therefore, is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs (defined in the next paragraph) described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in the Fund would not offset gains in another series of the Trust, and the requirements (other than a certain organizational requirement that the Trust satisfies) for qualifying for RIC status are determined at the series level rather than the Trust level.

The Fund intends to elect to be, and to qualify each taxable year to be treated as, a RIC under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If it satisfies the requirements referred to in the next sentence, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net realized capital

 

38


gains that it distributes to its shareholders. To qualify for that treatment, the Fund annually must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“net short-term gain”), and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) (“Distribution Requirement”) and must meet several other requirements, including those described below, relating to the nature of its gross income and the diversification of its assets.

Income Requirement . The Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in stock, securities, or such currencies and (2) net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

Asset Diversification Requirements . The Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification requirements at the close of each quarter of its taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and securities of any other issuer (as to which (a) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is in securities of the issuer and (b) the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or, collectively, in the securities of QPTPs.

If the Fund failed to qualify for any taxable year for treatment as a RIC—either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement or (2) by failing to satisfy one or more of the Income and Asset Diversification Requirements and is unable, or determines not to, avail itself of Internal Revenue Code provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of those requirements as long as the failure “is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect” and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements— all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular federal corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, for federal income tax purposes (a) the Fund’s shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), as dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxable as ordinary income, except that, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”), the part thereof that is “qualified dividend income” (“QDI”) would be subject to federal income tax at the rates for net capital gain—a maximum of 15% (20% for certain high income individual shareholders), and (b) all or part of those distributions might be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders that meet certain holding period and other requirements regarding their Shares. Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, if any, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment.

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute to its shareholders by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for the calendar year plus its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus certain other amounts. For these purposes, the Fund may defer into the next taxable year any capital loss incurred between November 1 and the end of the current taxable year as well as certain “late-year ordinary losses” incurred between January 1 and the end of the current taxable year. Generally, it is the Fund’s policy to pay sufficient dividends and make other sufficient distributions each year to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax, but the Fund can give no assurance that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided.

The Trust has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, on obtaining the ordered Shares, own 80% or more of the Fund’s outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities to be received in exchange for the ordered Shares different from their market value 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.

Taxation of Shareholders.  Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income and net short-term gain, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income (except for QDI, as described below). Distributions a shareholder reinvests in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service will be taxable to the shareholder to the same extent as if the distributions had been received in cash. Distributions to a shareholder of net capital gain, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held his or her Shares. Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes.

Distributions that the Fund declares in October, November, or December and pays to shareholders of record in one of those months during the following January are treated as having been received by the shareholders on December 31 of the year the distributions were declared.

If, for any taxable year, the total distributions that the Fund makes exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will, for federal income tax purposes, be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of the shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares

 

39


and thereafter as gain from the sale of those Shares. The amount so treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of those Shares.

The sale or redemption (“disposition”) of Shares may give rise to a capital gain or loss, which generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of individual shareholders generally are subject to federal income tax at the 15%/20% maximum rates noted above. In addition, Fund distributions to an individual shareholder of QDI—which the Fund does not expect to distribute a significant amount of—will qualify for federal income taxation at those rates, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund and the shareholder. The Fund will report to shareholders annually the amount of distributions taxable as ordinary income (from net investment income and net short-term gain), the amount of any distributions from net capital gain, and the portion, if any, of dividends that may qualify as QDI.

A loss realized on a disposition of Shares may be disallowed if other Shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of distributions, if available, or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis in the acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. In addition, any loss on a shareholder’s disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain received or redeemed by the shareholder with respect to such Shares.

An individual is required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally will include dividends and other distributions the Fund pays and gains recognized from the disposition of Shares, or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over $200,000 for single taxpayers ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, that this provision may have on their investment in Shares.

A shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining his or her basis in Shares must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic) with the broker through which he or she purchased the Shares. A shareholder who wishes to use a different Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)-acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method) may elect to do so. Fund shareholders are urged to consult with their brokers regarding the application of the basis determination rules to them.

If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, it will be eligible to, and may, file an election for that year with the IRS that would enable it to pass through to its shareholders to benefit from any foreign tax credits or deductions available with respect to foreign taxes it pays. Pursuant to the election, the Fund would treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders and each shareholder (1) would be required to include in gross income, and treat as paid by the shareholder, the shareholder’s proportionate share of those taxes, (2) would be required to treat that share of those taxes and of any dividend the Fund paid that represents income from foreign or U.S. possessions sources (“foreign-source income”) as the shareholder’s own income from those sources, and (3) could either use the foregoing information in calculating the foreign tax credit against the shareholder’s federal income tax or, alternatively, deduct the foreign taxes deemed paid by the shareholder in computing taxable income. If the Fund makes this election for a taxable year, it will report to its shareholders shortly after that year their respective shares of the foreign taxes it paid and its foreign-source income for that year.

Individual shareholders of the Fund described in the preceding paragraph who have no more than $300 ($600 for married persons filing jointly) of creditable foreign taxes included on IRS Forms 1099 and all of whose foreign source income is “qualified passive income” may elect each taxable year to be exempt from the foreign tax credit limitation for federal income tax purposes (about which shareholders may wish to consult their tax advisors), in which event they would be able to claim a foreign tax credit without having to file the detailed IRS Form 1116 that otherwise is required. A shareholder will not be entitled to credit or deduct its allocable portion of foreign taxes the Fund paid if the shareholder has not held the Fund’s shares for at least 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-distribution date for those shares. The minimum holding period will be extended if the shareholder’s risk of loss with respect to those shares is reduced by reason of holding an offsetting position. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. A nonresident alien individual, foreign corporation or partnership, or foreign trust or estate holding shares of the Fund (a “foreign shareholder”) may not deduct or claim a credit for foreign taxes in determining its U.S. federal income tax liability unless the Fund dividends paid to it are effectively connected with the foreign shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (“effectively connected”).

Distributions of ordinary income paid to a foreign shareholder that are not effectively connected will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under an applicable treaty). However, a foreign shareholder generally will not be subject to withholding or income tax on gains realized on the disposition of Shares or on net capital gain distributions unless (1) the gain or distribution is effectively connected or (2) in the case of an individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the disposition or distribution and certain other conditions are met; those gains and distributions generally will be subject to federal income taxation at regular income tax rates. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the federal withholding tax. Nonresident alien individuals also may be subject to federal estate tax.

 

40


The Fund must withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department (“U.S. Treasury”) 28% of distributions of ordinary income, capital gains, and any cash received on redemption of Creation Units (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability or refunded. When establishing an account, an investor must certify under penalty of perjury that such number is correct and that the investor is not otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) . Under FATCA, foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) or non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”) that are shareholders in the Fund may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds of a disposition of Shares paid after December 31, 2018. As discussed in more detail below, the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (1) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (2) by an NFFE, if it certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners and, in certain circumstances, also certifies that (i) it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have any such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding agent (which may be the Fund). The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.

An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to the government of that country (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying its status as such and, in certain circumstances, that (1) it does not have any substantial U.S. owners, or (2) it does not have one or more such owners and reports the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such owner. The NFFE will report to a Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the IRS.

Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in the Fund.

Taxation of Fund Investments.  The Fund may make investments that are subject to special federal income tax rules. Those rules can, among other things, affect the timing of the recognition of income or gain, the treatment of income as capital or ordinary, and the treatment of capital gain or loss as long-term or short-term. The application of those special rules would therefore also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions that the Fund makes and could require the Fund to borrow money or dispose of some of its investments earlier than anticipated in order to meet its distribution requirements.

Investment income received, and gains realized, by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other form(s) to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on those forms may not be available, such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements that may cause the Fund to not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.

 

41


The Fund may invest in the stock of “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”). A PFIC is any foreign corporation (with certain exceptions) that, in general, meets either of the following tests for a taxable year: (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Under certain circumstances, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” it receives on the stock of a PFIC or of any gain on its disposition of that stock (collectively, “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income as a dividend to its shareholders. The balance of the PFIC income will be included in the Fund’s investment company taxable income and, accordingly, will not be taxable to it to the extent it distributes that income to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15%/20% maximum federal income tax rates on individuals’ QDI described above.

If the Fund invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), then in lieu of the foregoing tax and interest obligation, the Fund would be required to include in income each taxable year its pro rata share of the QEF’s annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain—which the Fund likely would have to distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax—even if the Fund did not receive those earnings and gain from the QEF. In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election because of certain requirements thereof. The Fund may elect to “mark to market” any stock in a PFIC it owns at the end of its taxable year, in which event it would be required to distribute to its shareholders any resulting gains in accordance with the Distribution Requirement. “Marking-to-market,” in this context, means including in gross income each taxable year (and treating as ordinary income) the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock over the Fund’s adjusted basis therein (including mark-to-market gain for each prior year for which an election was in effect) as of the end of that year. Pursuant to the election, the Fund also may deduct (as an ordinary, not a capital, loss) the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in PFIC stock over the fair market value thereof as of the taxable year-end, but only to the extent of any net marked-to-market gains with respect to that stock the Fund included in income for prior taxable years under the election. The Fund’s adjusted basis in each PFIC’s stock subject to the election would be adjusted to reflect the amounts of income included and deductions taken thereunder.

Investors should be aware that determining whether a foreign corporation is a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination that is based on various facts and circumstances and thus is subject to change, and the principles and methodology used therein are subject to interpretation. As a result, the Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation’s shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after the Fund acquires shares therein. While the Fund generally will seek not to invest in PFIC shares to avoid the tax consequences detailed above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.

Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts traded in the interbank market, and “nonequity” options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a “broad-based” securities index) except any “securities futures contract” that is not a “dealer securities futures contract” (both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement in which the Fund invests may be subject to Internal Revenue Code section 1256 (collectively, “Section 1256 contracts”). Any Section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year (and generally for purposes of the Excise Tax, on October 31 of each year) must be “marked to market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of Section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss; however, certain foreign currency gains or losses arising from Section 1256 contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement ( i.e. , with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain, which will be includible in its investment company taxable income and thus taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them), and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, even though the Fund may not have closed the transactions and received cash to pay the distributions. The Fund may elect not to have the foregoing rules apply to any “mixed straddle” (that is, a straddle, which the Fund clearly identifies in accordance with applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, at least one (but not all) of the positions of which are Section 1256 contracts), although doing so may have the effect of increasing the relative proportion of short-term capital gain (distributions of which are taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income) and thus increasing the amount of dividends it must distribute.

Offsetting positions the Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded security, option, futures, or forward contract may constitute a “straddle” for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character, and timing of recognition of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) the Fund’s holding period for certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain), and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Applicable U.S. Treasury regulations also provide certain “wash sale” rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and “short sale” rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available to the Fund, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to mixed straddles.

 

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Tax Information Regarding the Subsidiary.  The Fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in the Subsidiary. That investment is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to the futures markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirement under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct its activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Safe Harbor”) pursuant to which the Subsidiary, provided it is not a dealer in stocks, securities or commodities, may engage in the following activities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business: (1) trading in stocks or securities (including contracts or options to buy or sell securities) for its own account; and (2) trading, for its own account, in commodities that are “of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange” if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Thus, the Subsidiary’s securities trading activities should not constitute a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the type described in the Safe Harbor or if the Subsidiary’s gains are attributable to investments in securities that constitute U.S. real property interests (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.

The Fund wholly-owns the Subsidiary. A U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a “U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of the Subsidiary’s Controlled Foreign Corporation (“CFC”) provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. A foreign corporation is a CFC if, on any day of its taxable year, more than 50% of the voting power or value of its stock is owned (directly, indirectly or constructively) by “U.S. Shareholders.” As an investor in the Subsidiary, the Fund is a U.S. person that owns all of the stock of the Subsidiary; as such, the Fund is a “U.S. Shareholder” and the Subsidiary is a CFC. As a “U.S. Shareholder,” the Fund is required to include in its gross income for United States federal income tax purposes the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” (defined, in part, below), whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is be expected that all of the Subsidiary’s income is “subpart F income.” “Subpart F income” generally includes interest, original issue discount, dividends, net gains from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. “Subpart F income” also includes the excess of gains over losses from transactions (including futures, forward and similar transactions) in any commodities. The Fund’s recognition of the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” increases the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund are tax-free, to the extent of the Subsidiary’s previously undistributed “subpart F income,” and correspondingly reduce the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary. “Subpart F income” generally is treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary’s underlying income. The Fund intends to distribute its Subpart F income to the extent necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

*        *        *

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under federal, state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Net Asset Value.” Additional information regarding the current NAV per share of the Fund, can be found at www.powershares.com.

The Custodian calculates and determines the NAV per Share as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate. In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price of the exchange where the security primarily is traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Swaps, commodity-linked notes and forwards generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Debt and securities not listed on an exchange normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. The Adviser may use various pricing services or discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time.

 

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When price quotes are not readily available, securities will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

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

General Policies.  Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid annually by the Fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but 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 its status as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income tax or the Excise Tax on undistributed income. Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of the Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

Dividend Reinvestment Service.  No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Counsel. Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), located at One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PwC has been retained to audit the Fund’s annual financial statements and performs other related audit services. In connection with the audit of the 2016 financial statements, the Fund entered into an engagement letter with PwC. The terms of the engagement letter required by PwC, and agreed to by the Audit Committee of the Board of the Trust (the “Audit Committee”), include a provision mandating the use of mediation and arbitration to resolve any controversy or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to the engagement letter or the services provided thereunder.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus. The audited financial statements for the Fund will appear in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders when available. You may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 800.983.0903 during normal business hours.

 

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PwC informed the Audit Committee that it has identified an issue related to its independence under Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X (referred to as the “Loan Rule”). The Loan Rule prohibits accounting firms, such as PwC, from being deemed independent if they have certain financial relationships with their audit clients or certain affiliates of those clients. The Trust is required under various securities laws to have its financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm.

The Loan Rule specifically provides that an accounting firm would not be independent if it receives, or certain of its affiliates or covered persons receive, a loan from a lender that is a record or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of an audit client’s equity securities (referred to as a “more than ten percent owner”). For purposes of the Loan Rule, audit clients include the Fund as well as all registered investment companies advised by the Adviser and its affiliates, including other subsidiaries of the Adviser’s parent company, Invesco Ltd. (collectively, the Invesco Fund Complex). PwC informed the Audit Committee that it has, and that certain of its affiliates or covered persons have, relationships with lenders who hold, as record owner, more than ten percent of the shares of certain funds within the Invesco Fund Complex. These relationships call into question PwC’s independence under the Loan Rule with respect to those funds, as well as all other funds in the Invesco Fund Complex, which may implicate the Loan Rule.

On June 20, 2016, the SEC Staff issued a “no-action” letter to another mutual fund complex (see Fidelity Management & Research Company et al., No-Action Letter) related to the audit independence issue described above. In that letter, the SEC confirmed that it would not recommend enforcement action against a fund that relied on audit services performed by an audit firm that was not in compliance with the Loan Rule in certain specified circumstances.

In an August 18, 2016 letter, and in subsequent communications, PwC affirmed to the Audit Committee that, as of the date of the letter and the subsequent communications, respectively, PwC is an independent accountant with respect to the Trust, within the meaning of PCAOB Rule 3520. In its letter and in its subsequent communications, PwC also informed the Audit Committee that, after evaluating the facts and circumstances and the applicable independence rules, PwC has concluded that with regard to its compliance with the independence criteria set forth in the rules and regulations of the SEC related to the Loan Rule, it believes that it remains objective and impartial despite matters that may ultimately be determined to be inconsistent with these criteria and therefore it can continue to serve as the Trust’s registered public accounting firm. PwC has advised the Audit Committee that this conclusion is based in part on the following considerations: (1) the lenders to PwC have no influence over any Fund, or other entity within the Invesco Fund Complex, or its investment adviser; (2) none of the officers or trustees of the Invesco Fund Complex whose shares are owned by PwC lenders are associated with those lenders; (3) PwC understands that the shares held by PwC lenders are held for the benefit of and on behalf of its policy owners/end investors; (4) investments in funds such as the Invesco Fund Complex funds are passive; (5) the PwC lenders are part of various syndicates of unrelated lenders; (6) there have been no changes to the loans in question since the origination of each respective note; (7) the debts are in good standing and no lender has the right to take action against PwC, as borrower, in connection with the financings; (8) the debt balances with each lender are immaterial to PwC and to each lender; and (9) the PwC audit engagement team has no involvement in PwC’s treasury function and PwC’s treasury function has no oversight of or ability to influence the PwC audit engagement team. In addition, PwC has communicated that the lending relationships appear to be consistent with the lending relationships described in the NAL and that they are not aware of other relationships that would be implicated by the Loan Rule. In addition to relying on PwC’s August 18, 2016 letter and subsequent communications regarding its independence, the Trust intends to rely upon the no-action letter.

If in the future the independence of PwC is called into question under the Loan Rule by circumstances that are not addressed in the SEC’s no-action letter, the Fund may need to take other action in order for the Fund’s filings with the SEC containing financial statements to be deemed compliant with applicable securities laws. Such additional actions could result in additional costs, impair the ability of the Fund to issue new shares or have other material adverse effects on the Fund. In addition, the SEC has indicated that the no-action relief will expire 18 months from its issuance after which the Trust will no longer be able to rely on the letter unless its term is extended or made permanent by the SEC Staff.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

LOGO

 

Proxy Voting Guidelines   
Applicable to the Funds    PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively “the Trusts”)
Risk Addressed by Policy    Breach of fiduciary duty to client under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of clients best interest in voting proxies
Relevant Law    Investment Advisers Act of 1940
Approved/Adopted Date    March 1, 2016

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (“Invesco PowerShares” or the “Adviser”) has adopted proxy voting policies with respect to securities owned by series of the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively, the “Funds”) for which it serves as investment adviser and has been delegated the authority to vote proxies. Invesco PowerShares’ proxy voting policies are designed to provide that proxies are voted in the best interests of shareholders.

Invesco Ltd, the parent to the Adviser, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Global Invesco Policy”) (see exhibit A), which details Invesco’s views on governance matters and describes the proxy administration and governance approach. The Adviser votes proxies by utilizing the procedures and mechanisms outlined in the Global Invesco Policy, while maintaining the Fund-specific guidelines described below:

 

  1. Overlapping Securities

In instances where both a Fund and a fund advised by an Invesco Ltd entity both hold an equity security (“Overlapping Securities”), the Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of an Invesco Ltd adviser based on the comprehensive proxy review and under the Global Invesco Policy. The Global Invesco Policy is overseen by the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“IPAC”), which also orchestrates the review and analysis of the top twenty-five proxy voting matters, measured by overall size of holdings by funds within the Invesco family. The Adviser consults with the IPAC on specific proxy votes and general proxy voting matters as it deems necessary. In addition, as part of the Global Invesco Proxy Voting Process, the IPAC oversees instances when possible conflicts of interest arise among funds. (Please see the global policy for the detailed conflict of interest approach).

 

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In instances where the Global proxy administration team does not receive a recommendation in a timely manner, the proxy administration team will automatically vote such ballots in accordance with the recommendations of a third-party proxy firm, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”).

 

  2. Non-Overlapping Securities

In instances where securities are held only by a Fund, and not also by an Invesco Ltd active equity entity fund, the Adviser will instruct the proxy administration team to vote proxies in accordance ISS.

Under this Policy, the Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of the Invesco Voting Process (for Overlapping Securities) or ISS (for Non-Overlapping Securities) at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.

Proxy Constraints

The adviser will approach proxy constraints according to the Invesco Global statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.

Special Policy

Certain Funds pursue their investment objectives by investing in other registered investment companies pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The relief granted by that order is conditioned upon complying with a number of undertakings, some of which require a Fund to vote its shares in an acquired investment company in the same proportion as other holders of the acquired fund’s shares. In instances in which a Fund is required to vote in this manner to rely on the exemptive order, the Adviser will vote shares of these acquired investment companies in compliance with the voting mechanism required by the order.

Resolving Potential Conflicts of Interest

Voting of Proxies Related to Invesco Ltd.

The adviser will approach conflicts of interest in accordance with Invesco’s Global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.)

Approved June 24, 2014

Amended February 18, 2016

Effective: March 1, 2016

 

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Exhibit A to Appendix A

 

LOGO

Invesco’s Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting

 

I. Guiding Principles and Philosophy

Public companies hold shareholder meetings, attended by the company’s executives, directors, and shareholders, during which important issues, such as appointments to the company’s board of directors, executive compensation, and auditors, are addressed and where applicable, voted on. Proxy voting gives shareholders the opportunity to vote on issues that impact the company’s operations and policies without being present at the meetings.

Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invesco’s proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients’ best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients’ best economic interests, this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of Invesco’s regional investment centers.

Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.

The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients’ rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Votes in favor of board or management proposals should not be interpreted as an indication of insufficient consideration by Invesco fund managers. Such votes may reflect the outcome of past or ongoing engagement and active ownership by Invesco with representatives of the companies in which we invest.

 

II. Applicability of this Policy

This Policy sets forth the framework of Invesco’s corporate governance approach, broad philosophy and guiding principles that inform the proxy voting practices of Invesco’s investment teams around the world. Given the different nature of these teams and their respective investment processes, as well as the significant differences in regulatory regimes and market practices across jurisdictions, not all aspects of this Policy may apply to all Invesco investment teams at all times. In the case of a conflict between this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of a regional investment center the latter will control.

 

III. Proxy Voting for Certain Fixed Income, Money Market Accounts and Index

For proxies held by certain client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds), Invesco will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies (“Majority Voting”). In this manner Invesco seeks to leverage the active-equity expertise and comprehensive proxy voting reviews conducted by teams employing active-equity strategies, which typically incorporate analysis of proxy issues as a core component of the investment process. Portfolio managers for accounts employing Majority Voting still retain full discretion to override Majority Voting and to vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest, which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy.

 

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IV. Conflicts of Interest

There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invesco’s clients or vendors. Under Invesco’s Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. “Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.

Firm-level Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote ( e.g. , issuers that are distributors of Invesco’s products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invesco’s proxy governance team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists.

If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment center, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Otherwise, based on a majority vote of its members, the Global IPAC (as described below) will vote the proxy.

Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.’s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients.

Personal Conflicts of Interest

A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.

All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.

Other Conflicts of Interest

In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time. 11  Shares of an Invesco-sponsored fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund.

 

V. Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services

Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. However, Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.

As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staffs and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest. In addition, Invesco regularly monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invesco’s performance and policy standards.

 

 

1   Generally speaking, Invesco does not invest for its clients in the shares of Invesco Ltd., however, limited exceptions apply in the case of funds or accounts designed to track an index that includes Invesco Ltd. as a component.

 

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VI. Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration

Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“Global IPAC”). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams and Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment (“Head of Proxy Governance”). The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex. Absent a conflict of interest, the Global IPAC representatives, in consultation with the respective investment team, are responsible for voting proxies for the securities the team manages (unless such responsibility is explicitly delegated to the portfolio managers of the securities in question) In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties ( e.g. , U.S. mutual fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process. The Global IPAC and Invesco’s proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams regularly communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center to ensure that they remain consistent with clients’ best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.

Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, known as the “fund manager portal” and supported by the Head of Proxy Governance and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.

The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Historical proxy voting information, including commentary by investment professionals regarding the votes they cast, where applicable, is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.

VII. Non-Votes

In the great majority of instances, Invesco is able to vote proxies successfully. However, in certain circumstances Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal. In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients’ proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example:

 

  Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting, to vote in line with management or to vote in accordance with proxy advisor recommendations. These matters are left to the discretion of the fund manager.

 

  If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities.

 

  In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (“share blocking”). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the client’s temporary inability to sell the security.

 

  Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person in order to vote a proxy. In such cases, Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy.

 

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VIII. Proxy Voting Guidelines

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy voting issues. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. As noted above, Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each fund manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner they deem most appropriate, consistent with Invesco’s proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in Sections I through IV. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

 

A. Shareholder Access and Treatment of Shareholder Proposals

Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action, and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance, provided that such proposals would not require a disproportionate amount of management attention or corporate resources or otherwise that may inappropriately disrupt the company’s business and main purpose, usually set out in their reporting disclosures and business model. Likewise, Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted (for example, where minority shareholders’ rights are not adequately protected).

 

B. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s long-term response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues can significantly affect its long-term shareholder value. We recognize that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management may consider not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and the local community, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case by case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

 

C. Capitalization Structure Issues

 

  i. Stock Issuances

Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions about the need for additional capital stock to meet ongoing corporate needs, except where the request could adversely affect Invesco clients’ ownership stakes or voting rights. Some capitalization proposals, such as those to authorize common or preferred stock with special voting rights or to issue additional stock in connection with an acquisition, may require additional analysis. Invesco generally opposes proposals to authorize classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend or other rights (“blank check” stock) when they appear to be intended as an anti-takeover mechanism; such issuances may be supported when used for general financing purposes.

 

  ii. Stock Splits

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given the company’s industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.

 

  iii. Share Repurchases

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to institute open-market share repurchase plans only if all shareholders participate on an equal basis.

 

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D. Corporate Governance Issues

i. Board of Directors

 

  1. Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Subject to the other considerations described below, in an uncontested director election for a company without a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of the director slate if it is comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the board’s key committees are fully independent, effective and balanced. Key committees include the audit, compensation/remuneration and governance/nominating committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve.

 

  2. Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiments influence the corporate governance landscape and may influence companies in Invesco clients’ portfolios and more broadly across the market. Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiment may conflict with long-term value creation and as such looks at each proxy contest matter on a case by case basis, considering factors such as:

 

    Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry,

 

  Management’s track record,

 

  Background to the proxy contest,

 

  Qualifications of director nominees (both slates),

 

  Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met, and

 

  Stock ownership positions in the company.

 

  3. Director Accountability

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders. Examples include, without limitation, poor attendance (less than 75%, absent extenuating circumstances) at meetings, failing to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority of votes and/or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

 

  4. Director Independence

Invesco generally supports proposals to require a majority of directors to be independent unless particular circumstances make this not feasible or in the best interests of shareholders. We generally vote for proposals that would require the board’s audit, compensation/remuneration, and/or governance/nominating committees to be composed exclusively of independent directors since this minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

 

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  5. Director Indemnification

Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors’ liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Invesco, therefore, generally supports proposals to limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in criminal matters, are limited to the director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.

 

  6. Separate Chairperson and CEO

Invesco evaluates these proposals on a case by case basis, recognizing that good governance requires either an independent chair or a qualified, proactive, and lead independent director.

Voting decisions may take into account, among other factors, the presence or absence of:

 

    a designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members, with an established term of office and clearly delineated powers and duties;

 

    a majority of independent directors;

 

    completely independent key committees;

 

    committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors;

 

    CEO performance reviewed annually by a committee of independent directors; and

 

    established governance guidelines.

 

  7. Majority/Supermajority/Cumulative Voting for Directors

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. Except in cases where required by law in the jurisdiction of incorporation or when a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally opposes such proposals as unnecessary where the company has adopted a majority voting standard. However, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

 

  8. Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

 

  9. Board Size

Invesco believes that the number of directors is an important factor to consider when evaluating the board’s ability to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco approaches proxies relating to board size on a case by case basis but generally will defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective.

 

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  10. Term Limits for Directors

Invesco believes it is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. We generally believe that an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits.

ii. Audit Committees and Auditors

 

  1. Qualifications of Audit Committee and Auditors

Invesco believes a company’s Audit Committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s Audit Committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the Audit Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

 

  2. Auditor Indemnifications

A company’s independent auditors play a critical role in ensuring and attesting to the integrity of the company’s financial statements. It is therefore essential that they perform their work in accordance with the highest standards. Invesco generally opposes proposals that would limit the liability of or indemnify auditors because doing so could serve to undermine this obligation.

 

  3. Adequate Disclosure of Auditor Fees

Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence. Invesco’s support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration the availability of adequate disclosure concerning the amount and nature of audit versus non-audit fees. Invesco generally will support proposals that call for this disclosure if it is not already being made.

 

E. Remuneration and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of portfolio companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the client’s investment.

i. Independent Compensation/Remuneration Committee

Invesco believes that an independent, experienced and well-informed compensation/remuneration committee is critical to ensuring that a company’s remuneration practices align with shareholders’ interests and, therefore, generally supports proposals calling for a compensation/remuneration committee to be comprised solely of independent directors.

ii. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation

Invesco believes that an independent compensation/remuneration committee of the board, with input from management, is generally best positioned to determine the appropriate components and levels of executive compensation, as well as the appropriate frequency of related shareholder advisory votes. This is particularly the case where shareholders have the ability to express their views on remuneration matters through annual votes for or against the election of the individual directors who comprise the compensation/remuneration committee. Invesco, therefore, generally will support management’s recommendations with regard to the components and levels of executive compensation and the frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation. However, Invesco will vote against such recommendations where Invesco determines that a company’s executive remuneration policies are not properly aligned with shareholder interests or may create inappropriate incentives for management.

 

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iii. Equity Based Compensation Plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include, without limitation, the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability to replenish shares automatically without shareholder approval.

iv. Severance Arrangements

Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as “golden parachute” arrangements) on a case-by-case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, may be in shareholders’ best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high quality executive talent. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of senior executives’ severance agreements while generally opposing proposals that require such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption.

v. “Claw Back” Provisions

Invesco generally supports so called “claw back” policies intended to recoup remuneration paid to senior executives based upon materially inaccurate financial reporting (as evidenced by later restatements) or fraudulent accounting or business practices.

vi. Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price.

 

F. Anti-Takeover Defenses; Reincorporation

Measures designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they have the potential to create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Such measures include adopting or renewing shareholder rights plans (“poison pills”), requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. In determining whether to support a proposal to add, eliminate or restrict anti-takeover measures, Invesco will examine the particular elements of the proposal to assess the degree to which it would adversely affect shareholder rights of adopted. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote. Invesco generally opposes payments by companies to minority shareholders intended to dissuade such shareholders from pursuing a takeover or other changes (sometimes known as “greenmail”) because these payments result in preferential treatment of some shareholders over others.

Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction. Invesco generally will vote for proposals to reincorporate a company provided that the board and management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Invesco generally will oppose proposals to reincorporate if they are solely part of an anti-takeover defense or intended to limit directors’ liability.

 

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POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED

EXCHANGE-TRADED COMMODITY FUND TRUST

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item   28 . Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

(a)    (1) Certificate of Trust. (1)
   (2) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant. (1)
   (3) Amended and Restated Designation of Series of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant. (2)
(b)    Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant. (*)
(c)    (1) Declaration of Trust of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to Item (a)(2) above.
   (2) Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to Item (b) above.
(d)    (1) Investment Advisory Agreement Between Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (2)
  

(2) Investment Advisory Agreement Between PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy

Cayman Ltd. and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (2)

   (3) Investment Advisory Agreement Between PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Cayman Ltd. and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (2)
   (4) Management Services Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (2)
   (5) Amended and Restated Memorandum of Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (2)
(e)    Master Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Distributors, Inc. (2)
(f)    Not Applicable.
(g)    Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York. (2)
(h)    (1) Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York. (2)
   (2) Transfer Agency and Services Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York. (2)
   (3) Form of Participant Agreement between Invesco Distributors, Inc. and the Participant. (*)
   (4) Form of Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (*)
(i)    Consent of counsel. (*)
(j)    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. (*)
(k)    Not Applicable.
(l)    Subscription Agreement for Providing Initial Capital. (2)
(m)    Not Applicable.
(n)    Not Applicable.
(o)    Reserved.
(p)    (1) Code of Ethics of Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (*)
   (2) Code of Ethics of Invesco Advisers, Inc. and Invesco Distributors, Inc. (*)
(q)    Powers of Attorney. (2)

 

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(1) Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s filing on Form N-1A, filed on December 30, 2013.
(2) Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s filing of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 on Form N-1A, filed on November 4, 2014.
(*) Filed herewith.

 

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

No person is controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.

 

Item 30 . Indemnification .

The Registrant (also, the “Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is operated pursuant to a Declaration of Trust, dated December 23, 2013 (the “Declaration of Trust”).

Reference is made to Article IX of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, which is incorporated by reference herein:

Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 9.5, every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law.

The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 9.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 9.5.

To the extent that any determination is required to be made as to whether a Covered Person engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Person or Persons making the determination shall afford the Covered Person a rebuttable presumption that the Covered Person has not engaged in such conduct and that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification. As used in this Section 9.5, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, demands, actions, suits, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings or any other occurrence of a similar nature, whether actual or threatened and whether civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

Further Indemnification .

Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which any Covered Person or other Person may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law or prevent the Trust from entering into any contract to provide indemnification to any Covered Person or other Person. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust may, in connection with the acquisition of assets subject to liabilities pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof or a reorganization or consolidation pursuant to Section 10.2 hereof, assume the obligation to indemnify any Person including a Covered Person or otherwise contract to provide such indemnification, and such indemnification shall not be subject to the terms of this Article IX.

 

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Amendments and Modifications .

Without limiting the provisions of Section 11.1(b) hereof, in no event will any amendment, modification or change to the provisions of this Declaration or the By-laws adversely affect in any manner the rights of any Covered Person to (a) indemnification under Section 9.5 hereof in connection with any proceeding in which such Covered Person becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust or (b) any insurance payments under policies maintained by the Trust, in either case with respect to any act or omission of such Covered Person that occurred or is alleged to have occurred prior to the time such amendment, modification or change to this Declaration or the By-laws.

 

Item 31 . Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser .

Reference is made to the caption “Management of the Fund” in each Prospectus constituting Part A, which is included in this Registration Statement, and “Management” in each Statement of Additional Information constituting Part B, which is included in this Registration Statement.

The information as to the trustees and executive officers of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC as set forth in Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC’s Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 11, 2016, and amended through the date hereof, is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 32 . Principal Underwriters .

(a) Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the Registrant’s sole principal underwriter, as well as serves as the principal underwriter for the following other investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust)

Invesco American Franchise Fund

Invesco California Tax-Free Income Fund

Invesco Core Plus Bond Fund

Invesco Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund

Invesco Equity and Income Fund

Invesco Floating Rate Fund

Invesco Global Real Estate Income Fund

Invesco Growth and Income Fund

Invesco Low Volatility Equity Yield Fund

Invesco Pennsylvania Tax Free Income Fund

Invesco S&P 500 Index Fund

Invesco Small Cap Discovery Fund

Invesco Short Duration High Yield Municipal Fund

Invesco Strategic Real Return Fund

AIM Equity Funds (Invesco Equity Funds)

Invesco Charter Fund

Invesco Diversified Dividend Fund

Invesco Summit Fund

AIM Funds Group (Invesco Funds Group)

Invesco European Small Company Fund

Invesco Global Core Equity Fund

Invesco International Small Company Fund

Invesco Small Cap Equity Fund

 

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AIM Growth Series (Invesco Growth Series)

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Now Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2020 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2030 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2040 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2050 Fund

Invesco Conservative Allocation Fund

Invesco Convertible Securities Fund

Invesco Global Low Volatility Equity Yield Fund

Invesco Growth Allocation Fund

Invesco Income Allocation Fund

Invesco International Allocation Fund

Invesco Mid Cap Core Equity Fund

Invesco Moderate Allocation Fund

Invesco Small Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Quality Income Fund

AIM International Mutual Funds (Invesco International Mutual Funds)

Invesco Asia Pacific Growth Fund

Invesco European Growth Fund

Invesco Global Growth Fund

Invesco Global Opportunities Fund

Invesco Global Small & Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Global Responsibility Equity Fund

Invesco International Companies Fund

Invesco International Core Equity Fund

Invesco International Growth Fund

Invesco Select Opportunities Fund

AIM Investment Funds (Invesco Investment Funds)

Invesco All Cap Market Neutral Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodities Strategy Fund

Invesco Developing Markets Fund

Invesco Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund

Invesco Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Invesco Endeavor Fund

Invesco Global Health Care Fund

Invesco Global Infrastructure Fund

Invesco Global Market Neutral Fund

Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund

Invesco Greater China Fund

Invesco Long/Short Equity Fund

Invesco Low Volatility Emerging Markets Fund

Invesco Macro Allocation Strategy Fund

Invesco Macro International Equity Fund

Invesco Macro Long/Short Fund

Invesco MLP Fund

Invesco Multi-Asset Income Fund

Invesco Pacific Growth Fund

Invesco Select Companies Fund

Invesco World Bond Fund

 

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AIM Investment Securities Funds (Invesco Investment Securities Funds)

Invesco Corporate Bond Fund

Invesco Global Real Estate Fund

Invesco Government Money Market Fund

Invesco High Yield Fund

Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund

Invesco Real Estate Fund

Invesco Short Term Bond Fund

Invesco U.S. Government Fund

AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds)

Invesco American Value Fund

Invesco Comstock Fund

Invesco Dividend Income Fund

Invesco Energy Fund

Invesco Gold & Precious Metals Fund

Invesco Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Small Cap Value Fund

Invesco Technology Fund

Invesco Technology Sector Fund

Invesco Value Opportunities Fund

AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds)

Invesco High Yield Municipal Fund

Invesco Intermediate Term Municipal Income Fund

Invesco Municipal Income Fund

Invesco New York Tax Free Income Fund

Invesco Tax-Exempt Cash Fund

Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund

AIM Treasurer’s Series Trust (Invesco Treasurer’s Series Trust)

Premier Portfolio

Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio

Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio

AIM Variable Insurance Funds (Invesco Variable Insurance Funds)

Invesco V.I. American Franchise Fund

Invesco V.I. American Value Fund

Invesco V.I. Balanced-Risk Allocation Fund

Invesco V.I. Comstock Fund

Invesco V.I. Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Core Plus Bond Fund

Invesco V.I. Diversified Dividend Fund

Invesco V.I. Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund

Invesco V.I. Equity and Income Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Health Care Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Real Estate Fund

Invesco V.I. Government Money Market Fund

Invesco V.I. Government Securities Fund

Invesco V.I. Growth and Income Fund

Invesco V.I. High Yield Fund

Invesco V.I. International Growth Fund

Invesco V.I. Managed Volatility Fund

Invesco V.I. Mid Cap Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco V.I. S&P 500 Index Fund

Invesco V.I. Small Cap Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund

Invesco V.I. Value Opportunities Fund

 

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Invesco Senior Loan Fund

Invesco Management Trust

Invesco Conservative Income Fund

Short-Term Investments Trust

Government & Agency Portfolio

Liquid Assets Portfolio

STIC Prime Portfolio

Tax-Free Cash Reserve Portfolio

Treasury Obligations Portfolio

Treasury Portfolio

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

Please note that PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust is also distributed by Invesco Distributors, Inc., but is not included in this list because it is the registrant filing the N-1A.

(b) The following are the Officers and Managers of Invesco Distributors, Inc., the Registrant’s underwriter.

 

NAME AND PRINCIPAL

BUSINESS ADDRESS*

  

POSITIONS AND OFFICES
WITH REGISTRANT

 

POSITIONS AND OFFICES
WITH UNDERWRITER

Peter S. Gallagher

   None   Director & President

Eric P. Johnson

   None   Executive Vice President

Karen Dunn Kelly

   None   Executive Vice President

Ben Utt

   None   Executive Vice President

Dan Draper

   President and Principal Executive Officer   Senior Vice President

Eliot Honaker

   None   Senior Vice President

Lyman Missimer III

   None   Senior Vice President

Greg J. Murphy

   None   Senior Vice President

David J. Nardecchia

   None   Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing Communications

Miranda O’Keefe

   None   Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer

Gary K. Wendler

   None   Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing Research & Analysis

John M. Zerr

   Chief Legal Officer   Senior Vice President & Secretary

Annette Lege

   None   Treasurer

Mark Gregson

   None   Chief Financial Officer

Crissie Wisdom

   Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer   Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer

 

* The principal business address for all directors and executive officers is Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

(c) Not applicable.

 

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Item 33 . Location of Accounts and Records.

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are held in physical possession at the offices, as applicable, of: (1) the Registrant, (2) the Registrant’s investment adviser, (3) the Registrant’s custodian, and (4) the Registrant’s administrator.

 

1. PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

 

2. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

 

3. The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street

New York, New York 10286

 

4. The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street

New York, New York 10286

 

Item 34 . Management Services .

Not applicable.

 

Item 35 . Undertakings .

None.

 

C-7


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Downers Grove and State of Illinois, on the 23 rd day of February, 2017.

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange -Traded Commodity Fund Trust
By:  

/s/ Daniel Draper

 

Daniel Draper

Title:   President

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

 

SIGNATURE

 

TITLE

 

DATE

/s/ Daniel Draper

  President   February 23, 2017
Daniel Draper    

/s/ Steven M. Hill

  Treasurer   February 23, 2017
Steven M. Hill    

/s/ Anna Paglia

  Secretary   February 23, 2017
Anna Paglia    

*/s/ Ronn R. Bagge

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Ronn R. Bagge    

*/s/ Todd J. Barre

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Todd J. Barre    

*/s/ Kevin M. Carome

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Kevin M. Carome    

*/s/ Marc M. Kole

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Marc M. Kole    

*/s/ Yung Bong Lim

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Yung Bong Lim    

*/s/ Philip M. Nussbaum

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Philip M. Nussbaum    

*/s/ Gary R. Wicker

  Trustee   February 23, 2017
Gary R. Wicker    

*/s/ Donald H. Wilson

  Chairman and Trustee   February 23, 2017
Donald H. Wilson    
*By:  

/s/ Anna Paglia

    February 23, 2017
Anna Paglia    
Attorney-In-Fact    

 

* Anna Paglia signs on behalf of the powers of attorney filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Trust’s Registration Statement and incorporated herein by reference herein.

 

C-8


This Registration Statement contains certain disclosures regarding the PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Cayman Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio, and PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Cayman Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). Each Subsidiary has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “Registrant”) to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Downers Grove and the State of Illinois on the 23rd day of February, 2017. Each Subsidiary is executing this Registration Statement only in respect of the disclosures contained herein specifically describing the respective Subsidiary and hereby disclaims any responsibility or liability as to any other disclosures in this Registration Statement.

 

POWERSHARES DB OPTIMUM YIELD DIVERSIFIED COMMODITY STRATEGY CAYMAN, LTD.
By:  

/s/ Daniel Draper

  Daniel Draper
  President
POWERSHARES BLOOMBERG COMMODITY STRATEGY CAYMAN, LTD.
By:  

/s/ Daniel Draper

  Daniel Draper
  President

This Registration Statement on Form N-1A of the Registrant has been signed below on behalf of each Subsidiary by the following persons, solely in their capacity for each Subsidiary, on the date indicated. Each of the following persons is signing this Registration statement only in respect of the disclosures contained herein specifically describing each Subsidiary and hereby disclaims any responsibility or liability as to any other disclosures in this Registration Statement.

 

SIGNATURE

  

TITLE

 

DATE

/s/ Daniel Draper

Daniel Draper

   Director  

February 23, 2017

/s/ David Warren

David Warren

   Director  

February 23, 2017

 

C-9


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

(b)   Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant
(h)(3)   Form of Participant Agreement between Invesco Distributors, Inc. and the Participant
(h)(4)   Form of Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC
(i)   Consent of Counsel
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics of the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC
(p)(2)   Code of Ethics of Invesco Advisers, Inc. and Invesco Distributors, Inc.

 

C-10

AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS

OF

POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED COMMODITY FUND TRUST

ARTICLE 1

DECLARATION OF TRUST AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE

Section 1.1 Declaration of Trust . These By-laws are adopted pursuant to Section 6.8 of the Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in effect (the “ Declaration ”), of PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (the “ Trust ”) and shall be subject to the terms of the Declaration. Any capitalized term not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning given to such term in the Declaration. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms of these By-Laws and the terms of the Declaration, the terms of the Declaration shall control.

Section 1.2 Principal Office of the Trust . The principal office of the Trust is 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515, or such other place as shall be determined by the Trustees from time to time.

ARTICLE 2

TRUSTEES

Section 2.1 Chair . The Trustees may elect from their own number a Chair to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, removal or disqualification. The Chair (or, if the Chair is unable to attend any such meeting, the Chair’s designee) shall preside at all meetings of the Trustees. The Chair shall have such other duties and powers as the Trustees may from time to time determine.

Section 2.2 Regular Meetings . Regular meetings of the Trustees may be held without call or notice at such places (including for these purposes, by means of conference telephone circuit, video conferencing or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other as provided for in the Declaration) as the Trustees may from time to time determine.

Section 2.3 Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Trustees may be held at any time and at any place (including for these purposes, by means of conference telephone circuit, video conferencing or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other as provided for in the Declaration) designated in the call of the meeting when called by the Chair, the President or the Secretary or by two or more Trustees, sufficient notice thereof as described in Section 2.4 below being given to each Trustee by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by the person calling the meeting.

Section 2.4 Notice of Special Meetings . It shall be sufficient notice to a Trustee of a special meeting to send notice by overnight mail at least two days or by email or facsimile at least one day before the meeting addressed to the Trustee at his or her usual or last known business or residence address, email address or facsimile number as applicable, or to give notice in person or by telephone one day before the meeting. Notice may be sent on the day of the special meeting by email, facsimile or other electronic means, or given by telephone or in person, if under the circumstances the party calling the meeting deems more immediate action to be necessary or appropriate. Notice of a special meeting need not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of notice, executed by him or her before or after the meeting, is filed with the records of the meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the meeting without protesting prior thereto or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or her. Neither notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need specify the purposes of the meeting.

Section 2.5 Quorum and Manner of Acting . At any meeting of the Trustees a majority of the Trustees then in office shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of the votes cast


upon the question, whether or not a quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of one or more Trustees if any action taken is approved by at least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting. The Declaration contains further provisions relating to the manner of acting by the Trustees.

Section 2.6 Actions by Consent . If in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration any action is taken by the Trustees by a written consent of fewer than all of the Trustees, prompt notice of any such action shall be furnished to each Trustee who did not execute such written consent, provided that the effectiveness of such action shall not be impaired by any delay or failure to furnish such notice. Any written consents may be executed and delivered by electronic means. The Declaration contains further provisions relating to action by consent of the Trustees.

Section 2.7 Counsel and Experts . The Trustees who are not Interested Persons may, by vote of a majority of such Trustees, at the Trust’s expense, hire such employees and retain such counsel, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants whose services such Trustees may, in their discretion, determine to be necessary or desirable from time to time, including services to one or more committees established by the Trustees, and may execute any agreements, contracts, instruments or other documents in connection therewith.

ARTICLE 3

COMMITTEES

Section 3.1 Establishment and Authority . The Declaration contains provisions relating to the establishment of committees by the Trustees. Each committee shall have such powers and authority as shall be authorized by the Trustees, and may fix its own rules and procedures, and adopt its own charter, in each case subject to approval by the Trustees. The Trustees may abolish any such committee at any time in their sole discretion. Any committee to which the Trustees delegate any of their powers shall maintain records of its meetings and shall report its actions to the Trustees. The Trustees shall have the power to rescind any action of any committee, but no such rescission shall have retroactive effect. The Trustees shall have the power at any time to fill vacancies in the committees. The Trustees may designate one or more Trustees as alternate members of any committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee.

Section 3.2 Quorum; Voting . Unless the specific rules and procedures adopted by a committee in accordance with Section 3.1 provide otherwise, a majority of the members of any committee of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and any action of such a committee may be taken at a meeting by a vote of a majority of the members present (a quorum being present) or evidenced by one or more writings signed by such a majority (which writings may be executed and/or delivered by electronic means). Members of a committee may participate in a meeting of such committee by means of a conference telephone circuit, video conferencing or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time and participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.

Section 3.3 Compensation of Members . The chair, if any, and members of any duly appointed committee shall receive such compensation and/or fees and reimbursement for expenses as from time to time may be determined by the Trustees.

ARTICLE 4

OFFICERS

Section 4.1 Enumeration; Qualification . The officers of the Trust shall be a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such other officers as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion elect, appoint or authorize in accordance with Section 4.2 below. Any officer of the Trust may but need not be a Trustee or a Shareholder. Any two or more officers, except those of President and Vice-President, may be held by the same person.


Section 4.2 Election . The President, the Treasurer and the Secretary shall be elected by the Trustees upon the occurrence of a vacancy in any such office. Other officers, if any, may be elected or appointed by the Trustees at any time, or the Trustees may delegate to the President the power to appoint such other officers as the Trustees shall at any time or from time to time deem advisable. Vacancies in any such other office may be filled at any time. Each officer shall hold office at the pleasure of the Trustees.

Section 4.3 Powers . Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws, each officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in the Declaration set forth, such duties and powers as are commonly incident to the office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a Massachusetts business corporation and such other duties and powers as the Trustees may from time to time designate.

Section 4.4 President . Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust.

Section 4.5 Treasurer . Unless the Trustees provide otherwise, the Treasurer shall be the chief financial and accounting officer of the Trust, and shall, subject to the provisions of the Declaration and to any arrangement made by the Trustees with a custodian, investment adviser or manager, or transfer, shareholder servicing or similar agent, be in charge of the valuable papers, books of account and accounting records of the Trust, and shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Trustees or by the President.

Section 4.6 Secretary . The Secretary shall record all proceedings of the Shareholders and the Trustees in books to be kept therefor. In the absence of the Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or Trustees, an Assistant Secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is absent, a temporary Secretary chosen at such meeting shall record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid books.

Section 4.7 Resignations and Removals . Any officer may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to the Chair, 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 by action of a majority of the Trustees then in office, 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.

ARTICLE 5

SHAREHOLDERS

Section 5.1 Meetings . There shall be no annual meetings of Shareholders except as required by law. A meeting of the Shareholders of the Trust or of any Series shall be called by the Secretary whenever ordered by (i) a majority of Trustees then in office, (ii) the Chair or (iii) the President. Meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or of any Series shall also be called by the Secretary upon the order of the Trustees upon the written request of the Shareholders holding not less than one-third of the Outstanding Shares entitled to vote on the matters specified in such written request provided that (1) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (2) the Shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such Shareholders. If the meeting is a meeting of Shareholders of any one or more Series, but not a meeting of all Shareholders of the Trust, then only a special meeting of Shareholders of such Series need be called and, in such case, only Shareholders of such Series shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting. The Trustees may determine, or may authorize the officers of the Trust to determine, the date, time and place for any meeting of Shareholders, which place may be within or outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any meeting so called may be postponed or cancelled prior to the meeting,  provided  that notice of such postponement or cancellation is given to the Shareholders entitled to vote at that meeting , if notice of such meeting had been given to Shareholders.

Section 5.2 Record Dates . For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, or who are entitled to receive


payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Trustees may from time to time fix a time, or may authorize the officers to fix a time, which shall be not more than 120 days before the date set for any meeting of Shareholders (without regard to any adjournments or postponements thereof) or more than 60 days before the date of payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, as the record date for determining the Shareholders of the Trust or such Series having the right to notice of and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment or postponements thereof or the right to receive such dividend or distribution, and in such case only Shareholders on such record date shall have such right notwithstanding any transfer of shares on the books of the Trust after the record date; or without fixing such record date the Trustees may for any such purposes close the register or transfer books for all or part of such period.

Section 5.3 Notice of Meetings . Notice of all meetings of Shareholders and any postponements thereof, stating the time, place and purposes of the meeting, shall be given by the Secretary or the Trustees in accordance with Section 5.9 hereof at least seven days and not more than 120 days before the date for the meeting set forth in such notice, to each Shareholder of record of the applicable Series on the date set in accordance with Section 5.2 hereof. Any adjourned meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice, even if the date of such adjourned meeting is more than 120 days after the notice of the original meeting or the postponement thereof, was mailed or sent. Where separate meetings are held for Shareholders of one or more individual Series to vote on a matter required to be voted on by Shareholders of the Trust in the aggregate, notice of each such separate meeting shall be provided in the manner described above in this Section.

Section 5.4 Quorum . The holders of thirty-three and one-third percent (33 1/3%) of the Outstanding Shares entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy at the meeting shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Shareholders, except that where pursuant to any provision of law, the Declaration or these By-Laws a vote shall be taken by individual Series, then holders of thirty-three and one-third percent (33 1/3%) of the Outstanding Shares of that Series entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by that Series. For the purposes of establishing whether a quorum is present, all Shares present and entitled to vote, including abstentions and broker non-votes, shall be counted.

Section 5.5 Adjournments . Any meeting of Shareholders may, by action of the person presiding thereat, be adjourned without further notice with respect to one or more matters to be considered at such meeting to a designated time and place, if a quorum is not present with respect to such matter; any meeting of Shareholders may, by motion of the person presiding thereat, be adjourned with respect to one or more matters to be considered at such meeting, even if a quorum is present with respect to such matters, to a designated time and place, when such adjournment is approved by the vote of holders of Shares representing a majority of the voting power of the Shares present and entitled to vote with respect to the matter or matters adjourned, and without further notice. Unless a proxy is otherwise limited in this regard, any Shares present and entitled to vote at a meeting that are represented by broker non-votes, may, at the discretion of the proxies named therein, be voted in favor of such an adjournment.

Section 5.6 Proxies . At any meeting of Shareholders, any holder of Shares entitled to vote thereat may vote by proxy, provided that no proxy shall be voted at any meeting unless it shall have been placed on file with the Secretary, or with such other officer or agent of the Trust as the Trustees or officers may direct, for verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken. In connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Trustees, a Shareholder may give instructions through telephonic or electronic methods of communication or via the Internet for another person to execute his or her proxy, if in each case such method has been authorized by the Trust by its officers, and pursuant in each case to procedures established or approved by the officers of the Trust or agents employed by the Trust for such purpose as reasonably designed to verify that such instructions have been authorized by such Shareholder; and the placing of a Shareholder’s name on a proxy pursuant to such instructions shall constitute execution of such proxy by or on behalf of such Shareholder. Proxies may also be submitted via facsimile if such method has been authorized by the Trust by its officers, and pursuant to procedures established or approved by the officers of the Trust or agents employed by the Trust for such purpose. Pursuant to a vote of the Trustees, proxies may be solicited in the name of one or more Trustees and/or one or more of the officers of the Trust. When any Share is held jointly by several persons, any one of them may vote at any meeting in person or by proxy in respect of such Share, but if more than one of them shall be present at such meeting in person or by proxy and such joint owners or their proxies so present disagree as to any vote to be cast, such vote shall not be received in respect of such Share, but shall be counted as present at the meeting for all other purposes. 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. If the holder of any such Share is a minor or a person of unsound mind, and subject to guardianship or to the legal control of any other person as regards the charge or management of such Share, such Share may be voted by such guardian or such other person appointed or having such control, and such vote may be given in person or by proxy. Unless otherwise specifically limited by their terms, proxies shall entitle the holder thereof to vote at any postponement or adjournment of a meeting, and no proxy shall be valid after eleven months from its date. A Shareholder who has submitted a proxy may revoke or withdraw the proxy with respect to any matter to be considered at a meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof if such revocation or withdrawal is properly received prior to the vote on that matter, by delivering a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or by attending the meeting or the adjournment or postponement thereof and voting in person on the matter or matters.

Section 5.7 Conduct of Meetings . For any matter to be properly before any meeting of Shareholders, the matter must be either specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of a majority of the Trustees then in office or otherwise brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Chair or other presiding officer. With the exception of Shareholder proposals submitted in accordance with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor provisions, only matters proposed by the Trustees may be included in the Trust’s proxy materials. The Trustees may from time to time in their discretion provide for procedures by which Shareholders may, prior to any meeting at which Trustees are to be elected, submit the names of potential candidates for Trustee, to be considered by the Trustees, or any proper committee thereof. At all meetings of Shareholders, unless 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 President or such other person presiding at the meeting as the Board may designate.

Section 5.8 Inspectors of Election . In advance of any meeting of Shareholders the Trustees, or at any such meeting the Trustees, the President or such other person presiding at the meeting as the Board may designate, may appoint Inspectors of Election to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the person presiding at the meeting may appoint a person to fill the vacancy. Unless otherwise instructed by the Trustees, or by the person presiding at the meeting, the Inspectors of Election shall determine the number of Shares outstanding, the Shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies, shall receive votes, ballots or consents, shall hear and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote, shall count and tabulate all votes and consents, determine the results, and do such other acts as may be proper to conduct the election or vote.

Section 5.9 Communications with Shareholders . Any notices, reports, statements or other communications with Shareholders of any kind required under the Declaration, these By-Laws or applicable law may be sent, delivered or made available in any reasonable manner as may be determined by the Trustees if not otherwise prohibited by applicable law, including, without limitation, by email or other electronic means or by posting on a website; and such communications may be sent, delivered or otherwise made available to Shareholders in accordance with householding or other similar rules under which a single copy of such notice or report may be sent to Shareholders who reside at the same address. No communication need be given to any Shareholder who shall have failed to inform the Trust of the Shareholder’s current address and the Trustees may from time to time adopt, or may authorize the officers or agents of the Trust to adopt, procedures or policies with respect to communications to Shareholders that are returned to the Trust or its agents as undeliverable and similar matters. Any Shareholder may waive receipt of any notice or other communication. Communications shall be deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or deposited in the mail or with another carrier or sent by any means of written or electronic communication or, where notice is given by posting on a website or by publication, on the date of posting or publication. An affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any meeting of Shareholders shall be filed and maintained with the records of the Trust.

The foregoing provisions shall apply mutatis mutandis to any communications given to a Shareholder’s counsel under Section 9.8 of the Declaration, provided , however , that communications provided to either a Shareholder or Shareholder’s counsel under Section 9.8 may not be made by means of posting on a website or by publication.

Section 5.10 Forum Selection . To the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject


matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring derivatively or directly (i) any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware statutory or common law, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or bylaws; or (iv) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

ARTICLE 6

SHARES AND SHARE CERTIFICATES

Section 6.1 Share Certificates . Unless the issuance of certificates is authorized by the Trustees, Shares shall be held on the books of the Trust by one or more transfer agents appointed in accordance with Section 7.2 of the Declaration (each, a “ Transfer Agent ”) in uncertificated form, and the record holders of such shares shall be treated for all purposes as Shareholders under the Declaration.

The Trustees may at any time authorize the issuance of share certificates for Shares of any Series in such form as the Trustees may prescribe from time to time. Each such certificate shall bear a distinguishing number, shall exhibit the holder’s name and the number of whole shares owned by such holder, and shall be signed by the President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer. Such signatures may be facsimile, printed or engraved if the certificate is signed by the Transfer Agent with respect to such Shares or by a registrar. In case any officer who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall cease to be such officer before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if he were such officer at the time of its issue.

Section 6.2 Share Transfers . Transfers of Shares of the Trust shall be made only on the books of the Trust, as maintained by the Transfer Agent with respect to such Shares, by the registered holder thereof, or by his attorney thereunto authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Transfer Agent for such Shares and upon surrender of any certificate or certificates representing such Shares, if any, properly endorsed and the payment of all taxes thereon. Except as may be otherwise provided by law or these By-Laws, the person in whose name Shares stand on the books of the Trust shall be deemed the owner thereof for all purposes as regards the Trust; provided that properly documented pledges of Shares as collateral security may be accounted for by the Transfer Agent in accordance with its standard procedures with respect thereto.

Section 6.3 Loss of Certificates . The Transfer Agent for any Series, with the approval of any two officers of the Trust, is authorized to issue and countersign replacement certificates for Shares which have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon (i) receipt of an affidavit or affidavits of loss or non receipt and of an indemnity agreement executed by the registered holder or his legal representative and supported by an open penalty surety bond, said agreement and said bond in all cases to be in form and content satisfactory to and approved by the President or the Treasurer, or (ii) receipt of such other documents and assurances as may be approved by the Trustees.

Section 6.4 Regulations . The Trustees may make such additional rules and regulations, not inconsistent with these By-Laws, as they may deem expedient concerning the issue, certification, transfer and registration of Shares.

ARTICLE 7

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.1 Books and Records . The books and records of the Trust and any Series thereof, including the share ledger or ledgers, may be kept in or outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at such office or offices of the Trust and/or its agents as may from time to time be determined by the officers of the Trust.


Section 7.2 Access to Book and Records . The Shareholders shall only have such right to inspect the records, documents, accounts and books of the Trust or any Series thereof as may be granted from time to time by the Trustees in their sole discretion.

Section 7.3 Seal . The Trustees may adopt a seal of the Trust which shall be in such form and shall have such inscription thereon as the Trustees may from time to time prescribe, but unless otherwise required by the Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.

Section 7.4 Execution of Papers . All deeds, leases, contracts, notes and other obligations made by the Trustees shall be signed by the President, any Vice President elected by the Trustees, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any other officer elected by the Trustees, except as the Trustees may generally or in particular cases authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, or as otherwise provided in these By-Laws.

Section 7.5 Severability . The provisions of these By-Laws are severable. If the Trustees determine, with the advice of counsel, that any provision hereof conflicts with the 1940 Act, the regulated investment company or other provisions of the Code or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of these By-Laws; provided , however , that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of these By-Laws or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination. If any provision hereof shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision only in such jurisdiction and shall not affect any other provision of these By-Laws.

Section 7.6 Headings . Headings are placed in these By-Laws for convenience of reference only and in case of any conflict, the text of these By-Laws rather than the headings shall control.

ARTICLE 8

AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS

Section 8.1 General . These By-Laws may be amended, supplemented, amended and restated, or repealed, in whole or in part, by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees, or by one or more writings signed by such a majority.

 

Adopted:    September 25, 2014
Amended:    September 29, 2016

Exhibit (h)(3)

PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

This Participant Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into between Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”),              (the “Participant”), and is subject to acceptance by PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively, the “Trust”) and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Transfer Agent”). The Transfer Agent serves as the transfer agent of the Trust and is an Index Receipt Agent as that term is defined in the rules of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”). The Distributor and the Participant acknowledge and agree that the Trust shall be a third-party beneficiary of the Agreement and shall receive the benefits contemplated by the Agreement to the extent specified herein. The Distributor has been retained to provide certain services with respect to acting as principal underwriter of the Trust in connection with the creation and distribution of shares (“Shares”) of the series of the Trust (each a “Fund”). As specified in the Trust’s Prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information incorporated therein (together, the “Prospectus”) included as part of the Registration Statements, as amended, on Form N-1A, Shares may be created or redeemed only in aggregations of shares, as identified in the Prospectus for each Fund, referred to therein and herein as a “Creation Unit.” Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein are used herein as defined in the Prospectus.

This Agreement is intended to set forth certain premises and the procedures by which the Participant may create and/or redeem Creation Units (i) through the Continuous Net Settlement (“CNS”) clearing processes of NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect creations and redemptions of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the “Trust’s Clearing Process,” (ii) through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and (iii) through the Federal Reserve/Treasury Automated Debt Entry System maintained at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the “Fed Book Entry System”). The parties hereto in consideration of the premises and of the agreements contained herein agree as follows:

1. STATUS OF PARTICIPANT . The Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that (i) with respect to orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units by means of the Trust’s Clearing Process, it is a member of NSCC and a participant in the CNS System of NSCC (as defined in the Trust’s Prospectus, a “Participating Party”); and (ii) with respect to orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units by means of the Fed Book Entry System or DTC, it is eligible to utilize the Fed Book Entry System and/or DTC and it is a DTC Participant (as defined in the Trust’s Prospectus, a “DTC Participant”). The Participant may place orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units through the Trust’s Clearing Process, the Fed Book-Entry System and/or DTC or Euroclear, subject to the procedures for creation and redemption referred to in Sections 2 and 3 of this Agreement and the procedures described in Attachments A and A-1 hereto. Any change in the foregoing status of the Participant shall terminate this Agreement, and the Participant shall give prompt notice to the Distributor and the Transfer Agent of such change. Transfers of securities settling through Euroclear or other foreign depositories may require Participant access to such facilities.

The Participant further represents that it is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or is exempt from or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA. The Participant is qualified, registered and/or licensed to act as a broker or dealer, or is


otherwise exempt, as required according to all applicable laws of the state(s) in which the Participant conducts its activities as defined hereunder. The Participant is a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). The Participant agrees to conform to the rules of FINRA (if it is a member of FINRA) and the securities laws of any jurisdiction to the extent such laws, rules and regulations relate to the Participant’s transactions in, and activities with respect to, the Shares.

2. EXECUTION OF ORDERS . All orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units shall be handled in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus, and the procedures described in Attachments A and A-1 to this Agreement. In the event the procedures include the use of recorded telephone lines, the Participant hereby consents to such use. The Trust reserves the right to issue additional or other procedures relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Creation Units, and the Participant, and the Distributor agree to comply with such procedures as may be issued from time to time, upon reasonable notice thereof.

The Participant understands and acknowledges that the Transfer Agent will not effect a creation or redemption until it has received confirmation of receipt of the Participant’s incoming security transfer and/or cash through the Trust’s Clearing Process, Fed Book-Entry System, Euroclear and/or DTC in the case of a creation, and through the Trust’s Clearing Process, Euroclear and/or DTC in the case of a redemption.

With respect to any order for the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees on behalf of itself and any party for which it is acting (regardless of its capacity) to return to the Trust any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to it or to the party for which it is acting in respect of any Deposit Security that is transferred to the Participant or any party for which it is acting that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security at the time of transfer should have been paid to the Trust. With respect to any orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Participant also acknowledges and agrees on behalf of itself and any party for which it is acting (regardless of its capacity) that the Transfer Agent is entitled to reduce the amount of money or other proceeds due to the Participant or any party for which it is acting that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security at the time of transfer, should be paid to the Fund. With respect to any order for the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Trust acknowledges and agrees to return to the Participant or any party for which it is acting any dividend, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Trust in respect of any Deposit Security that is transferred to the Trust that, based on the valuation of such Deposit Security at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Participant or any party for which it is acting.

3. NSCC . Solely with respect to orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units through the Trust’s Clearing Process, the Participant as a Participating Party hereby authorizes the Transfer Agent to transmit to NSCC on behalf of the Participant such instructions, including share and cash amounts as are necessary with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units consistent with the instructions issued by the Participant to the Trust telephone representative identified in Attachments A and A-1 hereto (the “Trust Representative”). The Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of such instructions issued by the Transfer Agent and reported to NSCC as though such instructions were issued by the Participant directly to NSCC.

4. DEPOSIT SECURITIES . The Participant understands that the number and names of the designated portfolio of Deposit Securities and relevant cash amounts to be included in the current Portfolio Deposit for each Fund will be made available each day that the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for trading through the facilities of the NSCC.

 

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5. ROLE OF PARTICIPANT . The Participant acknowledges and agrees that for all purposes of this Agreement, the Participant shall have no authority in any matter or in any respect to act as agent of the Distributor, the Transfer Agent or the Trust.

(a) In executing this Agreement, the Participant agrees, in connection with any purchase or redemption transactions in which it acts for a customer or for any other DTC Participant or indirect participant, or any other beneficial owner of Shares (each a “Beneficial Owner”), that it shall extend to any such party all of the rights, and shall be bound by all of the obligations, of a DTC Participant in addition to any obligations that it undertakes hereunder or in accordance with the Prospectus.

(b) The Participant agrees (i) subject to any privacy obligations or other obligations arising under the federal or state securities laws it may have to its customers, to assist the Distributor in ascertaining certain information regarding sales of Shares made by or through Participant upon the request of the Trust or the Distributor necessary for the Funds to comply with their obligations to distribute information to its shareholders as may be required from time to time under applicable state or federal securities laws, and (ii) to deliver prospectuses, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, proxy material, annual and other reports of the Funds or other similar information that the Funds are obligated to deliver to their shareholders to the Participant’s customers that custody Shares with the Participant, after receipt from the Funds or the Distributor of sufficient quantities to allow mailing thereof to such customers. None of the Distributor, the Trust or any of their respective affiliates shall use the names, addresses and other information concerning Participant’s customers for any purpose except in connection with the performance of their duties and responsibilities hereunder and except for servicing and informational mailings described in this clause (b) of Section 5, or as may otherwise be required by applicable law.

(c) The Participant affirms that it has procedures in place reasonably designed to protect the privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer financial information to the extent required by applicable law, rule and regulation.

(d) The Participant further represents that its Anti-Money Laundering Program, at a minimum, (i) designates a compliance officer to administer and oversee the AML Program, (ii) provides ongoing employee training, (iii) includes an independent audit function to test the effectiveness of the AML Program, (iv) establishes internal policies, procedures and controls that are tailored to its particular business, (v) includes a customer identification program consistent with the rules under Sec. 326 of the USA Patriot Act, (vi) provides for the filing of all necessary anti-money laundering reports including, but not limited to, currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports, (vii) provides for screening all new and existing customers against the Office of Foreign Asset Control list and any other government list that is or becomes required under the Act and (viii) allows for appropriate regulators to examine its AML books and records.

(e) The Participant represents that from time to time it may be a Beneficial Owner (as that term is defined in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) of Shares. To the extent that it is a Beneficial Owner of Shares, the Participant agrees to irrevocably appoint the Distributor as its attorney and proxy with full authorization and power to vote (or abstain from voting) its beneficially owned Shares. The Distributor, as attorney and proxy for the Participant under this Section 5(e), (i) is hereby given full power of substitution and revocation; (ii) may act through such agents, nominees or attorneys as it may appoint from time to time; and (iii) may provide voting instructions to such agents, nominees or substitute attorneys.

 

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6. PARTICIPANT REPRESENTATIONS .

(a) The Participant represents, warrants and agrees that it will not make any representations concerning the Funds, the Creation Units or the Shares other than those consistent with the then current Prospectus or any promotional or sales literature furnished to the Participant by the Distributor or the Trust, or any such materials permitted by clause (b) of this Section 6.

(b) The Participant agrees not to furnish or cause to be furnished by Participant or its employees to any person or display or publish any information or materials relating to the Funds (including, without limitation, promotional materials and sales literature, advertisements, press releases, announcements, statements, posters, signs or other similar materials, but not including any materials prepared and used for Participant’s internal use only or brokerage communications prepared by the Participant in the normal course of its business and consistent with the Trust’s then current Prospectus and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations) (“Marketing Materials”), except such Marketing Materials as may be furnished to the Participant by the Distributor or the Trust and such other Marketing Materials as are consistent with the Trust’s then current Prospectus and have been approved by the Distributor in writing prior to use; provided that such Marketing Materials clearly indicate that such Marketing Materials are prepared and distributed by Participant. All Marketing Materials prepared by the Participant shall be filed with FINRA or the SEC, as applicable, by the Participant, and shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of FINRA and the SEC.

(c) The Participant understands that the Trust will not be advertised or marketed as an open-end investment company, i.e., as a mutual fund, which offers redeemable securities, and that any advertising materials will prominently disclose that Shares are redeemable only in Creation Unit size by or through a Participant and on an in-kind basis, as applicable, as described in the Prospectus. In addition, the Participant understands that any advertising material that addresses redemptions of Shares, including the Prospectus, will disclose that the owners of Shares may acquire Shares and tender Shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Unit aggregations only.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Participant and its affiliates may prepare and circulate in the regular course of their businesses research reports that include information, opinions or recommendations relating to Shares (i) for public dissemination; provided that such research reports compare the relative merits and benefits of Shares with other products and are not used for the purpose of marketing shares and comply with all applicable rules and regulations of FINRA or the SEC, or (ii) for internal use by the Participant and other materials that include information, opinions or recommendations relating to Shares.

7. SUB-CUSTODIAN ACCOUNT . The Participant understands and agrees that, in the case of each Fund, as applicable, the Trust has caused the Trust’s custodian (the “Custodian”) to maintain with a sub-custodian for such Fund an account in each relevant jurisdiction to which the Participant shall, when applicable, deliver or cause to be delivered in connection with the creation of a Creation Unit aggregation the Deposit Securities not subject to settlement in the United States and any other applicable cash amounts (or the cash value of all or a part of such securities, in the case of a permitted or required cash purchase or “cash-in-lieu” amount) on behalf of itself or any other party for which it is acting (regardless of its capacity), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust, in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to such account in such jurisdiction.

 

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8. TITLE TO SECURITIES; RESTRICTED SECURITIES . The Participant represents on behalf of itself and any party for which it acts that, upon delivery of a portfolio of Deposit Securities to the Custodian and/or the relevant sub-custodian, when applicable, the Trust will acquire good and unencumbered title to such securities, free and clear of all liens, restrictions, charges and encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claims, including, without limitation, any restriction upon the sale or transfer of such securities imposed by (i) any agreement or arrangement entered into by the Participant or any party for which it is acting in connection with a transaction to purchase Shares or (ii) any provision of the 1933 Act, and any regulations thereunder (except that portfolio securities of issuers other than U.S. issuers shall not be required to have been registered under the 1933 Act if exempt from such registration), or of the applicable laws or regulations of any other applicable jurisdiction and (iii) no such securities are “restricted securities” as such term is used in Rule 144(a)(3)(i) promulgated under the 1933 Act.

9. FEES . In connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Transfer Agent shall charge, and the Participant agrees to pay, the Transaction Fee prescribed in the Prospectus applicable to creations or redemptions, or, when applicable, the Transaction Fee and such additional amounts as may be prescribed pursuant to the Prospectus. The Transaction Fee and such additional amounts may be waived or otherwise adjusted from time to time subject to the provisions relating thereto and any limitations as prescribed in the Prospectus.

10. AUTHORIZED PERSONS . Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement and as requested from time to time thereafter, the Participant shall deliver to the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, duly certified as appropriate by its secretary or other duly authorized officer, a certificate setting forth the names and signatures of all persons authorized to give instructions relating to activity contemplated hereby or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant (each, an “Authorized Person”). Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until receipt by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent of a superseding certificate bearing a subsequent date. The Transfer Agent shall issue to each Authorized Person a unique personal identification number (“PIN Number”) by which such Authorized Person and the Participant shall be identified and instructions issued by the Participant hereunder shall be authenticated. Upon the termination or revocation of authority of such Authorized Person by the Participant, the Participant shall give prompt written notice of such fact to the Distributor and the Transfer Agent and such notice shall be effective upon receipt by both the Distributor and the Transfer Agent.

11. REDEMPTION . The Participant represents and warrants that it will not obtain a Submission Number (as defined in Attachments A and A-1) from the Transfer Agent for the purpose of redeeming a Creation Unit unless it first ascertains that (a) it or its customer, as the case may be, owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares of any Fund to be redeemed, and the entire proceeds of a redemption and (b) such Shares have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Transfer Agent in accordance with the Prospectus or as otherwise required by the Trust.

12. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP . The Participant represents and warrants to the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust that it does not hold for the account of any single Beneficial Owner of Shares, 80 percent (80%) or more of outstanding Shares so as to cause the Trust to have a basis in the Deposit Securities deposited with the Trust different from the market value of such Deposit Securities on the date of such deposit, pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Transfer Agent may request information from the Participant regarding Trust Share ownership to the extent necessary to make a determination regarding ownership of 80 percent (80%) or more of outstanding Shares by a Beneficial Owner as a condition to the acceptance of a Portfolio Deposit.

 

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13. INDEMNIFICATION . This Section 13 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

(a) The Participant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor in its capacity as principal underwriter, the Trust its respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each a “Distributor Indemnified Party”) from and against any loss, liability, cost and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Distributor Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Participant of any provision of this Agreement that relates to the Participant; (ii) any failure on the part of the Participant to perform any of its obligations set forth in the Agreement; (iii) any failure by the Participant to comply with applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations in relation to its role as the Participant, except that the Participant shall not be required to indemnify a Distributor Indemnified Party to the extent that such failure was caused by the Participant’s adherence to instructions given or representations made by the Distributor, or any Distributor Indemnified Party, as applicable; (iv) any breach by the Participant of any representation provided in this Agreement or provided pursuant to Attachments A and A-1 attached hereto; or (v) actions of such Distributor Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued and reasonably believed by the Distributor or the Transfer Agent, as applicable, to be genuine and to have been given by the Participant except to the extent that the Participant had previously revoked a PIN Number used in giving such instructions or representations (where applicable) and such revocation was given by the Participant and received by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent in accordance with the terms of Section 10 hereto. The Participant and the Distributor understand and agree that the Trust is entitled and intends to proceed directly against the Participant in the event that the Participant fails to honor any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement that benefit the Trust. The foregoing shall not apply to any loss, damage, charge, liability, cost, expense, cause of action, obligation, judgment or fee incurred by such Distributor Indemnified Party arising out of Distributor Indemnified Party’s gross negligence or reckless or willful acts or omissions or the Distributor Indemnified Party’s failure to perform any of its obligations or responsibilities under this Agreement. With respect to (i) through (iii) above, Distributor Indemnified Party’s failure to promptly acknowledge the Participant’s breach of, failure to perform or failure to comply with, the terms of this Agreement shall not negate the foregoing indemnification.

(b) The Distributor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Participant, its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each a “Participant Indemnified Party”) from and against any loss, liability, cost and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Participant Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Distributor of any provision of this Agreement that relates to the Distributor; (ii) any failure on the part of the Distributor to perform any of its obligations set forth in this Agreement; (iii) any failure by the Distributor to comply with applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations in relation to its role as Distributor of the Funds, or (iv) actions of such Participant Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued or representations made in accordance with Attachments A and A-1 (as they may be amended from time to time) reasonably believed by the Participant to be genuine and to have been given by the Distributor, in connection with the Participant’s acting in its capacity as an authorized participant. The foregoing shall not apply to any loss, damage, charge, liability, cost, expense, cause of action, obligation, judgment or fee incurred by such Participant Indemnified Party arising out of Participant Indemnified Party’s gross negligence or reckless or willful acts or omissions or the Participant Indemnified Party’s failure to perform any of its obligations or responsibilities under this Agreement. With respect to (i) through (iv) above, Participant Indemnified Party’s failure to

 

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promptly acknowledge Distributor’s breach of, failure to perform or failure to comply with, the terms of this Agreement shall not negate the foregoing indemnification.

(c) No party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party or to any other person for any damages arising out of mistakes or errors in data provided to such Distributor Indemnified Party or Participant Indemnified Party, as the case may be, by a third party, or out of interruptions or delays of electronic means of communications with the Distributor Indemnified Party or Participant Indemnified Party.

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . The Participant acknowledges receipt of the Prospectus and represents that it has reviewed such document and understands the terms thereof.

15. NOTICES . Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, all notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by personal delivery or by postage prepaid registered or certified U.S. first class mail, return receipt requested, or by telex, telegram or facsimile or similar means of same day delivery (with a confirming copy by mail as provided herein). Unless otherwise notified in writing, all notices to the Transfer Agent shall be given or sent as follows: The Bank of New York Mellon, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attn: ETF Services Group. All notices to the Trust shall be given or sent as follows: PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, as applicable, in care of The Bank of New York Mellon, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attn: ETF Services Group with a copy to PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, as applicable, 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, Attn: Head of Legal. All notices to the Participant, the Transfer Agent, and the Distributor shall be directed to the address or telephone, facsimile or telex numbers indicated below the signature line of such party, except in the case of communications by the Distributor or Transfer Agent to the Participant during, or as part of, the order creation or redemption process as detailed in Attachments A and A-1 to this Agreement, especially the Distributor’s or Transfer Agent’s attempt to contact an Authorized Person of the Participant with respect to, among other things, ambiguous instructions, the suspension or cancellation of an order as discussed in Attachments A and A-1, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent agree to contact a representative of the ETF Trading Desk of the Participant.

16. TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT . This Agreement shall become effective in this form as of the date accepted by the Transfer Agent and may be terminated at any time by any party upon thirty (30) days’ prior notice to the other parties (i) unless earlier terminated by the Transfer Agent in the event of a breach of this Agreement or the procedures described herein by the Participant or (ii) in the event that the Trust is terminated pursuant to the Trust Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any prior agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter contained herein. This Agreement may be amended by the Transfer Agent from time to time upon ten (10) days’ prior written notice (unless such notice is otherwise waived) by the following procedure. The Transfer Agent will mail a copy of the amendment to the Distributor and the Participant. For the purposes of this Agreement, mail will be deemed received when actually received by the recipient thereof upon the date that appears on a reasonably acceptable proof of receipt. Titles and section headings are included solely for convenient reference and are not a part of this Agreement. This Agreement and Attachments A and A-1 hereto, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the matters contained herein and may be amended or modified only by a written document signed by an authorized representative of each party.

 

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17. PROSPECTUS . The Distributor will provide to the Participant copies of the then current Prospectus and any printed supplemental information in reasonable quantities upon request. The Participant shall, upon request of the Trust, provide the Trust with sufficient documentation and other evidence that the Participant is providing prospectuses and, where applicable, any printed supplemental information, to the purchasers of any Shares. The Distributor represents, warrants and agrees that it will notify the Participant when a revised, supplemented or amended prospectus for any Shares is available and deliver or otherwise make available to the Participant copies of such revised, supplemented or amended prospectus at such time and in such numbers as to enable the Participant to comply with any obligation it may have to deliver such prospectus to customers. The Distributor will make such revised, supplemented or amended prospectus available to the Participant no later than its effective date. The Distributor shall be deemed to have complied with this Section 17 when the Participant has received such revised, supplemented or amended prospectus by email at [              @              . com], in printable form, with such number of hard copies as may be agreed from time to time by the parties promptly thereafter.

18. NO PROMOTION . Each of the Trust and the Distributor agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Participant in each instance, (i) use in advertising, publicity, or otherwise the name of the Participant or any affiliate of the Participant, or any partner or employee of the Participant, nor any trade name, trademark, trade device, service mark, symbol or any abbreviation, contraction or simulation thereof owned by the Participant or its affiliates, or (ii) represent, directly or indirectly, that any product or any service provided by the Trust or Distributor has been approved or endorsed by the Participant. Furthermore, the Distributor and the Participant agree that they will not, without the prior written consent of the other party in each such instance, disclose the terms of this Agreement, except for use in accordance with this Agreement or to the parties’ respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives for use in accordance with this Agreement or as required by any applicable law or regulatory body. This provision shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.

19. COUNTERPARTS . This Agreement may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

20. GOVERNING LAW . This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. The parties irrevocably submit to the personal jurisdiction and service and venue of any federal or state court within the State of Illinois having subject matter jurisdiction, for the purpose of any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

21. ASSIGNMENT . Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement (in whole or in part) without the prior written consent of the other party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided , that either party may assign its rights and obligations hereunder (in whole, but not in part) without such consent to an entity acquiring all, or substantially all, of its assets or business. Notwithstanding the aforementioned termination provisions, in the event that an entity acquires all or substantially all of the Participant’s assets or business, the Distributor may elect within a limited period of time not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date upon which such acquisition was publicly announced to immediately terminate this Agreement.

22. SEVERANCE. If any provision of this Agreement is held by any court pursuant to any Act, Regulation, Rule or decision or by any other governmental or supranational body or authority or regulatory or self-regulatory organization to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, it shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable only to the extent so held and all parties shall remain responsible for all actions or omissions not relating to such provision and the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of such

 

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provisions shall not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement, so long as this Agreement, as so modified, continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter of this Agreement and the deletion of such portion of this Agreement will not substantially impair the respective benefits, obligations or expectations of the parties to this Agreement.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the duly authorized representatives of the below parties hereto have executed this Agreement the effective date of which shall be date of the last dated signature below (the “Effective Date”).

 

INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:  

11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 100

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

Telephone:    
Facsimile:    
DATE:    

With a copy to:

 

Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Attn: General Counsel

11 Greenway Plaza

Suite 100

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

[PARTICIPANT]
BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:    
   
Telephone:    
Facsimile:    
DATE:    

 

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Accepted by:   

POWERSHARES EXCHANGE-

TRADED FUND TRUST

 

BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:   3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700 Downers Grove, IL 60515
Telephone:   630.933.9600
Facsimile:   630.933.9699
DATE:    
POWERSHARES EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST II
BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:   3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700 Downers Grove, IL 60515
Telephone:   630.933.9600
Facsimile:   630.933.9699
DATE:    
POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST
BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    

 

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Address:   3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700
  Downers Grove, IL 60515
Telephone:   630.933.9600
Facsimile:   630.933.9699
DATE:    
POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED COMMODITY FUND TRUST
BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:   3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700
  Downers Grove, IL 60515
Telephone:   630.933.9600
Facsimile:   630.933.9699

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

AS TRANSFER AGENT

BY:    
NAME:    
TITLE:    
Address:    
   
Telephone:    
Facsimile:    
DATE:    

 

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ATTACHMENT A

Equity Funds

This document is an attachment to the Participant Agreement with respect to the procedures to be used by (i) the Distributor and the Transfer Agent in processing an order for the creation of Shares, (ii) the Distributor and the Transfer Agent in processing a request for the redemption of Shares and (iii) the Participant and the Transfer Agent in delivering or arranging for the delivery of requisite cash payments, Portfolio Deposits or Shares, as the case may be, in connection with the submission of orders for creation or requests for redemption.

The Participant is first required to have signed the Participant Agreement. Upon acceptance of the Participant Agreement by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will assign a PIN Number to each Authorized Person authorized to act for the Participant. This will allow the Participant through its Authorized Person(s) to place an order with respect to Shares.

 

I. TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR CREATION OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES

The Authorized Participant (“AP”) submitting an order to create or redeem, shall submit such orders containing the information required to the Transfer Agent in the following manner: (a) by telephone to the Transfer Agent Representative followed up with the faxed order form (within 15 minutes of the verbal phone order) according to the procedures set forth below, or (b) through Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, as such may be made available and constituted from time to time, the use of which shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Electronic Services Agreement. The order so transmitted (either orally and in writing, or electronic form) is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission” or the “Purchase Order” / “Redemption Order” (as applicable), and the Business Day on which a Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date”. NOTE THAT WHEN THE TELEPHONIC METHOD OF SUBMITTING ORDERS IS USED, THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. A PHONE ORDER IS COMPLETED AND PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT OF THE FAXED ORDER FORM.

1. Call to Receive a Submission Number . An Authorized Person for the Participant will call the Trust Representative at (718) 315-7500 not later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) to receive a Submission Number. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time on the trade date. Upon verifying the authenticity of the caller (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the order for creation or request for redemption, the Trust Representative will issue a unique Submission Number. All orders with respect to the creation or redemption of Shares are required to be in writing and accompanied by the designated Submission Number. Incoming telephone calls are queued and will be handled in the sequence received. The Participant must receive a Submission Number prior to NYSE Closing Time for its order to be processed that Business Day. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE ATTEMPTED LATER THAN THE NYSE CLOSING TIME WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

 

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PLEASE NOTE: A PURCHASE ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER IS ISSUED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR AND THE ORDER IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS “APPROVED” BY BNYM OR THE DISTRIBUTOR. WITH RESPECT TO EACH FUND, AN ORDER FOR FUND SHARES CAN NOT BE CANCELED BY THE AP AFTER THE FUND’S MARKET CUTT-OFF TIME. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE SEQUENCE RECEIVED. ACCORDINGLY, THE AP SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. CALLS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AT THE CUTOFF TIME ARE VALID AND THE ORDER WILL BE TAKEN. PLEASE NOTE THAT “IN PROGRESS” IS DEFINED AS AN AP ACTUALLY SPEAKING WITH A BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR . FOR CALLS THAT ARE PLACED BEFORE THE CUTOFF TIME THAT ARE IN THE HOLDING QUEUE UNANSWERED AT OR AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME, WILL BE VERBALLY DENIED. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE RECORDED.

2. Assemble the Submission . The Authorized Person submitting an order to create or a request to redeem shall assemble (a) written instructions regarding such creation order or redemption request, (b) the designated Submission Number and (c) transmit such document by facsimile to the Trust Representative and the Distributor, as applicable, according to the procedures set forth below in Section 3. The document so transmitted is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission,” and the Business Day on which a Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” NOTE THAT THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE SUBMISSION NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. AN ORDER OR REQUEST IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF THE SUBMISSION.

3. Transmit the Submission . A Submission Number is only valid for a limited time. The Submission for either creations or redemptions of Shares must be sent by facsimile or to the Trust Representative within 15 minutes of the issuance of the Submission Number. In the event that the Submission is not received within such time period, the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request immediate transmission of the Submission.

(a) In the case of a Submission for creation, unless the Submission is received by the Trust Representative upon the earlier of within (i) 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time, the Submission will be deemed invalid.

(b) In the case of a Submission for redemption, unless such Submission is received by the Trust Representative within (i) 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time, whichever is earlier, such order for redemption contained therein shall be received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent on the Business Day following such Transmittal Date in accordance with the procedures set forth below or in the Fund’s Prospectus as the case may be.

4. Await Receipt of Confirmation .

(a) Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Orders . The Transfer Agent shall issue to the Participating Party a confirmation of acceptance of an order to create Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the Participating Party does not receive a timely confirmation from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Distributor and the Trust Representative at the business numbers indicated. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

 

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(b) Trust’s Clearing Process—Requests for Redemptions . The Transfer Agent shall issue to the Participating Party a confirmation of acceptance of a request to redeem Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the Participating Party does not receive a timely confirmation from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Transfer Agent directly at the business number indicated. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

(c) Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Orders . The Distributor shall issue to the DTC Participant an acknowledgement of receipt of an order to create Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the DTC Participant does not receive a timely acknowledgement from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Distributor and Transfer Agent at the business numbers indicated. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

(d) Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Requests for Redemption . The Transfer Agent shall issue to the DTC Participant an acknowledgement of receipt of an order to redeem Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the DTC Participant does not receive a timely acknowledgement from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Transfer Agent directly at the business number indicated. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

 

II. PARTICIPANT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR DELIVERING OR EFFECTING THE DELIVERY OF REQUISITE PORTFOLIO DEPOSITS OR SHARES AND CASH PAYMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDERS FOR CREATION OR REQUESTS FOR REDEMPTION.

1. Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Orders . The Participating Party notified of confirmation of an order to create Shares through the Trust’s Clearing Process shall be required to transfer or arrange for the transfer of (a) the requisite Deposit Securities (or contracts to purchase such Deposit Securities expected to be delivered through NSCC by the “regular way” settlement date) and (b) the Cash Component, if any, to the Transfer Agent by means of the Trust’s Clearing Process so as to be received no later than on the “regular way” settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent as set forth below.

2. Trust’s Clearing Process—Redemption Requests . The Participating Party notified of confirmation of a request to redeem Shares through the Trust’s Clearing Process shall be required to transfer or arrange for the transfer of the requisite Shares and the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, to the Transfer Agent by means of the Trust’s Clearing Process so as to be received no later than on the “regular way” settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent as set forth below.

3. Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Orders .

Domestic. The DTC Participant notified of acknowledgement of an order to create Shares outside the Trust’s Clearing Process shall be required to effect a transfer to the Transfer Agent of (a) the requisite Deposit Securities through DTC so as to be received by the Transfer Agent by the “regular way” settlement date, on which the order is received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Distributor, in such a way as to replicate the Portfolio Deposit established on the Transmittal Date by the Transfer Agent and (b) the Cash Component, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the Transfer Agent by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time by the “regular way” settlement date (as

 

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described in the Prospectus). If the Transfer Agent does not receive the Deposit Securities by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, and the Cash Component, if any, by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time by the “regular way” settlement date. (as described in the Prospectus), the creation order contained in such Submission shall be canceled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, the DTC Participant may resubmit such canceled order on the following Business Day using a Portfolio Deposit as newly constituted.

Foreign . Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian of the Trust on or before 11 a.m Eastern time, on the Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). Participant must also make available on or before the Contractual Settlement Date, by means satisfactory to the Trust, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of an order, together with the applicable Transaction Fee. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares. The “Contractual Settlement Date” is the earlier of (i) the date upon which all of the required Deposit Securities, the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due are delivered to the Trust and (ii) the latest day for settlement on the customary settlement cycle in the jurisdiction where any of the securities of the relevant Fund are customarily traded.

A Creation Unit of Shares will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the portfolio of Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component and the applicable Transaction Fee have been completed. When the sub-custodian confirms to the Custodian that the required securities included in the Portfolio Deposit (or, when permitted in the sole discretion of the Trust, the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian, the Custodian shall notify the Distributor and Transfer Agent, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit of Shares via DTC.

4. Purchase of Creation Unit Aggregations Prior to Receipt of Deposit Securities. Creation Unit Aggregations may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Fund Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed in proper form prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, If the order is not placed in proper form by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the contractual settlement date, then the order may be deemed to be canceled and the Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 105% of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities.

5. Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Redemption Requests .

Domestic . The DTC Participant notified of acknowledgement of a request to redeem Shares outside the Trust’s Clearing Process shall be required to effect a transfer to the Transfer Agent (a) the requisite number of Shares through DTC on the contractual settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent and (b) the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by no later than 11 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on contractual settlement date for Creation Unit(s) of Shares, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the

 

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undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery on Settlement Date and subsequent maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105 % of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto further agree that the Trust, acting in good faith, may purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP agrees to accept liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

Foreign . Deliveries of in-kind redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days. Due to holidays in certain countries, delivery to redeeming Participants may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the Transfer Agent receives the participant’s redemption order in proper form. A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate securities broker-dealer, bank or other custody arrangements to which account such in-kind redemption proceeds will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Participant acting on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Deposit Securities in the applicable jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Deposit Securities in such jurisdiction, the 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 less the applicable Transaction Fee.

Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participant to transfer Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Funds could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on trade date plus one for Creation Unit(s) of Shares, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery on Settlement Date and subsequent maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105 % of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto further agree that the Trust, acting in good faith, may purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP agrees to accept liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

6. Transaction Fee . In connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Transfer Agent shall charge, and the Participant agrees to pay, the Transaction Fee prescribed in the Prospectus and such additional amounts as may be prescribed pursuant to the Prospectus. Such Transaction Fee and additional amounts, if any, shall be included in the calculation of the Cash Component or Cash Redemption Amount payable or to be received, as the case may be, by the Participant in connection with the creation or redemption order.

 

III. TRANSFER AGENT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR EFFECTING DELIVERY OF REQUISITE SHARES OR SECURITIES AND CASH PAYMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDERS FOR CREATION OR REQUESTS FOR REDEMPTION.

 

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1. Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Order . After the Transfer Agent has received notification of a Submission from the Participant for a creation order for Shares through the Trust’s Clearing Process which has been received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Shares and the Cash Component, if any, through the Trust’s Clearing Process so as to be received by the creator no later than on the “regular way” settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent.

2. Trust’s Clearing Process—Redemption Requests . After the Transfer Agent has received a Submission for a redemption request for Shares through the Trust’s Clearing Process which has been received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus), the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite securities (or contracts to purchase such securities expected to be delivered through NSCC by the “regular way” settlement date) and the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, through the Trust’s Clearing Process so as to be received by the Beneficial Owner no later than on the “regular way” settlement date (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent.

3. Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Creation Orders . After the Transfer Agent has received notification of a Submission from the Participant for a creation order for Shares outside the Trust’s Clearing Process which has been received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Shares through DTC and the DTC Participants and the Cash Component, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the creator no later than on the third (3rd) Business Day following the Business Day on which the Submission is received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent.

4. Outside the Trust’s Clearing Process—Redemption Requests . After the Transfer Agent has received a Submission for a redemption request for Shares outside the Trust’s Clearing Process which has been received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus), the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite securities (or contracts to purchase such securities expected to be delivered within three Business Days) through DTC and the global sub-custodian network and the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the Beneficial Owner no later than on the third (3rd) Business Day (or longer for certain foreign countries) following the Business Day on which the Submission is received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent.

5. Ambiguous Instructions . In the event that a Submission contains terms that differ from the information provided in the telephone call at the time of issuance of the Submission Number, the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request confirmation of the terms of the order. If an Authorized Person confirms the terms as they appear in the Submission, the Submission will be accepted and processed. If an Authorized Person contradicts its terms, the Submission will be deemed invalid, and a corrected Submission must be received by the Transfer Agent, as applicable, not later than the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of such contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time. If the Trust Representative is not able to contact an Authorized Person, then the Submission shall be accepted and processed in accordance with its terms notwithstanding any inconsistency from the terms of the telephone information. In the event that a Submission contains terms that are illegible, the Submission will be deemed invalid and the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request retransmission of the Submission. A corrected Submission must be received by the Transfer Agent, as applicable, not later than the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of such contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time.

6. Suspension or Rejection of an Order . The Distributor or Transfer Agent reserves the right to suspend a Submission in the event that its acceptance would appear to result in the Participant or a

 

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Beneficial Owner owning 80 percent (80%) or more of all outstanding Shares and if pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, such a circumstance would result in the Trust having a basis in the securities deposited different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. In such event, the Distributor or the Trust Representative will attempt to contact an Authorized Person for purposes of confirmation of the fact that, with respect to such Participant, no Beneficial Owner would own 80 percent (80%) or more of all outstanding Shares upon execution of the Submission or that such a circumstance would not result in the Trust having a basis in the securities deposited different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. In the event that (i) the Distributor or the Trust Representative is unable to contact an Authorized Person or (ii) the Participant fails to transmit an identical Submission containing a representation and warranty as to such fact, then the Submission shall be deemed invalid.

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund 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 any Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Trust’s adviser (the “Adviser”), have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify immediately a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Participant acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

IV. PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO CUSTOM BASKETS

The Fund has developed custom creation, redemption and other non-typical baskets (the “Custom Baskets”). Custom Baskets are intended to allow the Participant to transact in a Fund and other non-standard baskets using the Custom Basket process. The Custom Basket process allows for cash-in-lieu for certain securities as well as non-typical baskets and continues to settle through the standard CNS process at NSCC. It is the responsibility of the Participant to apply to the NSCC by contacting DTCC Participant Services at 212-855-4155 and the Transfer Agent at 718-315-7500 to allow them to receive Custom Baskets as well as the regular daily standard baskets (the “Standard Baskets”). To ensure proper tracking of a Fund to its benchmark index the following guidelines must be followed when transacting Custom Baskets:

1. On or before T-1, the Participant must request a Custom Basket from the Adviser by emailing a custom basket request to the Advisor at PowerSharesResearchandTrading@PowerShares.com. The Adviser must identify the securities to be added to or omitted from the creation or redemption basket (the “Added Issues” or the “Omitted Issues”). In the case of an Omitted Issue, cash-in-lieu is defined as the net asset value of the Fund times the number of units in one creation block minus the value of the Omitted Issues. The Participant will also be responsible for any costs associated with the conversion of

 

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cash into the Omitted Issues to be purchased. The Participant may request that the Custom Basket be available for creations and redemptions for a one-time transaction, a specific period or indefinitely. The Adviser will advise the Transfer Agent who will review the Custom Basket request and, if approved, will deliver a confirmation back to the Advisor and the Participant The Advisor will notify the Transfer Agent of Custom Basket requests and will deliver a confirmation to the Participant and the Advisor Transfer Agent, if approved. In the event subsequent additions and/or deletions to Added Issues or Omitted Issues are required to change the custom basket already approved, the Adviser is responsible for advising both the Participant and the Transfer Agent.

2. On trade date minus 1 day, prior to the opening of the NYSE, the Fund through Transfer Agent will notify NSCC as to the components of the approved Custom Baskets available that day along with the components of the Standard Basket. Each Custom Basket will be identified by a separate NSCC assigned instruction CUSIP.

3. On trade date, the Participant will follow the directions regarding placing orders outlined in Attachment A. A Participant wishing to create or redeem a Custom Basket must identify the custom CUSIP on the order form in the blank provided. Orders received without a custom CUSIP indicated will be processed as orders for Standard Baskets. Participants placing orders for Custom Baskets must note that the cut- off- time to create and redeem a Custom Basket will be 3:00 p.m., Eastern time. Orders for Custom Baskets will not be processed if received by the Transfer Agent after 3:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Participant may transact on the Standard Basket at any time during the trade date.

 

V. TELEPHONE, FACSIMILE AND NUMBERS

 

TRUST REPRESENTATIVE:    TELEPHONE:       
     FACSIMILE:       
TRUSTEE:    TELEPHONE:     
   FACSIMILE:     
PARTICIPANT:    TELEPHONE:     
   FACSIMILE:     

 

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ATTACHMENT A-1

Fixed Income Funds

This document is an attachment to the Participant Agreement with respect to the procedures to be used by (i) the Distributor and the Transfer Agent in processing an order for the creation of Shares, (ii) the Distributor and the Transfer Agent in processing a request for the redemption of Shares and (iii) the Participant and the Transfer Agent in delivering or arranging for the delivery of requisite cash payments, Portfolio Deposits or Shares, as the case may be, in connection with the submission of orders for creation or requests for redemption.

The Participant is first required to have signed the Participant Agreement. Upon acceptance of the Participant Agreement by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will assign a PIN Number to each Authorized Person authorized to act for the Participant. This will allow the Participant through its Authorized Person(s) to place an order with respect to Shares.

 

I. TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR CREATION OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES

The Authorized Participant (“AP”) submitting an order to create or redeem, shall submit such orders containing the information required to the Transfer Agent in the following manner: (a) by telephone to the Transfer Agent Representative followed up with the faxed order form (within 15 minutes of the verbal phone order) according to the procedures set forth below, or (b) through Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, as such may be made available and constituted from time to time, the use of which shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Electronic Services Agreement. The order so transmitted (either orally and in writing, or electronic form) is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission” or the “Purchase Order” / “Redemption Order” (as applicable), and the Business Day on which a Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date”. NOTE THAT WHEN THE TELEPHONIC METHOD OF SUBMITTING ORDERS IS USED, THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. A PHONE ORDER IS COMPLETED AND PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT OF THE FAXED ORDER FORM.

1. Call to Receive a Submission Number . An Authorized Person for the Participant will call the Trust Representative at (718) 315-7500 not later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) to receive a Submission Number. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time on the trade date. Upon verifying the authenticity of the caller (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the order for creation or request for redemption, the Trust Representative will issue a unique Submission Number. All orders with respect to the creation or redemption of Shares are required to be in writing and accompanied by the designated Submission Number. Incoming telephone calls are queued and will be handled in the sequence received. The Participant must receive a Submission Number prior to NYSE Closing Time for its order to be processed that Business Day . INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE ATTEMPTED LATER THAN THE NYSE CLOSING TIME WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

 

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PLEASE NOTE: A PURCHASE ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER IS ISSUED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR AND THE ORDER IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS “APPROVED” BY BNYM OR THE DISTRIBUTOR. WITH RESPECT TO EACH FUND, AN ORDER FOR FUND SHARES CAN NOT BE CANCELED BY THE AP AFTER THE FUND’S MARKET CUT-OFF TIME. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE SEQUENCE RECEIVED. ACCORDINGLY, THE AP SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. CALLS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AT THE CUTOFF TIME ARE VALID AND THE ORDER WILL BE TAKEN. PLEASE NOTE THAT “IN PROGRESS” IS DEFINED AS AN AP ACTUALLY SPEAKING WITH A BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR . FOR CALLS THAT ARE PLACED BEFORE THE CUTOFF TIME THAT ARE IN THE HOLDING QUEUE UNANSWERED AT OR AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME, WILL BE VERBALLY DENIED. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE CUTOFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE BNYM ETF ADMINISTRATOR. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE RECORDED.

2. Assemble the Submission. The Authorized Person submitting an order to create or a request to redeem shall assemble (a) written instructions regarding such creation order or redemption request, (b) the designated Submission Number and (c) transmit such document by facsimile to the Trust Representative and the Distributor, as applicable, according to the procedures set forth below in Section 3. The document so transmitted is hereinafter referred to as the “Submission,” and the Business Day on which a Submission is made is hereinafter referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” NOTE THAT THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE SUBMISSION NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. AN ORDER OR REQUEST IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF THE SUBMISSION.

3. Transmit the Submission . A Submission Number is only valid for a limited time. The Submission for either creations or redemptions of Shares must be sent by facsimile to the Trust Representative within 15 minutes of the issuance of the Submission Number. In the event that the Submission is not received within such time period, the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request immediate transmission of the Submission.

(a) In the case of a Submission for creation, unless the Submission is received by the Trust Representative upon the earlier of within (i) 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time, the Submission will be deemed invalid.

(b) In the case of a Submission for redemption, unless such Submission is received by the Trust Representative within (i) 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time, whichever is earlier, such order for redemption contained therein shall be received in proper form (as described in the Prospectus) by the Transfer Agent on the Business Day following such Transmittal Date in accordance with the procedures set forth below or in the Fund’s Prospectus as the case may be.

4. Await Receipt of Confirmation .

(a) Creation Orders . The Transfer Agent shall issue to the DTC Participant an acknowledgement of receipt of an order to create Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the DTC Participant does not receive a timely acknowledgement from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Distributor and the Trust Representative at the business numbers indicated. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

(b) Requests for Redemption . The Transfer Agent shall issue to the DTC Participant an acknowledgement of receipt of an order to redeem Shares in Creation Unit size aggregations

 

- x -


within 15 minutes of its receipt of a Submission received in good form. In the event the DTC Participant does not receive a timely confirmation from the Transfer Agent, it should contact the Transfer Agent directly at the business number indicated. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

 

II. PARTICIPANT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR DELIVERING OR EFFECTING THE DELIVERY OF REQUISITE PORTFOLIO DEPOSITS OR SHARES AND CASH PAYMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDERS FOR CREATION OR REQUESTS FOR REDEMPTION.

1. Creation Orders . The DTC Participant notified of acknowledgement of an order to create Shares shall be required to effect a transfer to the Transfer Agent of (a) the requisite Deposit Securities through Euroclear, DTC and/or Fed Book-Entry so as to be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date of which such order is Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent as set forth below in Section IV, in such a way as to replicate the Portfolio Deposit established on the Transmittal Date by the Transfer Agent and (b) the Cash Component, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the Transfer Agent by 11 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date of which such order is Deemed Received. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the Deposit Securities by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time and the Cash Component, if any, by 11 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date, the creation order contained in such Submission shall be canceled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, the DTC/Euroclear Participant may resubmit such canceled order on the following Business Day using a Portfolio Deposit as newly constituted.

2. Purchase of Creation Unit Aggregations Prior to Receipt of Deposit Securities . Creation Unit Aggregations may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Fund Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed in proper form prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such date, and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Transfer Agent by 2 p.m., Eastern time, on the contractual settlement date. If the order is not placed in proper form by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2 p.m., Eastern time, on the contractual settlement date, then the order may be deemed to be canceled and the Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 105% of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities.

3. Redemption Requests . The DTC/Euroclear Participant notified of acknowledgement of a request to redeem Shares shall be required to effect a transfer to the Transfer Agent (a) the requisite number of Shares through DTC or Euroclear on the contractual settlement date (b) the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by no later than 2:00 p.m, Eastern time on contractual settlement date.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on contractual settlement date for Creation Unit(s) of Shares, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery on Settlement Date and subsequent maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105 % of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto further agree that the Trust, acting in good faith, may purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP agrees to accept liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing

 

- xi -


such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

4. Creation Orders—Foreign Securities . Deposit Securities, when applicable, must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian of the Trust on or before 11:00 a.m., New York time, on the Contractual Settlement Date (defined below). Participant must also make available on or before the Contractual Settlement Date, by means mutually agreed upon by the Trust and the Participant, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of an order, together with the applicable Transaction Fee, if any. Any excess funds will be promptly returned to the Participant following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit of Shares. The “Contractual Settlement Date” is the earlier of (i) the date upon which all of the required Deposit Securities, the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due are delivered to the Trust and (ii) the latest day for settlement on the customary settlement cycle in the jurisdiction where any of the securities of the relevant Fund are customarily traded.

A Creation Unit of Shares will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the portfolio of Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component and the applicable Transaction Fee have been completed. When the sub-custodian confirms to the Custodian that the required securities included in the Portfolio Deposit (or, when permitted in the sole discretion of the Trust, the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian, which confirmation shall be done promptly after such delivery, the Custodian shall notify the Distributor and Transfer Agent, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit of Shares via DTC.

5. Redemption Orders—Foreign Securities . Deliveries of in-kind redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days. Due to holidays in certain countries, delivery to redeeming Participants may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the Transfer Agent receives the Participant’s redemption order in proper form. A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate securities broker-dealer, bank or other custody arrangements to which account such in-kind redemption proceeds will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Participant acting on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Deposit Securities in the applicable jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Deposit Securities in such jurisdiction, the 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 less the applicable Transaction Fee.

Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participant to transfer Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Funds could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on trade date plus one for Creation Unit(s) of Shares, the Trust may deliver the Deposit Securities notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such the AP’s delivery on Settlement Date and subsequent maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105 % of the value of the missing Shares. The parties hereto further agree that the Trust, acting in good faith, may purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP agrees to accept liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

 

- xii -


6. Transaction Fee . In connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Transfer Agent shall charge, and the Participant agrees to pay to the Transfer Agent, the Transaction Fee prescribed in the Prospectus and such additional amounts as may be prescribed pursuant to the Prospectus. Such Transaction Fee and additional amounts, if any, shall be included in the calculation of the Cash Component or Cash Redemption Amount payable or to be received, as the case may be, by the Participant in connection with the creation or redemption order.

 

III. RESPONSIBILITY FOR EFFECTING DELIVERY OF REQUISITE SHARES OR SECURITIES AND CASH PAYMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDERS FOR CREATION OR REQUESTS FOR REDEMPTION

1. Creation Orders . After the Transfer Agent has received notification of a Submission from the Participant for a creation order for Shares which has been Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent as set forth below in Section IV, the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Shares through DTC and the DTC Participant and the Cash Component, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the creator no later than on the third (3rd) Business Day following the Business Day on which the Submission is Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent.

2. Redemption Requests . After the Transfer Agent has received a Submission for a redemption request for Shares and Deemed Received such submission as set forth below in Section IV, the Transfer Agent shall initiate procedures to transfer the requisite securities (or contracts to purchase such securities expected to be delivered within three Business Days) through DTC and the DTC Participant and the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire system so as to be received by the Beneficial Owner no later than on the third (3rd) Business Day (or longer for certain foreign countries) following the Business Day on which the Submission is Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent.

IV. PROCEDURES BY WHICH AN ORDER TO CREATE OR A REQUEST TO REDEEM SHALL BE “DEEMED RECEIVED”

1. Creation Orders . An order to create Shares shall be Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date only if: (a) the Submission containing such order is in proper form, (b) such Submission is received by the Transfer Agent no later than the time on such Transmittal Date as set forth in Section I(3)(a) hereof, (c) when applicable, the requisite number of Deposit Securities is transferred through Euroclear, DTC and/or Fed Book-Entry to the account of the Trust no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date and (d) the cash equal to the Cash Component, if any, is transferred via the Federal Reserve Bank wire system to the account of the Trust by no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date. If either the Submission, the requisite Deposit Securities (when applicable) or the cash equal to the Cash Component is not received by the Trustee within the time periods set forth above, such order shall be deemed invalid.

2. Redemption Requests . A request to redeem Shares shall be Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date only if (a) the Submission containing such request is in proper form, (b) such Submission is received by the Trust no later than the time as set forth in Section I(3)(b) hereof, (c) the requisite number of Shares is transferred via DTC or Euroclear to the account of the Transfer Agent by the NYSE Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (d) the Cash Redemption Amount owed to the Trust, if any, is received by the Transfer Agent no later than 11 a.m., Eastern time on the contractual settlement date. If either the Submission, the Shares or cash equal to the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, is not received by the Trust within the time periods set forth above, such redemption request shall be Deemed Received by the Transfer Agent on the Business Day on which both the Submission and the requisite number of Shares are delivered to the Transfer Agent within the proper

 

- xiii -


time periods as set forth above; provided that the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, is then paid on the next Business Day within the time period set forth above.

3. Ambiguous Instructions . In the event that a Submission contains terms that differ from the information provided in the telephone call at the time of issuance of the Submission Number, the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request confirmation of the terms of the order. If an Authorized Person confirms the terms as they appear in the Submission, the Submission will be accepted and processed. If an Authorized Person contradicts its terms, the Submission will be deemed invalid, and a corrected Submission must be received by the Transfer Agent, as applicable, not later than the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of such contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time. If the Trust Representative is not able to contact an Authorized Person, then the Submission shall be accepted and processed in accordance with its terms notwithstanding any inconsistency from the terms of the telephone information. In the event that a Submission contains terms that are illegible, the Submission will be deemed invalid and the Trust Representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request retransmission of the Submission. A corrected Submission must be received by the Transfer Agent, as applicable, not later than the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of such contact with the Participant or (ii) 15 minutes after the NYSE Closing Time.

4. Suspension or Rejection of an Order . The Distributor or Transfer Agent reserves the right to suspend a Submission in the event that its acceptance would appear to result in the Participant or a Beneficial Owner owning 80 percent (80%) or more of all outstanding Shares and if pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, such a circumstance would result in the Trust having a basis in the securities deposited different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. In such event, the Distributor or the Trust Representative will attempt to contact an Authorized Person for purposes of confirmation of the fact that with respect to such Participant no Beneficial Owner would own 80 percent (80%) or more of all outstanding Shares upon execution of the Submission or that such a circumstance would not result in the Trust having a basis in the securities deposited different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. In the event that (i) the Distributor or the Trust Representative is unable to contact an Authorized Person or (ii) the Participant fails to transmit an identical Submission containing a representation and warranty as to such fact, then the Submission shall be deemed invalid.

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund 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 any Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and the Trust’s adviser (the “Adviser”) make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, Euroclear, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify immediately a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Participant acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

- xiv -


V. PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO CUSTOM BASKETS

As fixed income instruments are characterized by minimum and incremental trading lots, the Fund has developed custom creation, redemption and other non-typical baskets (the “Custom Baskets”). Custom Baskets are intended to allow the Participant to transact in that Fund and other non-standard baskets using the Custom Basket process. The Custom Basket process allows for cash-in-lieu for certain securities as well as non-typical baskets and broker-to-broker settlements. Baskets will usually be created with constituent security allocations at variance from what is published in NSCC. To ensure proper tracking of the Fund to its benchmark index, Standard Baskets will be compiled and used for index indicative value (“IOPV”) calculation only. The following guidelines must be followed when transacting Custom Baskets:

1. On or before T-1, the Participant must request a Custom Basket from the Adviser at 212-278-9429 for creations and redemptions. The Adviser must identify the securities to be added to or omitted from the creation or redemption basket (the “Added Issues” or the “Omitted Issues”). In the case of an Omitted Issue, cash-in-lieu is defined as the net asset value of the Fund times the number of units in one creation block minus the value of the Omitted Issues. The Participant will also be responsible for any costs associated with the conversion of cash into the Omitted Issues to be purchased. The Participant may request that the Custom Basket be available for creations and redemptions for a one-time transaction, a specific period or indefinitely. The Advisor will notify the Transfer Agent of Custom Basket requests and will deliver a confirmation to the Participant and the Transfer Agent, if approved. In the event subsequent additions and/or deletions to Added Issues or Omitted Issues are required to change the custom basket already approved, the Adviser is responsible for advising both the Participant and the Transfer Agent. For subscriptions made entirely in cash, Participants must deposit funds by trade date plus 1 day (T+1) for Treasuries, and trade date plus 3 days (T+3) for Municipals, other Government Debt, Preferreds and Corporate debt obligations reflecting the trade settlement cycle for the foregoing.

2. For Funds holding only securities which clear through NSCC’s Continuous Net Settlement process, on trade date minus 1 day, prior to the opening of the NYSE, the Fund through Transfer Agent will notify NSCC as to the components of the approved Custom Baskets available that day along with the components of the Standard Basket. Each Custom Basket will be identified by a separate NSCC assigned instruction CUSIP. NSCC will also be advised by the Transfer Agent of Standard Baskets, solely for the purpose of calculating IOPV during the trading hours. For Funds holding securities settled through Euroclear or other foreign depositories, the Transfer Agent will notify Euroclear or a local depository participant, generally a subcustodian of the Transfer Agent, of securities to be received.

3. On trade date, the Participant will follow the directions regarding placing orders outlined in Attachment A. A Participant wishing to create or redeem a Custom Basket must identify the custom CUSIP on the order form in the blank provided. Participants placing orders for Custom Baskets must note that the cut-off-time to create and redeem a Custom Basket will be 3:00 p.m., Eastern time. Orders for Custom Baskets will not be processed if received by the Transfer Agent after 3:00 p.m., Eastern time.

 

VI. TELEPHONE, FACSIMILE, AND NUMBERS

 

TRUST REPRESENTATIVE:    TELEPHONE:       
   FACSIMILE:     
TRUSTEE:    TELEPHONE:     
   FACSIMILE:     
PARTICIPANT:    TELEPHONE:     
   FACSIMILE:     

 

- xv -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Participant acknowledges that he or she has read the procedures relating to Custom Baskets and agrees to comply with all such procedures. Failure to comply with the Custom Basket procedures will require the transaction to be effected in the Standard Basket.

 

[PARTICIPANT]
By:    
Title:    
Address:    
Telephone:    
Facsimile:    
Date:    

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,
AS TRANSFER AGENT
By:    
Name:    
Title:    
Address:    
   
   
   

 

- xvi -


SUPPLEMENT TO PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

The following Trade Date minus 1 (“T-1”) procedures relate only to Submissions for creation and redemption orders submitted between 4:00 p.m., New York time and 5:00 p.m., New York time (a “T-1 Purchase Order” with respect to creations and a “T-1 Redemption Order” with respect to redemptions). These procedures only apply to the series (the “Funds”) of the Trust that are listed on Appendix I hereto. Except as modified herein, all of the procedures set forth in Attachments A and A-1 to the Participant Agreement for the Trust (the “Agreement”) apply to T-1 Purchase Orders and T-1 Redemption Orders.

The parties to the Agreement, in addition to the consideration of the premises and the agreements contained in the Agreement, agree as follows:

An Authorized Person for the Participant may call the Trust Telephone Representative at ( 718) 315-7501 at or after the Listing Exchange Closing Time (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., New York time) and before 5:00 p.m., New York time to receive a Submission Number (also referred to as an “Order Number”). Upon verifying the authenticity of the caller (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the order for creation or redemption, the Trust Telephone Representative will issue a unique Order Number. All T-1 Purchase Orders and T-1 Redemption Orders are required to be confirmed in writing via faxed Order Form to Transfer Agent, fax number (732) 667-9478, and accompanied by the designated Order Number. PLEASE NOTE: T-1 PURCHASE ORDER REQUESTS AND T-1 REDEMPTION ORDER REQUESTS ARE NOT COMPLETE UNTIL AN ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED. ONCE AN ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED, A T-1 PURCHASE ORDER OR A T-1 REDEMPTION ORDER CANNOT BE CANCELED BY THE AP REPRESENTATIVE AFTER THE T-1 WINDOW CUTT-OFF TIME. Participants must contact the Distributor prior to submitting a T-1 Purchase Order or a T-1 Redemption Order in order to obtain approval to submit such an Order .

Unless the faxed Order Form confirming a T-1 Purchase Order or a T-1 Redemption Order is received by the Trust Telephone Representative within 15 minutes of contact with the Participant, the Submission will be deemed invalid. All Order Forms respecting a T-1 Purchase Order or a T-1 Redemption Order shall be deemed received by the Transfer Agent on the Business Day that the Order is placed, or T-1. All T-1 Purchase Orders and T-1 Redemption Orders will receive the net asset value of the Fund as determined on the Business Day following the date that such Order is deemed received.

Except as otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used herein have the meanings given to them in the Agreement.

[ signatures to follow ]

 

i


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned causes this Supplement to the Participant Agreement to be executed as of this              day of              , 2013.

 

INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By:    
Name:    
Title:    
Address:    
   
   
   
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
As Transfer Agent
By:    
Name:    
Title:    
Address:    
   
   
   
[PARTICIPANT]
By:    
Name:    
Title:    
Address:    
   
   

 

ii


APPENDIX I TO T-1 SUPPLEMENT

PowerShares Global Water Portfolio

PowerShares Global Clean Energy Portfolio

PowerShares S&P International Developed Quality Portfolio

PowerShares FTSE RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

PowerShares FTSE RAFI Asia Pacific ex-Japan Portfolio

PowerShares FTSE RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Small-Mid Portfolio

PowerShares FTSE RAFI Emerging Markets Portfolio

PowerShares DWA Developed Markets Momentum Portfolio

PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Momentum Portfolio

PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio

PowerShares Global Agriculture Portfolio

PowerShares Global Gold and Precious Metals Portfolio

PowerShares Global Listed Private Equity Portfolio

PowerShares Emerging Markets Infrastructure Portfolio

PowerShares S&P International Developed Low Volatility Portfolio

PowerShares S&P Emerging Markets Low Volatility Portfolio

PowerShares S&P International Developed Momentum Portfolio

PowerShares S&P Emerging Markets Momentum Portfolio

PowerShares International BuyBack Achievers Portfolio

PowerShares International Corporate Bond Portfolio

PowerShares Chinese Yuan Dim Sum Bond Portfolio

PowerShares Fundamental Emerging Markets Local Debt Portfolio

PowerShares Global Short Term High Yield Bond Portfolio

PowerShares Multi-Strategy Alternative Portfolio

PowerShares Bloomberg Commodity Strategy Portfolio

PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio

 

iii


[On AP’s Firm Letterhead]

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZED PERSONS

(of Authorized Participant)

The undersigned officer, who is not an Authorized Person, hereby certifies that (i) he/she is the duly elected and acting              (title) of              (the “Participant”), and (ii) that the following officers or employees (each, an “Authorized Person”) of the Participant are duly authorized to deliver oral or written instructions to The Bank of New York Mellon (“Transfer Agent”) pursuant to the Participant Agreement by and between the Participant, the Transfer Agent and the Distributor, and that the signatures appearing opposite their names are true and correct:

The below shall be the Participant list of Authorized Persons:

 

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

 

Name

  

 

Title

 

 

Signature

This Certificate supersedes any prior certificate of Authorized Persons the Transfer Agent may have on file. Any updates to the above list of Authorized Persons will be provided by the Participant as changes occur.

 

   
[seal]     By:    
      Title:
Date:      

 

iv

Exhibit (h)(4)

FORM OF SUBLICENSE AGREEMENT

This Sublicense Agreement (“ Agreement ”) is entered into as of [                    ] and between Invesco PowerShares Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware corporation with offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (“ PowerShares ”), and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (“ Licensee ”).

WHEREAS, PowerShares, through licenses with index providers (each an “ Index Provider ”), has the right to license the benchmark indexes and related marks (collectively, the “ Benchmark ”) listed in Exhibit A, for use in connection with the financial products listed in Exhibit A (“ Products ”);

WHEREAS, Licensee desires to use the Benchmark in connection with the distribution of Products and PowerShares is willing to grant Licensee a license for such use.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, and for good and valuable consideration set forth in the Agreement, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Grant Of License . PowerShares grants Licensee a non-exclusive, non-transferrable right and license to use and refer to the Benchmark in connection with the creation, issuance, trading and marketing of Products pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

2. Ownership And Validity . Licensee acknowledges Index Providers’ ownership of the entire right, title and interest in and to the Benchmark and Licensee’s use shall inure to the sole benefit of the applicable Index Provider.

3.  Quality Control . PowerShares shall have the right to monitor the quality of the Products offered by Licensee pursuant to this Agreement. Licensee agrees that the nature and quality of the Products using the Benchmarks shall meet or exceed the standards set by PowerShares or Index Provider. Licensee’s failure to conform to such quality controls may result in the termination of this Agreement.

Licensee shall include, unless a substitute is approved by PowerShares, in which case such substitute shall be included, the following notice in all informational materials relating to the licensed Benchmark, and agrees upon request to furnish a copy (copies) thereof to PowerShares:

The [Specification of applicable Index] Indexes ( the “ Indexes ”) are trademarks of [Specification of applicable Index Provider] (the “ Index Provider ”) which are licensed for use by [Licensee] in connection with [specification of applicable Products] (the “ Products ”). The Products are not sponsored or endorsed by the Index Provider and the Index Provider makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy and/or completeness of the Indexes or the results to be obtained by any person from the use of the Indexes or the trading of the Products.

4.  Term . This Agreement shall become effective upon signatures of both parties and remain in effect unless terminated by either party as provided herein.

5.  Termination . Licensee may terminate this Agreement upon sixty (60) days prior written notice. PowerShares may terminate this Agreement upon sixty (60) days prior written notice or immediately upon Licensee’s breach of this Agreement.

6.  Fees . PowerShares will not charge a license fee for these products.

7.  Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire Agreement and the understanding between the parties. No modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be valid or binding unless made in writing and signed on behalf of the parties by their duly authorized officers or representatives.


8.  Execution . This Agreement may be executed simultaneously with any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

9.  General Provisions .

(a) A party may not assign this Agreement and/or any of its rights and/or obligations hereunder, except to an affiliate or successor in interest, without the prior written consent of the other party, and any attempted assignment by a party requiring the consent of the other party which is made by the assigning party without the other party’s prior consent shall be null and void.

(b) No change in, addition to, or waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon either Party unless in writing signed by an authorized representative of such party. No waiver by either Party of any breach by the other party of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of that or any other provision on any other occasion.

(c) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

(d) In the event any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in effect and the Agreement shall be read as though the offending provision had not been written or as the provision shall be determined by such court to be read.

[signature page follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, PowerShares and Licensee have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on their behalf in the manner legally binding upon them.

 

INVESCO POWERSHARES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
Signature:  

 

By:   Daniel E. Draper
Title:   Managing Director
POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED COMMODITY
FUND TRUST
Signature:  

 

By:   Daniel E. Draper
Title:   President


Exhibit A

 

Index Provider

  

Benchmark

  
  
  

Exhibit (i)

 

LOGO   

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

 

191 North Wacker Drive

 

Chicago, IL 60606

 

Telephone 312.964.3500

 

www.stradley.com

February 23, 2017

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

3500 Lacey Road

Downers Grove, IL 60515

 

  Re: PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

Registration Statement on Form N-1A

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, a Delaware Statutory Trust (the “Trust”), and registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end, series management investment company.

This opinion is given in connection with the filing by the Trust of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Amendment No. 15 to such Registration Statement under the 1940 Act (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other matters, the registration of an indefinite number of shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), of PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio (the “Fund”), a series of the Trust.

This opinion letter is being delivered at your request in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 29 of Schedule A of the Securities Act and Item 28(i) of Form N-1A under the Securities Act and the 1940 Act.

In connection with giving this opinion, we have examined copies of the Registration Statement, the Declaration of Trust, including all amendments thereto (the “Trust Agreement”), the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Trust (the “Bylaws”), resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that provide for the establishment and designation of the Fund and the Shares, and the authorization for issuance and sale of the Shares (the “Resolutions”) and the exemptive order applicable to the Trust issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the 1940 Act permitting the Trust to operate as an exchange-traded fund (the “Exemptive Order”). We also have examined and relied upon certificates of public officials and, as to certain matters of fact that are material to our opinions, we have relied on a certificate of an officer of the Trust. We have not independently established any of the facts on which we have so relied.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of each document submitted to us, the genuineness of all signatures on original documents, the authenticity and completeness of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies thereof. We have further assumed the legal capacity of natural persons executing any document, that persons identified to us as officers of the Trust are actually serving in such capacity, and that the representations of officers of the Trust are correct as to matters of fact. We have also assumed compliance by the applicants with each of the conditions contained in the application for the Exemptive Order. We have not independently verified any of those assumptions.

Additionally, we have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:

 

  a) The Trust will remain a valid and existing Delaware Statutory Trust under the laws of the State of Delaware.


  b) The provisions of the Trust Agreement and the Bylaws relating to the issuance of the Shares will not be modified or eliminated.

 

  c) The Resolutions will not be modified or withdrawn and will be in full force and effect on the date of each issuance of the Shares.

 

  d) The Shares will be issued in accordance with the Trust Agreement, the Bylaws and the Resolutions.

 

  e) The registration of an indefinite number of the Shares will remain effective.

 

  f) The Exemptive Order will remain effective on the date of each issuance of the Shares.

 

  g) Each of the Shares will be sold for the consideration described in the then current summary prospectus, statutory prospectus and statement of additional information of the Fund, and the consideration received by the Trust will in each event be at least equal to the net asset value per share of such Shares.

The opinions expressed in this opinion letter are based on the facts in existence and the laws in effect on the date hereof and are limited to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the provisions of the Investment Company Act that are applicable to equity securities issued by registered open-end investment companies. We are not opining on, and we assume no responsibility for, the applicability to or effect on any of the matters covered herein of any other laws.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that (1) the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Registration Statement, when issued and paid for by the purchasers upon the terms described in the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, and (2) under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, purchasers of Shares will have no obligation to make further payments for their purchase of Shares or contributions to the Trust or its creditors solely by reason of their ownership of Shares.

This opinion is rendered solely in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and supersedes any previous opinions of this firm in connection with the issuance of Shares. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission in connection with the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement within the meaning of the term “expert” as used in Section 11 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the Commission, nor do we admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP
By:  

/s/ Alan P. Goldberg

  Alan P. Goldberg, a Partner

Exhibit (j)

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of our report dated December 22, 2016, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights which appears in the October 31, 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders of PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio, formerly PowerShares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio (a series of PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust), which are also incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Fund Service Providers”, “Financial Highlights”, “Statement of Additional Information”, “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Financial Statements” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chicago, Illinois

February 23, 2017

INVESCO POWERSHARES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

CODE OF ETHICS

(Amended effective January 1, 2017)

 

I. Introduction.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management, LLC (“Invesco PowerShares”), (and any wholly owned or indirect subsidiaries) has a fiduciary relationship with respect to each portfolio under management. The interests of Clients and of the shareholders of the trusts managed by Invesco PowerShares (the “PowerShares Trusts”, and each series therof, a “Fund” and collectively the “PowerShares ETFs”) take precedence over the personal interests of Covered Persons (defined below). Capitalized terms used herein are defined at the end of this document.

This Code of Ethics (“the Code”) applies to all Covered Persons. Covered Persons include:

 

    Any director, officer, full or part time Employee of Invesco PowerShares (except those deemed exempt by the Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco PowerShares) or any full or part time Employee of any Invesco PowerShares affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties makes, participates in or obtains any information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities or who is involved in making investment recommendations or obtains information covering investment recommendations, with respect to such purchase or sale of Covered Securities or has access to non-public information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities, access to non-public securities recommendations or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco PowerShares;

 

    Trustees of the PowerShares Trusts (excluding Independent Trustees of the PowerShares Trusts); and

 

    any other persons falling within the definitions of Access Person or Advisory Person under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), or Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and such other persons that may deemed to be a Covered Person by Compliance.

PowerShares Trusts have adopted a separate Code of Ethics for Independent Trustees of the PowerShares Trusts, who are not Covered Persons under this Code.

 

II. Statement of Fiduciary Principles

The following fiduciary principles govern Covered Persons:

 

    the interests of Clients and shareholders of investment company Clients must be placed first at all times and Covered Persons must not take inappropriate advantage of his or her positions; and

 

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    all personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in a manner to avoid any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility: and

 

    this Code is our effort to address conflicts of interest that may arise in the ordinary course of our business and does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interest. This Code does not necessarily shield Covered Persons from liability for personal trading or other conduct that violates a fiduciary duty to Clients and shareholders of investment company Clients.

Section VII of this Code generally addresses sanctions for violations of this Code; certain sections of this Code specifically address sanctions that apply to violations of those sections.

 

III. Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations; Reporting of Violations

All Covered Persons are required to comply with applicable state and federal securities laws, rules and regulations and this Code. Covered Persons shall promptly report any violations of laws or regulations or any provision of this Code of which they become aware to Invesco PowerShares’ Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. Additional methods of reporting potential violations or compliance issues are described in Section VI of this Code. Additionally, persons covered by this Code shall not, in connection with the direct or indirect purchase or sale of a Covered Security: (i) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a Fund; (ii) make any untrue statement of a material fact to a Fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to a Fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading: (iii) engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on a Fund; or (iv) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a Fund.

 

IV. Limits on Personal Investing

A. Personal Investing

1. Pre-clearance of Personal Security Transactions . All Covered Persons must pre-clear with Compliance, using the automated review system, all personal security transactions in which they have Beneficial Interest unless otherwise indicated below. A Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e., a spouse or equivalent domestic partner, children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements.

Any approval granted to a Covered Person to execute a personal security transaction is valid for that business day only, except that if approval is granted after the close of the trading day such approval is good through the next trading

 

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day. If a Covered Person does not execute the proposed securities transaction prior to closing of the market immediately following the approval, the Covered Person must resubmit the request on another day for approval. Good-until-cancelled orders (GTCs) are not allowed.

Additionally, all Covered Persons must pre-clear personal securities transactions involving Covered Securities over which they have discretion. For example, if a Covered Person is directing the transactions for a friend or family member (regardless of whether they share the same household) all transactions in Covered Securities must be pre-cleared.

Covered Securities include, but are not limited to, all investments that can be traded by an Invesco PowerShares entity for its Clients, including, but not limited to, stocks, bonds, municipal bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end mutual funds, and any of their derivatives such as options and futures. All Invesco Affiliated Mutual Funds (including both open-end and closed-end funds) and Invesco PowerShares ETFs are considered Covered Securities.

All transactions in Invesco Ltd. securities must be pre-cleared. Please refer to section IV.B for additional guidelines on Invesco Ltd. securities. Any transaction in a previous employer’s company stock that is obtained through an employee benefit plan or company stock fund held in an external retirement plan requires pre-clearance.

The Following Pre-clearance Exemptions Apply:

Invesco Affiliated Open-End Mutual Funds: All Affiliated Open-End Mutual Funds must be held with an Approved Broker, at the Affiliated Open-End Mutual Funds’ transfer agent, in the CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan, or in the Invesco 401(k). Pre-clearance is not required for transactions in Affiliated Open-End Funds as long as the shares are held in compliance with this requirement.

CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan : All transactions in the CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan are exempt from pre-clearance.

Exchange Traded Products : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing broad-based Exchange Traded Products such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) and Exchange Traded Commodities (ETCs) as described on the Pre-clearance Exempt ETF List , and any derivatives of these securities such as options. All Invesco PowerShares ETFs and ETFs not listed on the Pre-clearance Exempt ETF List must be pre-cleared.

Currencies, commodities : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing transactions in currencies and commodities.

Options, futures and all other derivatives based on an index of securities, currencies, and commodities : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing transactions in derivatives of an index of securities, currencies and commodities.

 

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All Covered Securities are still subject to requirements and limits on personal investing as described in Section IV. and V. of the Code, irrespective of whether pre-clearance is required.

Exempted Securities

Covered Securities do not include shares of money market funds, U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit or shares of open-end mutual funds not advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. Unit investment trusts including those advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., are not Covered Securities. However, this definition shall not apply to any series of the PowerShares QQQ Trust or the BLDRS Fund Trust. (Please refer to the “Definitions” section of this Code for more information on the term, Covered Security.)

If you are unclear about whether a proposed transaction involves a Covered Security, contact Compliance via email at codeofethicsnorthamerica@invesco.com or by phone at 1-877-331-CODE [1-877-331-2633] prior to executing the transaction.

Compliance will consider the following factors, among others, in determining whether or not pre-clearance approval will be provided. Please note that you must obtain pre-clearance even if you believe your transactions request satisfies the criteria below. The automated review system will review personal trade requests from Covered Persons based on the following considerations:

2 . Blackout Period . Invesco PowerShares does not permit Covered Persons to trade in a Covered Security if there is conflicting activity in an Invesco PowerShares Client account.

 

    Non-Investment Personnel.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security within two trading days after a Client trades in that security.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security if there is a Client order on that security currently with the trading desk.

 

    Investment Personnel .

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security within three trading days before or after a Client trades in that security.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security if there is a Client order on that security currently with the trading desk.

For practical purposes, an Employee without knowledge of investment activity of a Client Account would not know of such activity in advance of a Client trade. Therefore, for those Employees, trading with pre-clearance approval granted prior to a Client transaction will not

 

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be considered a violation of the Code of Ethics. Compliance will review personal securities transactions to identify potential conflicts in which there is an appearance that such an Employee could have traded while he or she was aware of upcoming Client transactions. If a potential conflict exists, this would be considered a violation of the blackout period required by this Code of Ethics.

De minimis exemptions . Compliance will apply the following de minimis exemptions in granting pre-clearance when a Client has recently traded or is trading in a security involved in a Covered Person’s proposed personal securities transaction:

 

    Equity de minimis exemption .

 

    If a Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular equity security, he or she may execute up to 500 shares of such security in a rolling 30-day period provided the issuer of such security is included in the Russell 1000 Index or any of the main indices globally included on the De Minimis Indices List which can be accessed on the Invesco intranet using the following link:

 

  http://sharepoint/sites/Compliance-COE-
NA/Training/DocumentsDe%20Minimis%20Indices%20List.pdf

 

    If a Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular equity security, he or she may execute up to 500 shares of such security in a rolling 30 day period provided that there is no conflicting Client activity in that security during the blackout period or on the trading desk that exceeds 500 shares per trading day.

 

    Fixed income de minimis exemption . If the Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular fixed income security he or she may execute up to $100,000 of par value of such security in a rolling 30 day period.

The automated review system will confirm that there is no activity currently on the trading desk for the security involved in the proposed personal securities transaction and will verify that there have been no transactions for the requested security within the last two trading days for all Covered Persons except Investment Personnel for whom the black-out period is the last three trading days. For Investment, IT and Portfolio Administration personnel, Compliance will also check the trading activity of affiliates for which such personnel have potential access to information to verify that there have been no Client transactions for the requested security during the blackout period. Compliance will notify the Covered Person of the approval or denial of the proposed personal securities transaction. The approval granted to a Covered Person to execute personal securities transaction is only valid for that business day, except that if approval is granted after the close of the trading day such approval is good through the next trading day. If a Covered Person does not execute the proposed securities transaction on the business day the approval is granted the Covered Person must resubmit the request again the next day for approval.

 

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Any failure to pre-clear transactions is a violation of the Code and will be subject to the following potential sanctions:

 

    A Letter of Education will be provided to any Covered Person whose failure to pre-clear is considered immaterial or inadvertent.

 

    Deliberate failures to pre-clear transactions, as well as repeat and/or material violations, may result in in-person training, probation, withdrawal of personal trading privileges or employment termination, depending on the nature and severity of the violations.

3. Prohibition on Short-Term Trading Profits . Covered Persons are prohibited from engaging directly or indirectly in the purchase and sale, or short sale and cover, of the same Covered Security within 60 days at a profit. If a Covered Person trades a Covered Security within the 60 day time frame, any profit from the trade will be disgorged to a charity of Invesco PowerShares’s choice and a letter of education may be issued to the Covered Person. Transactions in currencies, commodities and derivatives (such as options and futures) based on an index of securities, currencies, and commodities are exempt from the 60 day holding period. This exemption does not apply to derivatives of individual securities. Disgorgement amounts must represent the full amount of the profits received and are not adjusted to account for taxes or related fees.

4. Initial Public Offerings . Covered Persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly acquiring Beneficial Interest of any security in an equity Initial Public Offering. Exceptions will only be granted in unusual circumstances and must be recommended by Compliance and approved by the Chief Compliance Officer or Head of Legal (or designee) and the Director of Portfolio Management (or designee) of the Covered Person’s business unit.

5. Prohibition of Short Sales by Investment Personnel. Investment Personnel are prohibited from effecting short sales of Covered Securities in his or her personal accounts if a Client of Invesco PowerShares for whose account they have investment management responsibility has a long position in those Covered Securities.

6. Prohibition on Investment Clubs. Participation in a club with the purpose of pooling money and investing based on group investment decisions is prohibited.

7. Restricted List Securities. Covered Persons requesting pre-clearance to buy or sell a security on the Restricted List may be restricted from executing the trade because of potential conflicts of interest.

8. Other Criteria Considered in Pre-clearance . In spite of adhering to the requirements specified throughout this section, Compliance, in keeping with the general principles and objectives of the Code, may refuse to grant pre-clearance of a Personal Securities Transaction in its sole discretion without being required to specify any reason for the refusal.

 

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9. Covered Account Requirements .

a. US Approved Brokers:

The following link, posted on the Invesco intranet site, includes a list of US Approved Brokers. These brokers provide electronic transaction and statement feeds to Invesco PowerShares:

http://sharepoint/sites/Compliance-COE-NA/Training/Documents/Approved%20Discount%20Broker%20List.pdf

b. US Brokerage Account may only be held with:

 

    US Approved Brokers;

 

    Full service broker-dealers, that are not a US Approved Broker, with which a Covered Person has engaged an investment advisor; or in limited circumstances,

 

    Qualified retirement plans (such as external 401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc.) or other similar accounts that Covered Persons are not legally able to transfer.

Note: Accounts in which all trading is completed online and without a financial advisor, called a discount brokerage account, must be held with an Approved Broker.

Covered Persons located outside of the US are not subject to US Approved Broker requirements.

c. US Open –End Affiliated Mutual Funds may only be held with:

 

    US Approved Brokers;

 

    The Invesco CollegeBound 529 Plan; or

 

    Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliated broker dealers (Invesco Distributors, Inc. and Invesco Capital Markets, Inc.) through Invesco’s transfer agency, Invesco Investments.

d. Discretionary Managed Accounts. In order to establish a discretionary managed account, a Covered Person must grant the manager complete investment discretion over a Covered Persons account. Pre-clearance is not required for trades in this account; however, a Covered Person may not participate, directly or indirectly, in individual investment decisions or be aware of such decisions before transactions are executed. This restriction does not preclude a Covered Person from establishing investment guidelines for the manager, such as indicating industries in which a

 

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Covered Person desires to invest, the types of securities a Covered Person wants to purchase or overall investment objectives. However, those guidelines may not be changed so frequently as to give the appearance that a Covered Person is actually directing account investments. Covered Persons must receive approval from Compliance to establish and maintain such an account and must provide written evidence that complete investment discretion over the account has been turned over to a professional money manager or other third party. Covered Persons are not required to pre-clear or list transactions for such managed accounts in the automated review system; however, Covered Persons with these types of accounts must provide an annual certification that they do not exercise direct or indirect control over the managed accounts.

10. Private Securities Transactions . Covered Persons may not engage in a Private Securities Transaction without first giving Compliance (a) a detailed written notification describing the transaction and (b) indicating whether or not they will receive compensation and obtaining prior written permission from Compliance. Investment Personnel who have been authorized to acquire securities of an issuer in a Private Securities Transaction must disclose that investment to Compliance and the Managing Director (Research and Trading) of Invesco PowerShares when they are involved in a Client’s subsequent consideration of an investment in the same issuer. The Client’s decision to purchase such securities must be independently reviewed by Investment Personnel with no personal interest in that issuer.

11. Limited Investment Opportunities (e.g. private placements, hedge funds, etc.) . Covered Persons may not engage in a limited investment opportunity without first (a) giving Compliance a detailed written notification describing the transaction and (b) obtaining prior written permission from Compliance. Limited investment opportunities offered directly from Invesco to employees are not subject to pre-clearance requirements, including but not limited to the Invesco Real Estate ESCs and WLR funds. All limited investment opportunities are subject to the reporting requirements outlined in section V below.

12. Excessive Short Term Trading in Funds . Employees are prohibited from excessive short term trading of any mutual fund advised or sub-advised by Invesco PowerShares or Invesco Advisers, Inc., and are subject to various limitations outlined in the respective prospectus and other fund disclosure documents.

B. Invesco Ltd. Securities

1. No Employee may affect short sales of Invesco Ltd. securities.

2. No Employee may engage in transactions in publicly traded options, such as puts calls and other derivative securities relating to the Invesco Ltd.’s securities, on an exchange or any other organized market.

3. For all Covered Persons, transactions, including transfers by gift, in Invesco Ltd. securities are subject to pre-clearance regardless of the size of the transaction, and are subject to “black-out” periods established by Invesco Ltd. and holding periods prescribed under the terms of the agreement or program under which the securities were received.

4. Holdings of Invesco Ltd. securities in Covered Persons accounts are subject to the reporting requirements specified in Section IV.A.8 of this Code.

 

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C. Limitations on Other Personal Activities

1. Outside Business Activities . Employees may not engage in any outside business activity, regardless of whether or not he or she receives compensation, without prior approval from Compliance. Absent prior written approval of Compliance, Employees may not serve as directors, officers or employees of unaffiliated public or private companies, whether for profit or non-profit. If the outside business activity is approved, the Employee must recluse himself or herself from making Client investment decisions concerning the particular company or issuer as appropriate, provided that this refusal requirement shall not apply with respect to certain Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s or Invesco PowerShares Employees, who may serve on corporate boards as a result of, or in connection with, Client investments made in those companies. Employees must always comply with all applicable Invesco Ltd. policies and procedures, including those prohibiting the use of material non-public information in Client or employee personal securities transaction.

2. Gift and Entertainment. The Invesco Ltd. Gifts and Entertainment Policy includes specific conditions under which Employees may accept or give Gifts or Entertainment. Where there are conflicts between a minimal standard established by a policy of Invesco Ltd., and the standards established by a policy of Invesco PowerShares, including this Code, the latter shall control.

To avoid the appearance of any potential conflict of interest, under no circumstances may an Employee:

 

    Give or accept Gifts or Entertainment that may be considered excessive either in dollar value or frequency;

 

    Give or accept cash or any possible cash equivalent from a broker or vendor;

 

    Reimburse Business Partners for the cost of tickets that would be considered excessive or for travel related expenses without approval of Compliance; or

 

    Provide or receive any Gift or Entertainment that is conditioned upon Invesco PowerShares, its parents or affiliates doing business with the other entity or person involved.

 

    Gifts . Employees are prohibited from accepting or giving the following: a Gift valued in excess of annual FINRA limits; or Gifts from one person or firm valued in excess of annual FINRA limits during a calendar year period .

 

    Entertainment . Examples of Entertainment that may be considered excessive in value include Super Bowls, the Masters. Wimbledon, Kentucky Derby, hunting trips, ski trips, etc. An occasional sporting event, golf outing or concert when accompanied by the Business Partner may not be excessive.

 

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Employees who are unsure if an event would be permissible should contact Compliance prior to attending to confirm if the event would be considered excessive.

3. U.S. Department of Labor Reporting: Under current U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Regulations, Invesco PowerShares is required to disclose to the DOL certain specified financial dealings with a union or officer, agent, shop steward, employee, or other representative of a union (collectively referred to as “union officials”). Under the Regulations, practically any gift or entertainment furnished by Invesco Advisers, Inc., or Invesco PowerShares, Inc.’s Employees to a union or union official is considered a payment reportable to the DOL.

Although the Regulations provide for a de minimis exemption from the reporting requirements for payments made to a union or union official that do not exceed $250 a year, that threshold applies to all of Invesco PowerShares’ employees in the aggregate with respect to each union or union official. Therefore, it is Invesco PowerShares’ policy to require that ALL Gifts or Entertainment furnished by an Employee, regardless of whether the gift is given to a union or union official, be reported to Invesco PowerShares using the Invesco Finance Department’s expense tracking application, Oracle E-Business Suite or any other application deployed for that purpose which has the capability to capture all the required details of the payment. In addition to reporting the Gift or Entertainment in the expense tracking system, Covered Persons must also follow department guidelines for reporting requirements in other systems such as Viaduct and/or SalesForce. Each item reported must include the name of the recipient, union affiliation, address, amount of payment, date of payment, purpose and circumstance of payment, including the terms of any oral agreement or understanding pursuant to which the payment was made.

Invesco PowerShares is obligated to report on an annual basis all payments, subject to the de minimis exemption, to the DOL on Form LM-10 Employer Report.

Covered Persons should contact Compliance if clarification is required regarding requirements for payments to a union or union official. A failure to report a payment required to be disclosed will be considered a material violation of this Code. The DOL also requires all unions and union officials to report payments they receive from entities such as Invesco PowerShares and their Employees.

D. Parallel Investing Permitted

Subject to the provisions of this Code, Employees may invest in or own the same securities as those acquired or sold by Invesco PowerShares for its Clients.

 

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V. Reporting Requirements.

a. Initial Holdings Report. Within 10 calendar days of becoming a Covered Person each Covered Person must complete an Initial Holdings Report by inputting into the automated pre-clearance system the following information (the information must be current within 45 days of the date the person becomes a Covered Person).

 

    A list of all security holdings, including the security name, the number of shares (for equities) and the principal amount (for debt securities) in which the Covered Person has direct or indirect Beneficial Interest. A Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e., a spouse or equivalent domestic partner, children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements;

 

    The security identifier for each Covered Security (CUSIP, symbol, etc.);

 

    The name of any broker-dealer or bank with which the Covered Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Covered Person; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance

b. Quarterly Transaction Reports. All Covered Persons must report, no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the following information for all transactions in a Covered Security in which a Covered Person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest.

 

    The date of all transactions in that quarter, the security name, the number of shares (for equity securities); or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and the principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security;

 

    The nature of the transaction (buy, sell, etc.);

 

    The security identifier (CUSIP, symbol, etc.);

 

    The price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was executed;

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank executing the transaction; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

All Covered Persons must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report regardless of whether they have executed transactions during the quarter or not. If a Covered Person did not execute transactions subject to reporting requirements during a quarter, the report must include a representation to that effect. Covered Persons need not include transactions made through an limited investment opportunity, Automatic Investment Plan/Dividend Reinvestment Plan or similar plans and transactions in Covered Securities held in the Invesco 401(k) or accounts held directly with Invesco in the Quarterly Transaction Report.

 

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Additionally, Covered Persons must report the information on any new brokerage account established by the Covered Person during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Covered Person (including Covered Securities held in a 401(k) or other retirement vehicle), including plans sponsored by Invesco PowerShares or its affiliates. The report shall include:

 

    The date the account was established;

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

Compliance may identify transactions by Covered Persons that technically comply with the Code for review based on any pattern of activity that has an appearance of a conflict of interest.

c. Annual Holdings Reports. All Covered Persons must report annually the following information, which must be current within 45 days of the date the report is submitted to Compliance:

 

    A list of all security holdings, including the security. the number of shares (for equities) or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security in which the Covered Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Interest;

 

    The security identifier for each Covered Security (CUSIP, symbol, etc,);

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank with or through which the security is held; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

d. Gifts and Entertainment Reporting.

 

    Reporting of Gifts and Entertainment given to an Invesco PowerShares Employee by a Client or Business Partner . All Gifts and Entertainment received by an Employee must be reported through the automated pre-clearance system within thirty (30) calendar days after the receipt of the Gift or the attendance of the Entertainment event. The requirement to report Entertainment includes dinners or any other event with a Business Partner of Invesco PowerShares in attendance.

 

    Reporting of Gifts and Entertainment given by an Invesco Employee to a Client or Business Partner. All Gifts and Entertainment given by an Employee must be reported through the reporting requirements for the Employee’s business unit. All Employees should contact his or her manager or Compliance if they are not sure how to report gifts they intend to give or have given to a Client or Business Partner.

e. Certification of Compliance. All Covered Persons must certify annually that they have read and understand the Code and recognize that they are subject to the Code. In addition, all Covered Persons must certify annually that they have complied with the requirements of the Code and that they have disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions required to be disclosed or reported under the Code. If material changes are made during the year, these changes will also be reviewed and approved by the PowerShares Trusts’ Trustees. All Covered Persons must certify within 30 days of the effective date of the amended Code that they have read and understand the Code and recognize that they are subject to the Code.

 

12


VI. Reporting of Potential Compliance Issues

Invesco has created several channels for Employees to raise compliance issues and concerns on a confidential basis. An Employee should first discuss a compliance issue with his or her supervisor, department head or with Invesco PowerShares Chief Compliance Officer or Head of Legal. Human Resources matters should be directed to the Human Resources Department, an additional anonymous vehicle for reporting such concerns.

In the event that an Employee does not feel comfortable discussing compliance issues through normal channels, the Employee may anonymously report suspected violations of law or Invesco policy, including this Code, by calling the toll-free Invesco Whistleblower Hotline 1-855-234-9780. This hotline is available to employees of multiple operating units of Invesco Ltd. Employees may also report his or her concerns by visiting the Invesco Whistleblower Hotline website at: www.invesco.ethicspoint.com . To ensure your confidentiality, this phone line is provided by an independent company and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All submissions to the Invesco Whistleblower Hotline will be reviewed and handled in a prompt, fair and discreet manner. Employees are encouraged to report these questionable practices so that Invesco has an opportunity to address and resolve these issues before they become more significant regulatory or legal issues.

 

VII. Administration of the Code of Ethics

Invesco PowerShares has used reasonable due diligence to institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of this Code.

No less frequently than annually, Invesco PowerShares will furnish to the Board of Trustees of the PowerShares Trusts, or such committee as it may designate, a written report that:

 

    describes significant issues arising under the Code since the last report to the Boards of Trustees, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations; and

 

    certifies that the Invesco PowerShares has adopted procedures reasonably designed to prevent Covered Persons from violating the Code.

 

13


VIII. Sanctions

Upon discovering a material violation of the Code, Compliance will notify Invesco PowerShares’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The CCO will notify the Management of Invesco PowerShares of any material violations at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Compliance will issue a letter of education to the Covered Persons involved in violations of the Code that are determined to be inadvertent or immaterial.

Invesco PowerShares may impose additional sanctions in the event of repeated violations or violations that are determined to be material or not inadvertent, including disgorgement of profits (or the differential between the purchase or sale price of the personal security transaction and the subsequent purchase or sale price by a relevant Client during the enumerated period), a letter of censure or suspension, or termination of employment.

 

IX. Exceptions to the Code

Invesco PowerShares’ Chief Compliance Officer (or designee), together with either one of Invesco PowerShares’ Managing Directors or its Head of Legal, may grant an exception to any provision in this Code and will report all such exceptions at the next Invesco PowerShares Managers’ meeting.

 

X. Definitions

 

    “Affiliated Mutual Funds” g enerally includes all open-end or closed-end funds advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

    “Automatic Investment Plan/Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means a program in which regular purchases or sales are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation, including dividend reinvestment plans.

 

    “Beneficial Interest” has the same meaning as the ownership interest of a “beneficial owner” pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a) (2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“the ’34 Act”). To have a Beneficial Interest, Covered Persons must have directly or indirectly, through contract, arrangement understanding, relationship or otherwise, have or share a “direct or indirect pecuniary interest,” which is the opportunity to profit directly or indirectly from a transaction in securities. Thus a Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e. a spouse or equivalent domestic partner and children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements;

 

    “Client” means any account for which Invesco PowerShares is either the adviser or sub-adviser; including Affiliated Mutual Funds.

 

    “Control” has the same meaning as under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

 

14


    “Covered Person” means and includes

 

    any director, officer, full or part time Employee of Invesco PowerShares; or any full or part time Employee of any Invesco PowerShares affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties makes, participates in, or obtains any information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities or who in involved in making investment recommendations or obtains information concerning investment recommendations, with respect to such purchase or sale of Covered Securities or has access to non-public information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities, access to non-public securities recommendations or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco PowerShares. any interested trustee or director of the PowerShares Trusts; any other persons falling within the definition of Access Person under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) or Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and such other persons that may be so deemed to be a Covered Person by Compliance.

 

    “Covered Security” means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act except that it does not include the following:

 

    Direct obligations of the Government of the United States or its agencies;

 

    Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 

    Any open-end mutual fund not advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.; All Affiliated Mutual Funds shall be considered Covered Securities regardless of whether they are advised or sub-advised by Invesco PowerShares or Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

    Any unit investment trust, including unit investment trusts advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.; However, this definition shall not apply to any series of the PowerShares QQQ Trust or the BLDRS Index Fund Trust.

 

    Invesco Ltd.’s stock because it is subject to the provisions of Invesco Ltd.’s Code of Conduct. Notwithstanding this exception, transactions in Invesco Ltd. securities are subject to all the pre-clearance and reporting requirements outlined in other provisions of this Code and any other corporate guidelines issued by Invesco Ltd.

 

    Employee” means and includes

 

   

Any full or part time Employee of Invesco PowerShares (except those deemed exempt by the CCO of Invesco PowerShares), any full or part time Employee of any Invesco PowerShares affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular duties, makes or participates in, or obtains any information concerning any Client’s

 

15


 

purchase or sale in Covered Securities or who is involved in making or obtains information concerning investment recommendations with respect to such purchase or sales of Covered Securities or who has access to non-public securities recommendations or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco PowerShares;

 

    “Gifts”, “Entertainment” and “Business Partner ” have the same meaning as provided in the Invesco Ltd. Gifts and Entertainment Policy.

 

    “Independent Trustee” means a trustee of a fund who is not an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act;

 

    “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934;

 

    “Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliated Broker-dealer ” means Invesco Distributors, Inc. or Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. or their successors.

 

    Investment Personnel ” means any full or part time Employee of Invesco PowerShares. Or any full or part time Employee of any Invesco PowerShares’ affiliates who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by Clients or any natural person who Controls a Client or an investment adviser and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Client regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Client as defined in Rule 17j-1.

 

    “Non-Investment Personnel” means any Employee that does not meet the definition of Investment Personnel as listed above.

 

    “Private Securities Transaction” means any securities transaction relating to new offerings of securities which are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided however that transactions subject to the notification requirements of Rule 3050 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Conduct Rules, transactions among immediate family members (as defined in the interpretation of the Board of Governors on free-riding and withholding) for which no associated person receives any selling compensation, and personal transactions in investment company and variable annuity securities shall be excluded.

 

    “Restricted List Securities” means the list of securities that are provided to the Compliance Department by Invesco Ltd. Or investment departments, which include those securities that are restricted from purchase or sale by Client or Employee accounts for various reasons (e.g., large concentrated ownership positions that may trigger reporting or other securities regulatory issues, or possession of material, non-public information, or existence of corporate transaction in the issuer involving an Invesco Ltd. Unit).

 

16


XI. Invesco Ltd. Policies and Procedures

All Employees are subject to the policies and procedures established by Invesco Ltd., including the Code of Conduct, Insider Trading Policy, Political Contributions Policy and Gift and Entertainment Policy and must abide by all their requirements, provided that where there is a conflict between a minimal standard established by an Invesco Ltd. Policy and the standards established by an Invesco PowerShares policy, including this Code, the latter shall control.

 

XII. IVZ GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS CONTACTS

 

    Telephone Hotline: 1-877-331-CODE [2633 ]

 

    E-Mail: codeofethicsnorthamerica@invesco.com

Last Revised January 1, 2016

 

17

Invesco Advisers, Inc.

CODE OF ETHICS

January 1, 2017

 

Code of Ethics   1  


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section

       Item         Page  
I.   Introduction      3   
II.   Statement of Fiduciary Principles      3   
III.   Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations; Reporting of Violations      4   
IV.   Limits on Personal Investing      4   
  A.    Personal Investing      4   
     1    Pre-clearance of Personal Securities Transactions      4   
     2    Blackout Period      5   
       

•        De Minimis Exemptions

     6   
     3    Prohibition of Short-Term Trading Profits      7   
     4    Initial Public Offerings      7   
     5    Prohibition of Short Sales by Investment Personnel      7   
     6    Restricted List Securities      8   
     7    Other Criteria Considered in Pre-clearance      8   
     8    Covered Account Requirements      8   
     9    Private Securities Transactions      9   
     10    Limited Investment Opportunity      9   
     11    Excessive Short-Term Trading in Funds      9   
  B.    Invesco Ltd. Securities      9   
  C.    Limitations on Other Personal Activities      10   
     1    Outside Business Activities      10   
     2    Gifts and Entertainment      10   
       

•       Gifts

     10   
       

•       Entertainment

     10   
     3    U.S. Department of Labor Reporting      11   
  D.    Parallel Investing Permitted      11   
V.   Reporting Requirements      11   
       

a.      Initial Holdings Reports

     11   
       

b.      Quarterly Transaction Reports

     12   
       

c.      Annual Holdings Reports

     13   
       

d.      Gifts and Entertainment Reporting

     13   
       

e.      Certification of Compliance

     13   
VI.   Reporting of Potential Compliance Issues      13   
VII.   Administration of the Code of Ethics      14   
VIII.   Sanctions      14   
IX.   Exceptions to the Code      14   
X.   Definitions      14   
XI.   Invesco Ltd. Policies and Procedures      17   
XII.   Code of Ethics Contacts      17   

 

Code of Ethics   2  


Invesco Advisers, Inc.

CODE OF ETHICS

(Originally adopted February 29, 2008; Amended effective January 1, 2017)

 

I. Introduction

Invesco Advisers, Inc. has a fiduciary relationship with respect to each portfolio under management. The interests of Clients and of the shareholders of investment company Clients take precedence over the personal interests of Covered Persons (defined below). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are defined at the end of this document.

This Code of Ethics (“the Code”) applies to Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Advisers, Inc’s. affiliated Broker-dealers (Invesco Distributors, Inc. and Invesco Capital Markets, Inc.), all Invesco Affiliated Mutual Funds, and all of their Covered Persons. Covered Persons include:

 

    any director, officer, full or part time Employee of Invesco Advisers, Inc. or any full or part time Employee of any of Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties: makes, participates in, or obtains any information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities or who is involved in making investment recommendations, or obtains information concerning investment recommendations, with respect to such purchase or sale of Covered Securities; or has access to non-public information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities, access to non-public securities recommendations, or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.;

 

    all Employees of Invesco Ltd. located in the United States who are not covered by the Code of Ethics of a registered investment advisory affiliate of Invesco Ltd.; and

 

    any other persons falling within the definitions of Access Person or Advisory Person under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) or Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and such other persons that may be deemed to be Covered Persons by Compliance.

Invesco Funds have created a separate Code of Ethics for Trustees of the Affiliated Mutual Funds. Independent Trustees are not Covered Persons under the Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics. Trustees who are not Independent Trustees and are not Employees of Invesco are also not Covered Persons under the Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics, but must report his or her securities holdings, transactions, and accounts as required in the separate Code of Ethics for Trustees of the Affiliated Mutual funds.

 

II. Statement of Fiduciary Principles

The following fiduciary principles govern Covered Persons:

 

    the interests of Clients and shareholders of investment company Clients must be placed first at all times and Covered Persons must not take inappropriate advantage of his or her positions; and

 

Code of Ethics   3  


    all personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in a manner to avoid any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and

 

    this Code is our effort to address conflicts of interest that may arise in the ordinary course of our business and does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interest. This Code does not necessarily shield Covered Persons from liability for personal trading or other conduct that violates a fiduciary duty to Clients and shareholders of investment company Clients.

 

III. Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations; Reporting of Violations

All Covered Persons are required to comply with applicable state and federal securities laws, rules and regulations and this Code. Covered Persons shall promptly report any violations of laws or regulations or any provision of this Code of which they become aware to Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. Additional methods of reporting potential violations or compliance issues are described in Section VI. of this Code under “Reporting of Potential Compliance Issues.”

 

IV. Limits on Personal Investing

A. Personal Investing

1. Pre-clearance of Personal Security Transactions . All Covered Persons must pre-clear with Compliance, using the automated review system, all personal security transactions involving Covered Securities in which they have a Beneficial Interest unless otherwise indicated below. A Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e., a spouse or equivalent domestic partner, children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements.

Any approval granted to a Covered Person to execute a personal security transaction is valid for that business day only, except that if approval is granted after the close of the trading day such approval is good through the next trading day. If a Covered Person does not execute the proposed securities transaction prior to closing of the market immediately following the approval, the Covered Person must resubmit the request on another day for approval. Good-until-cancelled orders (GTCs) are not allowed.

Additionally, all Covered Persons must pre-clear personal securities transactions involving Covered Securities over which they have discretion. For example, if a Covered Person is directing the transactions for a friend or family member (regardless of whether they share the same household) all transactions in Covered Securities must be pre-cleared.

Covered Securities include, but are not limited to, all investments that can be traded by an Invesco Advisers, Inc. entity for its Clients, including, but not limited to, stocks, bonds, municipal bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end mutual funds, and any of their derivatives such as options and futures. All Invesco Affiliated Mutual Funds (including both open-end and closed-end funds) and Invesco PowerShares ETFs are considered Covered Securities .

All transactions in Invesco Ltd. securities must be pre-cleared. Please refer to section IV.B for additional guidelines on Invesco Ltd. securities. Any transaction in a previous employer’s company stock that is obtained through an employee benefit plan or company stock fund held in an external retirement plan requires pre-clearance.

 

Code of Ethics   4  


The Following Pre-clearance Exemptions Apply:

Invesco Affiliated Open–End Mutual Funds : All Affiliated Open-End Mutual Funds must be held with an Approved Broker, at the Affiliated Mutual Funds’ transfer agent, in the CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan, or in the Invesco 401(k). Pre-clearance is not required for transactions in Affiliated Funds as long as the shares are held in compliance with this requirement.

CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan : All transactions in the CollegeBound 529 Savings Plan are exempt from pre-clearance.

Exchange Traded Products : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing broad-based Exchange Traded Products such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) and Exchange Traded Commodities (ETCs) as described on the Pre-clearance Exempt ETF List , and any derivatives of these securities such as options. All Invesco PowerShares ETFs and ETFs not listed on the Pre-clearance Exempt ETF List must be pre-cleared .

Currencies, commodities : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing transactions in currencies and commodities.

Options, futures and all other derivatives based on an index of securities, currencies, and commodities : Employees are exempt from pre-clearing transactions in derivatives of an index of securities, currencies and commodities.

All Covered Securities are still subject to requirements and limits on personal investing as described in Section IV. and V. of the Code, irrespective of whether pre-clearance is required.

Exempted Securities:

Covered Securities do not include shares of money market funds, U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit or shares of open-end mutual funds not advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. Unit investment trusts, including those advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., are not Covered Securities. However, this definition shall not apply to any series of the PowerShares QQQ Trust or the BLDRS Index Fund Trust. (Please refer to the “Definitions” section of this Code for more information on the term, Covered Security.)

If you are unclear about whether a proposed transaction involves a Covered Security, contact Compliance via email at codeofethicsnorthamerica@invesco.com or by phone at 1-877-331-CODE [1-877-331-2633] prior to executing the transaction.

Compliance will consider the following factors, among others, in determining whether or not pre-clearance approval will be provided. Please note that you must obtain pre-clearance even if you believe your transactions request satisfies the criteria below. The automated review system will review personal trade requests from Covered Persons based on the following considerations:

2. Blackout Period . Invesco Advisers, Inc. does not permit Covered Persons to trade in a Covered Security if there is conflicting activity in an Invesco Client account.

 

Code of Ethics   5  


    Non-Investment Personnel.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security within two trading days after a Client trades in that security.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security if there is a Client order on that security currently with the trading desk.

 

    Investment Personnel .

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security within three trading days before or after a Client trades in that security.

 

    may not buy or sell a Covered Security if there is a Client order on that security currently with the trading desk.

For practical purposes, an Employee without knowledge of investment activity of a Client account would not know of such activity in advance of a Client trade. Therefore, for those Employees, trading with pre-clearance approval granted prior to a Client transaction will not be considered a violation of this Code of Ethics. Compliance will review personal securities transactions to identify potential conflicts in which there is an appearance that such an Employee could have traded while he or she was aware of upcoming Client transactions. If a potential conflict exists, this would be considered a violation of the blackout period required by this Code of Ethics.

De Minimis Exemptions . Compliance will apply the following de minimis exemptions in granting pre-clearance when a Client has recently traded or is trading in a security involved in a Covered Person’s proposed personal securities transaction:

 

    Equity de minimis exemptions .

 

    If a Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular equity security, he or she may execute up to 500 shares of such security in a rolling 30-day period provided the issuer of such security is included in the Russell 1000 Index or any of the main indices globally included on the De Minimis Indices List which can be accessed on the Invesco intranet using the following link:

http://sharepoint/sites/Compliance-COE-NA/Training/Documents/De%20Minimis%20Indices%20List.pdf

 

    If a Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular equity security, he or she may execute up to 500 shares of such security in a rolling 30 day period provided that there is no conflicting Client activity in that security during the blackout period or on the trading desk that exceeds 500 shares per trading day.

 

    Fixed income de minimis exemption . If a Covered Person does not have knowledge of Client trading activity in a particular fixed income security he or she may execute up to $100,000 of par value of such security in a rolling 30-day period.

 

Code of Ethics   6  


The automated review system will confirm that there is no activity currently on the trading desk on the security involved in the proposed personal securities transaction and will verify that there have been no Client transactions for the requested security within the last two trading days for all Covered Persons except Investment Personnel for whom the blackout period is the last three trading days. For Investments, Portfolio Administration and IT personnel, Compliance will also check the trading activity of affiliates with respect to which such personnel have potential access to transactional information to verify that there have been no Client transactions in the requested security during the blackout period. Compliance will notify the Covered Person of the approval or denial of the proposed personal securities transaction. Any approval granted to a Covered Person to execute a personal security transaction is valid for that business day only, except that if approval is granted after the close of the trading day such approval is good through the next trading day. If a Covered Person does not execute the proposed securities transaction prior to closing of the market immediately following the approval, the Covered Person must resubmit the request on another day for approval.

Any failure to pre-clear transactions is a violation of the Code and will be subject to the following potential sanctions:

 

    A Letter of Education will be provided to any Covered Person whose failure to pre-clear is considered immaterial or inadvertent.

 

    Deliberate failures to pre-clear transactions, as well as repeat and/or material violations, may result in in-person training, probation, withdrawal of personal trading privileges or employment termination, depending on the nature and severity of the violations.

3. Prohibition of Short-Term Trading Profits . Covered Persons are prohibited from engaging in the purchase and sale, or short sale and cover of the same Covered Security within 60 days at a profit. If a Covered Person trades a Covered Security within the 60 day time frame, any profit from the trade will be disgorged to a charity of Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s choice and a letter of education may be issued to the Covered Person. Transactions in currencies, commodities and derivatives (such as options and futures) based on an index of securities, currencies, and commodities are exempt from the 60 day holding period. This exemption does not apply to derivatives of individual securities. Disgorgement amounts must represent the full amount of the profits received and are not adjusted to account for taxes or related fees.

4. Initial Public Offerings . Covered Persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly acquiring Beneficial Interest of any security in an equity Initial Public Offering. Exceptions will only be granted in unusual circumstances and must be recommended by Compliance and approved by the Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel (or designee) and the Chief Investment Officer (or designee) of the Covered Person’s business unit.

5. Prohibition of Short Sales by Investment Personnel . Investment Personnel are prohibited from effecting short sales of Covered Securities in his or her personal accounts if a Client of Invesco Advisers, Inc. for whose account they have investment management responsibility has a long position in those Covered Securities.

6. Prohibition on Investment Clubs . Participation in a club with the purpose of pooling money and investing based on group investment decisions is prohibited.

 

Code of Ethics   7  


7. Restricted List Securities. Employees requesting pre-clearance to buy or sell a security on the Restricted List may be restricted from executing the trade because of potential conflicts of interest.

8. Other Criteria Considered in Pre-clearance. In spite of adhering to the requirements specified throughout this section, Compliance, in keeping with the general principles and objectives of the Code, may refuse to grant pre-clearance of a Personal Securities Transaction in its sole discretion without being required to specify any reason for the refusal.

9. Covered Account Requirements.

a. US Approved Brokers:

The following link, posted on the Invesco intranet site, includes a list of US Approved Brokers. These brokers provide electronic transaction and statement feeds to Invesco Advisers, Inc.:

http://sharepoint/sites/Compliance-COE-NA/Training/Documents/Approved%20Discount%20Broker%20List.pdf

b. US Brokerage Account may only be held with::

 

    US Approved Brokers;

 

    Full service broker-dealers, that are not a US Approved Broker, with which a Covered Person has engaged an investment advisor; or in limited circumstances,

 

    Qualified retirement plans (such as external 401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc.) or other similar accounts that Covered Persons are not legally able to transfer.

Note: Accounts in which all trading is completed online and without a financial advisor, called a discount brokerage account, must be held with an Approved Broker.

Covered Persons located outside of the US are not subject to US Approved Broker requirements.

c. US Open –End Affiliated Mutual Funds may only be held through:

 

    US Approved Brokers;

 

    The Invesco CollegeBound 529 Plan; or

 

    Invesco’s transfer agency, Invesco Investment Services, Inc.

d. Discretionary Managed Accounts. In order to establish a discretionary managed account, a Covered Person must grant the manager complete investment discretion over a Covered Person’s account. Pre-clearance is not required for trades in this account; however, a Covered Person may not participate, directly or indirectly, in individual investment decisions or be aware of such decisions before transactions are executed. This restriction

 

Code of Ethics   8  


does not preclude a Covered Person from establishing investment guidelines for the manager, such as indicating industries in which a Covered Person desires to invest, the types of securities a Covered Person wants to purchase or a Covered Persons overall investment objectives. However, those guidelines may not be changed so frequently as to give the appearance that a Covered Person is actually directing account investments. Covered Persons must receive approval from Compliance to establish and maintain such an account and must provide written evidence that complete investment discretion over the account has been turned over to a professional money manager or other third party. Covered Persons are not required to pre-clear or list transactions for such managed accounts in the automated review system; however, Covered Persons with these types of accounts must provide an annual certification that they do not exercise direct or indirect control over the managed accounts.

10. Private Securities Transactions . Covered Persons may not engage in a Private Securities Transaction without first (a) giving Compliance a detailed written notification describing the transaction and indicating whether or not they will receive compensation and (b) obtaining prior written permission from Compliance. Investment Personnel who have been approved to acquire securities of an issuer in a Private Securities Transaction must disclose that investment to Compliance and the Chief Investment Officer of the Investment Personnel’s business unit when they are involved in a Client’s subsequent consideration of an investment in the same issuer. The business unit’s decision to purchase such securities on behalf of Client account must be independently reviewed by Investment Personnel with no personal interest in that issuer.

11. Limited Investment Opportunity (e.g. private placements, hedge funds, etc.) . Covered Persons may not engage in a limited investment opportunity without first (a) giving Compliance a detailed written notification describing the transaction and (b) obtaining prior written permission from Compliance. Limited investment opportunities offered directly from Invesco to employees are not subject to pre-clearance requirements, including but not limited to, the Invesco Real Estate ESCs and WLR funds. All Limited investment opportunities are subject to the reporting requirements outlined in section V below.

12. Excessive Short Term Trading in Funds . Employees are prohibited from excessive short term trading of any mutual fund advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. and are subject to various limitations outlined in the respective prospectus and other fund disclosure documents.

B. Invesco Ltd. Securities

1. No Employee may effect short sales of Invesco Ltd. securities.

2. No Employee may engage in transactions in publicly traded options, such as puts, calls and other derivative securities relating to the Invesco Ltd’s securities, on an exchange or any other organized market.

3. For all Covered Persons, transactions, including transfers by gift, in Invesco Ltd. securities are subject to pre-clearance regardless of the size of the transaction, and are subject to “black-out” periods established by Invesco Ltd. and holding periods prescribed under the terms of the agreement or program under which the securities were received.

4. Holdings of Invesco Ltd. securities in Covered Persons’ accounts are subject to the reporting requirements specified in Section IV.A.8 of this Code.

 

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  C. Limitations on Other Personal Activities

1. Outside Business Activities . Employees may not engage in any outside business activity, regardless of whether or not he or she receives compensation, without prior approval from Compliance. Absent prior written approval of Compliance, Employees may not serve as directors, officers, or employees of unaffiliated public or private companies, whether for profit or non-profit. If the outside business activity is approved, the Employee must recuse himself or herself from making Client investment decisions concerning the particular company or issuer as appropriate, provided that this recusal requirement shall not apply with respect to certain Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Employees, who may serve on corporate boards as a result of, or in connection with, Client investments made in those companies. Employees must always comply with all applicable Invesco Ltd. policies and procedures, including those prohibiting the use of material non-public information in Client or employee personal securities transactions.

2. Gift and Entertainment . The Invesco Ltd. Gifts and Entertainment Policy includes specific conditions under which Employees may accept or give Gifts or Entertainment. Where there are conflicts between a minimal standard established by a policy of Invesco Ltd. and the standards established by a policy of Invesco Advisers, Inc., including this Code, the latter shall control.

To avoid the appearance of any potential conflict of interest, under no circumstances may an Employee:

 

    Give or accept Gifts or Entertainment that may be considered excessive either in dollar value or frequency;

 

    Give or accept cash or any possible cash equivalent from a broker or vendor;

 

    Reimburse Business Partners for the cost of tickets that would be considered excessive or for travel related expenses without approval of Compliance; or

 

    Provide or receive any Gift or Entertainment that is conditioned upon Invesco Advisers, Inc., its parents or affiliates doing business with the other entity or person involved.

 

    Gifts . Employees are prohibited from accepting or giving the following: a Gift valued in excess of annual FINRA limits; or Gifts from one person or firm valued in excess of annual FINRA limits in the aggregate during a calendar year period.

 

    Entertainment . Examples of Entertainment that may be considered excessive in value include Super Bowls, the Masters, Wimbledon, Kentucky Derby, hunting trips, ski trips, etc. An occasional sporting event, golf outing or concert when accompanied by the Business Partner may not be excessive.

Employees who are unsure if an event would be permissible should contact compliance prior to attending to confirm if the event would be considered excessive.

 

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3. U.S. Department of Labor Reporting: Under current U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Regulations, Invesco Advisers, Inc. is required to disclose to the DOL certain specified financial dealings with a union or officer, agent, shop steward, employee, or other representative of a union (collectively referred to as “union officials”). Under the Regulations, practically any gift or entertainment furnished by Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Employees to a union or union official is considered a payment reportable to the DOL.

Although the Regulations provide for a de minimis exemption from the reporting requirements for payments made to a union or union official that do not exceed $250 a year, that threshold applies to all of Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Employees in the aggregate with respect to each union or union official. Therefore, it is Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s policy to require that ALL Gifts or Entertainment furnished by an Employee, regardless of whether the gift is given to a union or union official, be reported to Invesco Advisers, Inc. using the Invesco Advisers, Inc., Finance Department’s expense tracking application, Oracle E-Business Suite or any other application deployed for that purpose which has the capability to capture all the required details of the payment. In addition to reporting the Gift or Entertainment in the expense tracking system, Covered Persons must also follow department guidelines for reporting requirements in other systems. Each item reported must include the name of the recipient, union affiliation, address, amount of payment, date of payment, purpose and circumstance of payment, including the terms of any oral agreement or understanding pursuant to which the payment was made.

Invesco Advisers, Inc. is obligated to report on an annual basis all payments, subject to the de minimis exemption, to the DOL on Form LM-10 Employer Report.

Covered Persons should contact Compliance if clarification is required regarding reporting requirements for payments to a union or union official. A failure to report a payment required to be disclosed will be considered a material violation of this Code. The DOL also requires all unions and union officials to report payments they receive from entities such as Invesco Advisers, Inc. and their Employees.

D. Parallel Investing Permitted

Subject to the provisions of this Code, Employees may invest in or own the same securities as those acquired or sold by Invesco Advisers, Inc. for its Clients.

 

V. Reporting Requirements

a. Initial Holdings Reports . Within 10 calendar days of becoming a Covered Person, each Covered Person must complete an Initial Holdings Report by inputting into the automated pre-clearance system, Star Compliance, the following information (the information must be current within 45 days of the date the person becomes a Covered Person):

 

    A list of all security holdings, including the security name, the number of shares (for equities) and the principal amount (for debt securities) in which the Covered Person has direct or indirect Beneficial Interest. A Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e., a spouse or equivalent domestic partner, children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements;

 

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    The security identifier for each Covered Security (CUSIP, symbol, etc.);

 

    The name of any broker-dealer or bank with which the Covered Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Covered Person; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

b. Quarterly Transaction Reports . All Covered Persons must report, no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the following information for all transactions during the quarter in a Covered Security in which a Covered Person has a direct or indirect Beneficial Interest:

 

    The date of all transactions in that quarter, the security name, the number of shares (for equity securities); or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and the principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security;

 

    The nature of the transaction (buy, sell, etc.);

 

    The security identifier (CUSIP, symbol, etc.);

 

    The price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was executed;

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank executing the transaction; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

All Covered Persons must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report regardless of whether they executed transactions during the quarter or not. If a Covered Person did not execute transactions subject to reporting requirements during a quarter, the report must include a representation to that effect. Covered Persons need not include transactions made through an limited investment opportunity, Automatic Investment Plan/Dividend Reinvestment Plan or similar plans and transactions in Covered Securities held in the Invesco 401(k) or accounts held directly with Invesco in the Quarterly Transaction Report.

Additionally, Covered Persons must report information on any new brokerage account established by the Covered Person during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Covered Person (including Covered Securities held in a 401(k) or other retirement vehicle, including plans sponsored by Invesco Advisers, Inc. or its affiliates). The report shall include:

 

    The date the account was established;

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

Compliance may identify transactions by Covered Persons that technically comply with the Code for review based on any pattern of activity that has an appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

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c. Annual Holdings Reports . All Covered Persons must report annually the following information, which must be current within 45 days of the date the report is submitted to Compliance:

 

    A list of all security holdings, including the security name, the number of shares (for equities) or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security in which the Covered Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Interest;

 

    The security identifier for each Covered Security (CUSIP, symbol, etc.);

 

    The name of the broker-dealer or bank with or through which the security is held; and

 

    The date that the report is submitted by the Covered Person to Compliance.

d. Gifts and Entertainment Reporting.

 

    Reporting of Gifts and Entertainment given to an Invesco Employee by a Client or Business Partner. All Gifts and Entertainment received by an Employee must be reported through the automated pre-clearance system within thirty (30) calendar days after the receipt of the Gift or the attendance of the Entertainment event. The requirement to report Entertainment includes dinners or any other event with a business partner of Invesco Advisers, Inc. in attendance.

 

    Reporting of Gifts and Entertainment given by an Invesco Employee to a Client or Business Partner. All Gifts and Entertainment given by an Employee must be reported through the reporting requirements of the Employee’s business unit. All Employee’s should contact his or her manager or Compliance if they are not sure how to report gifts they intend to give or have given to a Client or Business Partner.

e. Certification of Compliance. All Covered Persons must certify annually in writing that they have read and understand the Code and recognize that they are subject to the Code. In addition, all Covered Persons must certify in writing annually that they have complied with the requirements of the Code and that they have disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions required to be disclosed or reported under the Code. If material changes are made to the Code during the year, these changes will also be reviewed and approved by Invesco Advisers, Inc. and the relevant funds’ boards. All Covered Persons must certify in writing within 30 days of the effective date of the amended code that they have read and understand the Code and recognize that they are subject to the Code.

 

VI. Reporting of Potential Compliance Issues

Invesco Advisers, Inc. has created several channels for Employees to raise compliance issues and concerns on a confidential basis. An Employee should first discuss a compliance issue with his or her supervisor, department head or with Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s General Counsel or Chief Compliance Officer. Human Resources matters should be directed to the Human Resources Department, an additional anonymous vehicle for reporting such concerns.

 

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In the event that an Employee does not feel comfortable discussing compliance issues through normal channels, the Employee may anonymously report suspected violations of law or Invesco policy, including this Code, by calling the toll-free Invesco Whistleblower Hotline at 1-855-234-9780. This hotline is available to employees of multiple operating units of Invesco Ltd. Employees may also report his or her concerns by visiting the Invesco Whistleblower Hotline website at: www.invesco.ethicspoint.com . To ensure your confidentiality, the phone line and website are provided by an independent company and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All submissions to the Invesco Whistleblower Hotline will be reviewed and handled in a prompt, fair and discreet manner. Employees are encouraged to report these questionable practices so that Invesco has an opportunity to address and resolve these issues before they become more significant regulatory or legal issues.

 

VII. Administration of the Code of Ethics

Invesco Advisers, Inc. has used reasonable diligence to institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of this Code.

No less frequently than annually, Invesco Advisers, Inc. will furnish to the Affiliated Mutual Funds’ Boards of Trustees a written report that:

 

    describes significant issues arising under the Code since the last report to the funds’ board, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations; and

 

    certifies that Invesco Advisers, Inc. has adopted procedures reasonably designed to prevent Covered Persons from violating the Code.

 

VIII. Sanctions

Compliance will issue a letter of education to the Covered Persons involved in violations of the Code that are determined to be inadvertent or immaterial.

Invesco Advisers, Inc. may impose additional sanctions in the event of repeated violations or violations that are determined to be material or not inadvertent, including disgorgement of profits (or the differential between the purchase or sale price of the personal security transaction and the subsequent purchase or sale price by a relevant Client during the enumerated period), a letter of censure or suspension, or termination of employment.

 

IX. Exceptions to the Code

Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Chief Compliance Officer (or designee) may grant an exception to any provision in this Code.

 

X. Definitions

 

    “Affiliated Mutual Funds” generally includes all open-end or closed-end mutual funds advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

    “Automatic Investment Plan/Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means a program in which regular purchases or sales are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation, including dividend reinvestment plans.

 

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    “Beneficial Interest” has the same meaning as the ownership interest of a “beneficial owner” pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“the ’34 Act”). To have a Beneficial Interest, Covered Persons must have directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, have or share a “direct or indirect pecuniary interest,” which is the opportunity to profit directly or indirectly from a transaction in securities. Thus a Covered Person is presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing the same household (i.e. a spouse or equivalent domestic partner, children, etc.) or by certain partnerships, trusts, corporations, or other arrangements.

 

    “Client” means any account for which Invesco Advisers, Inc. is either the adviser or sub-adviser including Affiliated Mutual Funds.

 

    “Control” has the same meaning as under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act.

 

    “Covered Person” means and includes:

 

    any director, officer, full or part time Employee of Invesco Advisers, Inc. or any full or part time Employee of any of Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties: makes, participates in, or obtains any information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities or who is involved in making investment recommendations, or obtains information concerning investment recommendations, with respect to such purchase or sale of Covered Securities; or has access to non-public information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities, access to non-public securities recommendations or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

    all Employees of Invesco Ltd. located in the United States who are not covered by the Code of Ethics of a registered investment advisory affiliate of Invesco Ltd.

 

    any other persons falling within the definition of Access Person under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 , as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) or Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and such other persons that may be so deemed to be Covered Persons by Compliance.

Invesco Funds have created a separate Code of Ethics for Trustees of the Affiliated Mutual Funds. Independent Trustees are not Covered Persons under the Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics. Trustees who are not Independent Trustees and are not Employees of Invesco are also not Covered Person under the Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics, but must report his or her securities holdings, transactions, and accounts as required in the separate Code of Ethics for Trustees of the Affiliated Mutual Funds.

 

    “Covered Security” means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act except that it does not include the following:

 

    Direct obligations of the Government of the United States or its agencies;

 

    Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 

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    Any open-end mutual fund not advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. All Affiliated Mutual Funds shall be considered Covered Securities regardless of whether they are advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.;

 

    Any unit investment trust, including unit investment trusts advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. However, this definition shall not apply to any series of the PowerShares QQQ Trust or the BLDRS Index Fund Trust;

 

    Invesco Ltd. stock because it is subject to the provisions of Invesco Ltd.’s Code of Conduct. Notwithstanding this exception, transactions in Invesco Ltd. securities are subject to all the pre-clearance and reporting requirements outlined in other provisions of this Code and any other corporate guidelines issued by Invesco Ltd.

 

    “Employee” means and includes:

 

    Any full or part time Employee of Invesco Advisers, Inc. or any full or part time Employee of any Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliates that, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in, or obtains any information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities or who is involved in making or obtains information concerning investment recommendations with respect to such purchase or sales of Covered Securities; or who has access to non-public information concerning any Client’s purchase or sale of Covered Securities, access to non-public securities recommendations or access to non-public information concerning portfolio holdings of any portfolio advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

    All Employees of Invesco Ltd. located in the United States who are not covered by the Code of Ethics of a registered investment advisory affiliate of Invesco Ltd.

 

    Any other persons falling within the definitions of Access Person or Advisory Person under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act or Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and such other persons that may be deemed to be an Employee by Compliance.

 

    “Gifts”, “Entertainment” and “Business Partner” have the same meaning as provided in the Invesco Ltd. Gifts and Entertainment Policy.

 

    “Independent Trustee” means a Trustee who is not an interested person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act.

 

    “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the ’34 Act.

 

    “Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s -affiliated Broker-dealer” means Invesco Distributors, Inc. or Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. or their successors.

 

   

“Investment Personnel” means any full or part time Employee of Invesco Advisers, Inc. or any full or part time Employee of any Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s affiliates who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by Clients or any natural person who

 

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Controls a Client or an investment adviser and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Client regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Client as defined in Rule 17j-1.

 

    “Non-Investment Personnel” means any Employee that does not meet the definition of Investment Personnel as listed above.

 

    “Private Securities Transaction” means any securities transaction relating to new offerings of securities which are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided however that transactions subject to the notification requirements of Rule 3050 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Conduct Rules, transactions among immediate family members (as defined in the interpretation of the FINRA Board of Governors on free-riding and withholding) for which no associated person receives any selling compensation, and personal securities transactions in investment company and variable annuity securities shall be excluded.

 

    “Restricted List Securities” means the list of securities that are provided to the Compliance Department by Invesco Ltd. or investment departments, which include those securities that are restricted from purchase or sale by Client or Employee accounts for various reasons (e.g., large concentrated ownership positions that may trigger reporting or other securities regulatory issues, or possession of material, non-public information, or existence of corporate transaction in the issuer involving an Invesco Ltd. unit).

 

    “Trustee” means any member of the Board of Trustees for an open-end or closed-end mutual fund advised or sub-advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

XI. Invesco Ltd. Policies and Procedures

All Employees are subject to the policies and procedures established by Invesco Ltd., including the Code of Conduct, Insider Trading Policy, Political Contributions Policy and Gift and Entertainment Policy and must abide by all their requirements, provided that where there is a conflict between a minimal standard established by an Invesco Ltd. policy and the standards established by an Invesco Advisers, Inc. policy, including this Code, the latter shall control.

 

XII. IVZ Global Code of Ethics Contacts

 

    Telephone Hotline: 1-877-331-CODE [2633]

 

    E-Mail: codeofethicsnorthamerica@invesco.com

Last Revised: January 1, 2017

 

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