THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ | |||
Pre‑Effective Amendment No. | ☐ | |||
Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 | ☒ |
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
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Amendment No. 4 | ☒ |
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Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
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On July 19, 2021 pursuant to paragraph (b)
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60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
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On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)
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75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
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On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
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This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
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Institutional
Shares |
Advisor
Shares |
Investor
Shares |
Class Z
Shares |
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Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment)
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Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
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None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of net asset value)
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None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||
Redemption Fee
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None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fee
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0.75 | % | 0.75 | % | 0.75 | % | 0.75 | % | ||||||||
Distribution (Rule 12b‑1) Fees
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None | 0.10 | % | 0.25 | % | None | ||||||||||
Other Expenses1
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6.28 | % | 6.28 | % | 6.28 | % | 6.28 | % | ||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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7.03 | % | 7.13 | % | 7.28 | % | 7.03 | % | ||||||||
Fee Waivers and Reimbursements2
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(6.14 | %) | (6.14 | %) | (6.14 | %) | (6.14 | %) | ||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Reimbursements
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0.89 | % | 0.99 | % | 1.14 | % | 0.89 | % |
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Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
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JOHCM (USA) Inc. (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding brokerage costs, interest, taxes, dividends, litigation and indemnification expenses, expenses associated with investments in underlying investment companies, and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.89%, 0.99%, 1.14%, and 0.89% for Institutional Shares, Advisor Shares, Investor Shares, and Class Z Shares, respectively, until July 31, 2022. If it becomes unnecessary for the Adviser to waive fees or make reimbursements, the Adviser may recapture any of its prior waivers or reimbursements for a period not to exceed three years from the date on which the waiver or reimbursement was made to the extent that such a recapture does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding brokerage costs, interest, taxes, dividends, litigation and indemnification expenses, expenses associated with investments in underlying investment companies, and extraordinary expenses) to exceed the current expense limitation or the applicable expense limitation that was in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. The agreement to waive fees and reimburse expenses may be terminated by the Board of Trustees at any time and will terminate automatically upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement.
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1 year | 3 years | |||||||
Institutional Shares
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$ | 91 | $ | 1,525 | ||||
Advisor Shares
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$ | 101 | $ | 1,553 | ||||
Investor Shares
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$ | 116 | $ | 1,594 | ||||
Class Z Shares
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$ | 91 | $ | 1,525 |
Tim Crockford
Senior Fund Manager
Length of Service: Since 2021 (inception)
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Mohsin Ahmad, CFA
Fund Manager
Length of Service: Since 2021 (inception)
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Buying and Selling Fund Shares
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Minimum Initial Investment |
Institutional | Advisor | Investor | Class Z | |||||
$1,000,000
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No minimum | No minimum | $10,000,000 |
1. |
Nature – an assessment of whether the product or service under review is directly responsible for driving a positive impact.
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2. |
Intentionality – an assessment as to how central the particular product or service is to the company’s mission to drive a positive impact.
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3. |
Additionality – an assessment of the additional positive impact that is created by the company’s product or service, and involves answering the question of whether this positive impact would indeed have occurred, had the company’s unique offering not existed.
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4. |
Balance – an assessment of the material and potential negative impacts, whether generated by the product or service itself, the company’s operations or by a supplier or customer of the company, and how these negative externalities balance out or offset the positive impact of the product or service being sold by the company.
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5. |
Directionality – an assessment of the trajectory of the company’s net impact.
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the markets in which the issuer’s securities are principally traded;
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where the issuer’s headquarters, principal offices or operations are located;
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where the issuer is organized;
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the percentage of the issuer’s revenues or profits derived from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the relevant country;
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the Adviser’s own internal analysis; and
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information provided by third party data analytics service providers.
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The account number (if issued) and Fund name;
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The amount of the transaction, in dollar amount or number of shares;
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For redemptions and exchanges (other than telephone or wire redemptions), the signature of all account owners exactly as they are registered on the account;
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Required signature guarantees, if applicable; and
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Other supporting legal documents and certified resolutions that might be required in the case of estates, corporations, trusts and other entities or forms of ownership. Call 866‑260‑9549 (toll free) or 312‑557‑5913 for more information about documentation that may be required of these entities.
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Institutional
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Advisor | Investor | Class Z | |||||||||||
Minimum Initial Investment
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$1,000,000 | None | None | $ | 10,000,000 | |||||||||
Minimum Subsequent Investment
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None | None | None | None | ||||||||||
Sub‑Accounting/Sub‑Transfer Agency/Shareholder Servicing Expenses
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Yes. Expenses may vary depending on the arrangements with financial intermediaries that offer Fund shares. Expenses are incurred pursuant to “fee for service” arrangements with financial intermediaries. | None | None | None | ||||||||||
Distribution (Rule 12b‑1) Fees
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None | 0.10 | % | 0.25 | % | None | ||||||||
Sales Charge (Load)
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None | None | None | None | ||||||||||
Redemption Fees
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None | None | None | None |
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individuals and institutional investors with a minimum initial investment of $1,000,000;
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employer sponsored retirement plans, pooled investment vehicles, clients of financial institutions or intermediaries which charge such clients a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or have entered into an agreement with the Fund or the Distributor to offer such shares though an investment platform;
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clients of trust companies where the trust company is acting in fiduciary capacity, as agent, or as custodian.
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investors through certain brokerage platforms in which an investor transacting through a broker may be required to pay commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker;
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officers, trustees, and employees, and their immediate family members (i.e., spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and any dependent of the person, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)), of the Fund and the Adviser, and its subsidiaries and affiliates;
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Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Code, if a contract exists between the Distributor and/or its affiliates and the state sponsor of the program or one of its service providers, to provide the program:
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services relating to operating the program; and/or
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Fund shares for purchase which require shareholder servicing fees from the Fund.
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Advisory programs where the shares are acquired on behalf of program participants in connection with a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement between the program participant and a registered broker dealer or investment adviser, trust company, bank, family office, or multi-family office (referred to as the “Sponsor”) on behalf of program participants if:
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the program participant pays the Sponsor a fee for investment advisory or related services, under a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement; and
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the Sponsor or the broker-dealer through which the Fund’s shares are acquired has an agreement with the Distributor.
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Other investors for which the Fund or the Distributor has pre‑approved the purchase.
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Institutional investors, including, but not limited to, employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), endowments, foundations, insurance company general accounts, insurance company separate accounts, local, city, and state governmental institutions, and other tax‑exempt entities that meet the requirements for qualification under Section 501 of the Code.
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Unaffiliated U.S. registered mutual funds including those that operate as “fund of funds,” collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles.
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Other investors for which the Fund or the Adviser has pre‑approved the purchase.
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Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs) that invest through a record-keeper or third party retirement platform.
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Advisory programs where the shares are acquired on behalf of program participants in connection with a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement between the program participant and a registered broker dealer or investment adviser, trust company, bank, family office, or multi-family office (referred to as the “Sponsor”) on behalf of program participants if:
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the program participant pays the Sponsor a fee for investment advisory or related services, under a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement; and
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the Sponsor or the broker-dealer through which the Fund’s shares are acquired has an agreement with the Distributor.
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Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Code, if a contract exists between the Distributor and/or its affiliates and the state sponsor of the program or one of its service providers, to provide the program:
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services relating to operating the program; and/or
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Fund shares for purchase which require shareholder servicing fees from the Fund.
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Clients (other than defined contribution employer sponsored retirement plans) of an institutional consultant where (a) the consultant has undertaken to provide certain services directly to the client with respect to the client’s investment in the Fund and (b) the Fund or the Distributor has notified that consultant in writing that the proposed investment is permissible.
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Investment companies or other pooled vehicles that are managed by the Adviser or its affiliates.
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Officers, trustees, and employees, and their immediate family members (i.e., spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and any dependent of the person, as defined in Section 152 of the Code, of the Fund and the Adviser, and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
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Existing institutional separate account clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
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Investors for whom the Fund or the Adviser determines that a strategic reason exists for such a waiver.
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Investors with an account which the Fund or the Adviser believes will grow to meet the investment minimum in the future.
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charge a fee for its services;
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act as the shareholder of record of the shares;
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set different minimum initial and additional investment requirements;
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impose other charges, commissions, or restrictions;
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designate intermediaries to accept purchase and sale orders on the Fund’s behalf; or
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impose an earlier cut‑off time for purchase and redemption requests.
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Complete a New Account Application and send it to:
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You must also call 866‑260‑9549 (toll free) or 312‑557‑5913 on days the Fund is open for business to place an initial purchase via phone or provide an initial purchase Letter of Instruction.
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Wire funds for your purchase. A wire will be considered made when the money is received and the purchase is accepted by the Fund. Any delays that may occur in receiving money, including delays that may occur in processing by the bank, are not the responsibility of the Fund or the Transfer Agent. Wires must be received prior to 4:00 pm ET to receive the current day’s NAV.
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Call 866‑260‑9549 (toll free) or 312‑557‑5913 on days the Fund is open for business or provide a subsequent purchase Letter of Instruction.
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Have your bank wire federal funds or effect an ACH transfer to:
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Complete the “Choose Your Dividend and Capital Gain Distributions” section on the New Account Application.
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Reinvestments can only be directed to an existing Fund account.
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Send a written request to:
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The redemption request must include:
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1. |
The number of shares or the dollar amount to be redeemed;
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2. |
The Fund account number; and
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3. |
The signatures of all account owners signed in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered.
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A Medallion Signature Guarantee (see below) also is required if:
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1. |
The proceeds are to be sent elsewhere than the address of record, or
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2. |
The redemption is requested in writing and the amount is greater than $100,000.
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Call the Transfer Agent at 866‑260‑9549 (toll free) or 312‑557‑5913 for instructions.
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The minimum amount that may be redeemed by this method is $250.
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Call 866‑260‑9549 (toll free) or 312‑557‑5913 to use the telephone privilege.
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If your account is already opened and you wish to add the telephone privilege, send a written request to:
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The written request to add the telephone privilege must be signed by each owner of the account and must be accompanied by signature guarantees.
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the redemption is requested in writing and the amount redeemed is greater than $100,000;
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the name(s) or the address on your account or the name or address of a payee has been changed within 30 days of your redemption request;
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information on your investment application has been changed within the last 30 days (including a change in your name or your address);
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proceeds or shares are being sent/transferred from a joint account to an individual’s account; or
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proceeds are being sent via wire or ACH and bank instructions have been added or changed within 30 days of your redemption request.
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I. |
Safeguarding Privacy
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II. |
Information We Collect And Sources Of Information
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Information we receive from you on applications or other forms (e.g. your name, address, date of birth, social security number and investment information);
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Information about your transactions and experiences with us and our affiliates (e.g. your account balance, transaction history and investment selections); and
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Information we obtain from third parties regarding their brokerage, investment advisory, custodial or other relationship with you (e.g. your account number, account balance and transaction history.
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III. |
Information We Share With Service Providers
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IV. |
Information We May Share With Affiliates
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V. |
Safeguarding Customer Information
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REGNAN GLOBAL EQUITY IMPACT SOLUTIONS
Institutional Shares (Not currently offered)
Advisor Shares (Not currently offered)
Investor Shares (Not currently offered)
Class Z Shares (Not currently offered)
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
July 19, 2021
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions (the “Fund”). This SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated July 19, 2021. A copy of the prospectus can be obtained at no charge by writing to the transfer agent, The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, or by calling 866-260-9549 (toll free) or 312-557-5913. The Fund’s prospectus (“Prospectus”) is incorporated by reference into this SAI.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Additional Information about the Fund’s Investments and Risks |
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A-1 |
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
JOHCM Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is a Massachusetts business trust operating under an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) dated December 4, 2020. The Trust is an open-end investment company. The Declaration of Trust permits the Board of Trustees (“Trustees” or “Board”) to authorize and issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series. This Statement of Additional Information relates to Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions (the “Fund”), a series of the Trust. The investment adviser to the Fund is JOHCM (USA) Inc. (the “Adviser”). The Fund is a diversified fund.
For information concerning the purchase and redemption of shares of the Fund, see “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” in the Prospectus. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of the Fund’s assets, see “Pricing Your Shares” in the Prospectus and “Determination of Share Price” in this Statement of Additional Information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS
Investment Strategies and Risks
All principal investment strategies and risks of the Fund are discussed in the Prospectus. This section contains a more detailed discussion of some of the investments the Fund may make, some of the techniques the Fund may use, and the risks related to those techniques and investments. Additional non-principal strategies and risks also are discussed here.
Borrowing
The Fund may borrow money equal to 33 1/3% of its total assets for cash management or investment purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund’s shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of any borrowing will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. The Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to any borrowing. The Fund may be required to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet their obligations in connection with such borrowings. In an interest rate arbitrage transaction, the Fund borrows money at one interest rate and lends the proceeds at another, higher interest rate. These transactions involve a number of risks, including the risks that the borrower will fail or otherwise become insolvent or that there will be a significant change in prevailing interest rates.
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, intends to enter into a $100 million revolving credit facility agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Northern Trust for liquidity or for other temporary or emergency purposes. The Credit Agreement is expected to permit the Fund as well as other series of the Trust to borrow up to an aggregate commitment amount of $100 million, $50 million of which is committed and $50 million of which is uncommitted) at any time outstanding, subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Credit Agreement. Borrowing results in interest expense and other fees and expenses that may impact the Fund’s expenses, including any net expense ratios. The costs of borrowing may reduce the total returns for the Fund. The Credit Agreement is also expected to impose an ongoing commitment fee on undrawn amounts under the credit facility, which will be allocated to each share class within the Fund, pro rata, based on the Fund’s average net asset value.
Commercial Paper, Cash and Other High Quality Investments
The Fund may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from one to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance current operations. The Fund may only invest in commercial paper rated at least “Prime-2” or better by Moody’s or rated “A-2” or better by S&P or, if the security is unrated, the Adviser determines that it is of equivalent quality.
The Fund may temporarily invest a portion of its assets in cash or other cash items pending other investments or to maintain liquid assets required in connection with some of the Fund’s investments. These cash items and other high quality debt securities may include fixed income securities issued by the governments, agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. and other developed market countries (e.g., Japan and Canada), bankers’ acceptances, and bank certificates of deposit. If the Fund’s custodian (the “Custodian”) holds cash on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be an unsecured creditor in the event of the insolvency of the Custodian. In addition, the Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the Custodian.
Convertible Securities
A convertible security is a security (a bond or preferred stock) that may be exchanged or converted at a stated price within a specified period into a specified number of shares of common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. Convertible securities are senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital
1
structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed-income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar nonconvertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.
A contingent convertible security is a hybrid debt security typically issued by a non-U.S. bank that may be convertible into equity or may be written down if a pre-specified trigger event, such as a decline in capital ratio below a prescribed threshold, occurs. If such a trigger event occurs, the Fund may lose the principal amount invested on a permanent or temporary basis or the contingent convertible security may be converted to equity. Coupon payments on contingent convertible securities may be discretionary and may be cancelled by the issuer. Due to uncertainty surrounding coupon payments, contingent convertible securities may be volatile, and their price may decline rapidly in the event that coupon payments are suspended. The value of contingent convertible securities is unpredictable, and holders of contingent convertible securities may suffer a loss of capital when comparable equity holders do not.
Corporate Debt Securities
Corporate debt securities may include investment grade bonds (defined as Baa3 or higher by Moody’s or BBB- or higher by S&P) or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or in unrated bonds that are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of investment. Fixed rate securities pay a specified rate of interest or dividends. Floating rate securities pay a rate that is adjusted periodically by reference to a specified index or market rate. In addition, the Fund may create “synthetic” bonds which approximate desired risk and return profiles. This may be done where a “non-synthetic” security having the desired risk/return profile either is unavailable (e.g., short-term securities of certain foreign governments) or possesses undesirable characteristics (e.g., interest payments on the security would be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes).
All debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer’s credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer will be unable to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity. To the extent the Fund holds fixed income securities, it may also be subject to market risk. Market risk (or “interest rate risk”) relates to changes in a security’s value as a result of changes in interest rates. In general, the values of fixed income securities increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. Credit risk relates to the ability of an issuer to make payments of principal and interest.
Currency Risk
The value of foreign securities is affected by changes in currency rates, foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), government policies (in this country or abroad), relations between nations and trading, settlement, custodial and other operational risks. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies may cause the value of investments to decline. Certain foreign currencies may be particularly volatile, and foreign governments may intervene in the currency markets causing a decline in value or liquidity in foreign holdings, whose value is tied to the affected foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be affected unpredictably as a result of intervention (or the failure to intervene) by the U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, or by currency or exchange controls or political and economic developments in the United States or abroad. Some of the currencies in emerging markets have experienced devaluations relative to the U.S. dollar, and major adjustments have been made periodically in certain such currencies. Certain developing countries face serious exchange constraints. In addition, costs will be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies.
The Fund is permitted to invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies may buy or sell foreign currencies or deal in forward foreign currency contracts, currency futures contracts and options, and options on currencies. The Fund may use such currency instruments for hedging, investment, and/or currency risk management. Forward foreign currency contracts are contracts between two parties to purchase and sell a specified quantity of a particular currency at a specified price, with delivery and settlement to take place on a specified future date. A forward foreign currency contract can reduce the Fund’s exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will deliver and can increase its exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will receive for the duration of the contract. The effect on the value of the Fund is similar to the effect of selling securities denominated in one currency and purchasing securities denominated in another currency. The Fund also may purchase or sell options on currencies. Options on currencies possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and generally operate in a similar manner. They may be traded on an exchange or in the OTC markets. Options on currencies traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits, which may limit the ability of the Fund to reduce foreign currency risk using options. See “Foreign Currency Forward Contracts, Futures, and Options” below for additional information.
2
Depositary Receipts
The Fund may invest in sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), which are receipts issued by a bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. ADRs, in sponsored form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. EDRs are the European equivalent of ADRs and are designed to attract investment capital from the European region. GDRs are designed to raise capital in the U.S. and foreign securities markets. The underlying shares of depositary receipts are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. Depositary receipts are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. A sponsoring company provides financial information to the bank and may subsidize administration of the ADR, EDR or GDR. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be created by a broker-dealer or depository bank without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the ADR, EDR or GDR facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored depositary receipt. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored depositary receipt may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Unsponsored depositary receipts may carry more risk than sponsored depositary receipts because of the absence of financial information provided by the underlying company. Many of the risks described below regarding foreign securities apply to investments in ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. Depositary Receipts also may be subject to liquidity risk.
Equity Securities
Equity securities consist of common stock, preferred stock, securities convertible into common and preferred stock, rights, warrants, income trusts, and Master Limited Partnerships (“MLP”). Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. Preferred stocks represent an equity interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends or in the event of issuer liquidation or bankruptcy. Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price for a specific time period. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks that may be converted or exchanged into shares of the underlying common stock at a stated exchange ratio. Income trusts and Master Limited Partnerships units are equity investments and may lack diversification as such trusts are primarily invested in oil and gas, pipelines, and other infrastructures whereas MLPs are primarily engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, productions, and mining of minerals and natural resources. Although equity securities have a history of long-term growth in value, their prices fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.
Investments in equity securities are subject to inherent market risks and fluctuations in value due to earnings, economic conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Adviser. As a result, the return and NAV of the Fund will fluctuate. Securities in the Fund’s portfolios may not increase as much as the market as a whole and some undervalued securities may continue to be undervalued for long periods of time. Although profits in some Fund holdings may be realized quickly, it is not expected that most investments will appreciate rapidly.
Smaller Company Equity Securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities of companies with small market capitalizations. Such investments may involve greater risk than is usually associated with larger, more established companies. Companies with small market capitalizations often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent upon a relatively small management group. These securities may have limited marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic movements in price than securities of companies with larger market capitalizations or market averages in general. To the extent the Fund invests in securities with small market capitalizations, the NAV of the Fund may fluctuate more widely than market averages.
Foreign and Emerging Markets Investments
Investing in foreign securities generally represents a greater degree of risk than investing in domestic securities, due to possible exchange controls or exchange rate fluctuations, limits on repatriation of capital, less publicly available information as a result of accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards different from those used in the U.S., more volatile markets, potentially less securities regulation, less favorable tax provisions, political or economic instability, war, or expropriation. As a result of its investments in foreign securities, the Fund may receive interest or dividend payments, or the proceeds of the sale or redemption of such securities, in the foreign currencies in which such securities are denominated.
The Fund will also invest in countries or regions with relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and in countries or regions with the potential for rapid economic growth (emerging markets). The Adviser includes within its definition of an emerging market country, any country: (i) having an “emerging stock market” as defined by the International Finance Corporation; (ii) with low-to-middle-income economies according to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”); or (iii) listed in World Bank publications as developing.
The risks of investing in foreign securities may be intensified in the case of investments in emerging markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. Emerging markets also may have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in
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settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon. Securities prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than in the more developed nations of the world, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be predominantly based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of substantial holdings difficult or impossible at times. Securities of issuers located in countries with emerging markets may have limited marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements.
Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital, or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if deterioration occurs in an emerging market’s balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments.
Certain European countries in which the Fund may invest have recently experienced significant volatility in financial markets and may continue to do so in the future. The impact of the United Kingdom’s intended departure from the European Union, commonly known as “Brexit,” and the potential departure of one or more other countries from the European Union may have significant political and financial consequences for global markets. These consequences include greater market volatility and illiquidity, currency fluctuations, deterioration in economic activity, a decrease in business confidence and an increased likelihood of a recession in such markets. Uncertainty relating to the withdrawal procedures and timeline may have adverse effects on asset valuations and the renegotiation of current trade agreements, as well as an increase in financial regulation in such markets. This may adversely impact Fund performance.
The Fund may, as part of its principal investment strategy, invest in frontier market countries. A sub-set of emerging markets, frontier markets are less developed than other emerging markets and are the most speculative. Frontier countries generally have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier countries. They have the least number of investors and may not have a stock market on which to trade. Economic or political instability may cause larger price changes in frontier market securities than in securities of issuers based in more developed foreign countries, including securities of issuers in larger emerging markets. Frontier markets generally receive less investor attention than developed markets or larger emerging markets. Most frontier markets consist chiefly of stocks of financial, telecommunications, and consumer companies that count on monthly payments from customers. Investments in this sector are typically illiquid, nontransparent, and subject to very low levels of regulation and high transaction fees. Frontier market investments may be subject to substantial political and currency risk. The risk of investing in frontier markets can be increased due to government ownership or control of parts of private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values, and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by frontier market countries or their trading partners; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries. These risks can result in the potential for extreme price volatility.
Investments in certain foreign emerging market debt obligations may be restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times preclude investment in certain foreign emerging market debt obligations and increase the expenses of the Fund.
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts, Futures, and Options
When investing in foreign securities, the Fund usually effects currency exchange transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign exchange market. The Fund incurs expenses in converting assets from one currency to another.
Forward Contracts. The Fund may enter into foreign currency forward contracts for the purchase or sale of a fixed quantity of a foreign currency at a future date (“forward contracts”) for hedging purposes, either to “lock-in” the U.S. dollar purchase price of the securities denominated in a foreign currency or the U.S. dollar value of interest and dividends to be paid on such securities, or to hedge against the possibility that the currency of a foreign country in which the Fund has investments may suffer a decline against the
U.S. dollar, as well as for non-hedging purposes. The Fund may also enter into a forward contract on one currency in order to hedge against risk of loss arising from fluctuations in the value of a second currency (“cross hedging”). Forward contracts are traded over-the-counter, and not on organized commodities or securities exchanges. As a result, such contracts operate in a manner distinct from exchange-traded instruments, and their use involves certain risks beyond those associated with transactions in futures contracts or options traded on an exchange, including counterparty credit risk.
Only a limited market, if any, currently exists for hedging transactions relating to currencies in many emerging market countries, or to securities of issuers domiciled or principally engaged in business in emerging market countries, in which the Fund may invest. This may limit the Fund’s ability to effectively hedge its investments in those emerging markets.
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Foreign Currency Futures. Generally, foreign currency futures provide for the delivery of a specified amount of a given currency, on the settlement date, for a pre-negotiated price denominated in U.S. dollars or other currency. Foreign currency futures contracts would be entered into for the same reason and under the same circumstances as forward contracts. The Adviser will assess such factors as cost spreads, liquidity and transaction costs in determining whether to utilize futures contracts or forward contracts in its foreign currency transactions and hedging strategy.
Purchasers and sellers of foreign currency futures contracts are subject to the same risks that apply to the buying and selling of futures generally. The Fund must accept or make delivery of the underlying foreign currency, through banking arrangements, in accordance with any U.S. or foreign restrictions or regulations regarding the maintenance of foreign banking arrangements by U.S. residents and may be required to pay any fees, taxes or charges associated with such delivery which are assessed in the issuing country.
Foreign Currency Options. The Fund may purchase and write options on foreign currencies for purposes similar to those involved with investing in forward contracts. For example, in order to protect against declines in the dollar value of portfolio securities which are denominated in a foreign currency, or to protect against potential declines in its portfolio securities that are denominated in foreign currencies.
The value of a foreign currency option depends upon the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. As a result, the price of the option position may vary with changes in the value of either or both currencies and have no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security, including foreign securities held in a “hedged” investment portfolio. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.
As in the case of other kinds of options, the use of foreign currency options constitutes only a partial hedge, and the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on a foreign currency may not necessarily constitute an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange rates and, in the event of rate movements adverse to the Fund’s position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs.
Options on foreign currencies written or purchased by the Fund may be traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or over the counter. There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies traded over the counter or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis.
Available quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect relatively smaller transactions (i.e., less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that the U.S. options markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that are not reflected in the options market.
Interest Rate Futures: An interest rate futures contract is an exchange-traded contract in which the specified underlying security is either an interest-bearing fixed income security or an inter-bank deposit. Two examples of common interest rate futures contracts are U.S. Treasury futures and Eurodollar futures contracts. The specified security for U.S. Treasury futures is a U.S. Treasury security. The specified security for Eurodollar futures is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is a daily reference rate based on the interest rates at which banks offer to lend unsecured funds to other banks in the London wholesale money market.
Additional Risk Factors. As a result of its investments in foreign securities, the Fund may receive interest or dividend payments, or the proceeds of the sale or redemption of such securities, in the foreign currencies in which such securities are denominated. In that event, the Fund may convert such currencies into dollars at the then current exchange rate. Under certain circumstances, however, such as where the Adviser believes that the applicable rate is unfavorable at the time the currencies are received or the Adviser anticipates, for any other reason, that the exchange rate will improve, the Fund may hold such currencies for an indefinite period of time. In addition, the Fund may be required to receive delivery of the foreign currency underlying forward foreign currency contracts it has entered into. This could occur, for example, if an option written by the Fund is exercised or the Fund is unable to close out a forward contract. The Fund may hold foreign currency in anticipation of purchasing foreign securities.
The Fund may also elect to take delivery of the currencies’ underlying options or forward contracts if, in the judgment of the Adviser, it is in the best interest of the Fund to do so. In such instances as well, the Fund may convert the foreign currencies to dollars at the then current exchange rates, or may hold such currencies for an indefinite period of time.
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While the holding of currencies will permit the Fund to take advantage of favorable movements in the applicable exchange rate, it also exposes the Fund to risk of loss if such rates move in a direction adverse to the Fund’s position. Such losses could reduce any profits or increase any losses sustained by the Fund from the sale or redemption of securities, and could reduce the dollar value of interest or dividend payments received. In addition, the holding of currencies could adversely affect the Fund’s profit or loss on currency options or forward contracts, as well as its hedging strategies.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk
Geopolitical, environmental and other events may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from implementing its investment strategies and achieving its investment objectives, and increase the Fund’s exposure to the other risks. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region might adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. War, terrorism, public health crises, and geopolitical events, such as sanctions, tariffs, trade disputes, the imposition of exchange controls or other cross-border trade barriers, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Terrorism in the U.S. and around the world has had a similar global impact and has increased geopolitical risk.
Natural and environmental disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies and industries, securities markets, interest rates, credit ratings, inflation, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Similarly dramatic disruptions can be caused by communicable diseases, epidemics, pandemics, plagues and other public health crises.
Communicable diseases, including those that result in pandemics or epidemics, may pose significant threats to human health, and such diseases, along with any efforts to contain their spread, may be highly disruptive to both global and local economies and markets, with significant negative impact on individual issuers, sectors, industries, and asset classes. Significant public health crises, including those triggered by the transmission of a communicable disease and efforts to contain it may result in, among other things, border closings and other significant travel restrictions and disruptions, significant disruptions to business operations, supply chains and customer activity, lower consumer demand for goods and services, event cancellations and restrictions, service cancellations, reductions and other changes, significant challenges in healthcare service preparation and delivery, and prolonged quarantines, as well as general concern and uncertainty. All of these disruptive effects were present, for example, in the global pandemic linked to the outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus designated as COVID-19 that was first reported in China in December 2019. The effects of any disease outbreak may be greater in countries with less developed disease prevention and control programs and may also exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, economic, market and financial risks. A pandemic and its effects may be short term or may last for an extended period of time, and in either case can result in significant market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, declines in global financial markets, higher default rates, and a substantial economic downturn or recession. The foregoing could impair the Fund’s ability to maintain operational standards (such as with respect to satisfying redemption requests), disrupt the operations of the Fund’s service providers, adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance, and overall prevent the Fund from implementing its investment strategies and achieving its investment objective.
Securities and financial markets may be susceptible to market manipulation or other fraudulent trade practices, which could disrupt the orderly functioning of these markets or adversely affect the values of investments traded in these markets, including investments held by the Fund.
Market disruptions, including sudden government interventions (e.g., currency controls), can also prevent the Fund from implementing its investment strategies efficiently and achieving its investment objectives. For example, a market disruption may adversely affect the orderly functioning of the securities markets and may cause the Fund’s derivatives counterparties to discontinue offering derivatives on some underlying securities, reference rates, or indices, or to offer them on a more limited basis.
While the U.S. government has honored its credit obligations continuously for more than 200 years, it remains possible that the U.S. could default on its obligations. While it is impossible to predict the consequences of such an unprecedented event, it is likely that a default by the U.S. would be highly disruptive to the U.S. and global securities markets and could significantly impair the value of the Fund’s investments. Similarly, political events within the U.S. can result in the shutdown of government services, which could negatively affect the U.S. economy, decrease the value of many Fund investments, and increase uncertainty in or impair the operation of the U.S. or other securities markets.
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Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based on LIBOR, which is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On March 5, 2021, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and LIBOR’s administrator, ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”), announced that most LIBOR settings will no longer be published after the end of 2021 and a majority of U.S. dollar LIBOR settings will no longer be published after June 30, 2023. It is possible that the FCA may compel the IBA to publish a subset of LIBOR settings after these dates on a “synthetic” basis, but any such publications would be considered non-representative of the underlying market. The transition away from and eventual elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and liquidity and value of, certain assets and liabilities of the Fund that are tied to LIBOR. These may include bank loans, floating rate securities, structured securities (including asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities), other debt securities, derivatives, and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR, particularly insofar as the documentation governing such instruments does not include “fall back” provisions addressing the transition from LIBOR. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of overnight borrowing of cash collateralized by Treasury securities. SOFR is intended to serve as a reference rate for U.S. dollar-based debt and derivatives and ultimately reduce the markets’ dependence on LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies, such as the Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate, have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new rates. Questions around liquidity of investments impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) the extent to which industry participants adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The Adviser may have discretion to determine a successor or substitute reference rate, including any price or other adjustments to account for differences between the successor or substitute reference rate and previous rate. Such successor or substitute reference rate and any adjustments selected may negatively impact the Fund’s investments, performance or financial condition, and may expose the Fund to additional tax, accounting and regulatory risks. The elimination of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades, adversely impacting the Fund’s overall financial condition or results of operations. It is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund.
Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the United States and abroad, such as the U.S.-China “trade war” that intensified in 2018, may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. The current political climate and the further escalation of a trade war between China and the United States may have an adverse effect on both the U.S. and Chinese economies, as each country has recently imposed tariffs on the other country’s products. In January 2020, the U.S. and China signed a “Phase 1” trade agreement that reduced some U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods while boosting Chinese purchases of American goods. However, this agreement left in place a number of existing tariffs, and it is unclear whether further trade agreements may be reached in the future. Events such as these and their impact on the Fund are difficult to predict and it is unclear whether further tariffs may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future.
Impact and Socially Responsible Investing
The application of the Fund’s impact and socially responsible investment criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor with the market. Certain companies in which the Fund may invest may be dependent or significantly affected by developing technologies, short product life cycles, competition from new market entrants, fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of alternative energy sources. These investments may also be dependent on the government policies of U.S. and foreign governments, including tax incentives and subsidies, as well as on political support for certain environmental initiatives. In addition, under certain market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that invest in a broader array of investments. There can be no assurance that the operations of a given issuer in which the Fund invests will in fact have the desired positive impact.
Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)
The Adviser generally attempts to allocate IPOs on a pro rata basis. However, due to the typically small size of the IPO allocation available to the Fund and the nature and market capitalization of the companies involved in IPOs, pro rata allocation may not always be possible. Because IPO shares frequently are volatile in price, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares of an IPO, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Most IPOs involve a high degree of risk not normally associated with offerings of more seasoned companies. Companies involved in IPOs generally have limited operating histories, and their prospects for future profitability are uncertain. These companies often are engaged in new and evolving businesses and are particularly vulnerable to competition and to changes in technology, markets and economic conditions. They may be dependent on certain key managers and third parties, need more personnel and other resources to manage growth and require significant additional capital. They may also be
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dependent on limited product lines and uncertain property rights and need regulatory approvals. Investors in IPOs can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders. Stock prices of IPOs can also be highly unstable, due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited investor information.
Large Shareholder Risk
To the extent that a significant portion of the Fund’s shares are held by a limited number of shareholders or their affiliates, there is a risk that the subscription and redemption activities of these shareholders with regard to Fund shares could disrupt the Fund’s investment strategies, which could have adverse consequences for the Fund and other shareholders (e.g., by requiring the Fund to sell investments at inopportune times or causing the Fund to maintain larger-than-expected cash positions pending acquisition of investments).
Master Limited Partnerships (MLP)
The Fund may invest in limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the SEC and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Generally, a MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners (like the Fund when investing in a MLP) are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership. They are allocated income and capital gains associated with the partnership project in accordance with the terms established in the partnership agreement. MLPs make distributions that are similar to dividends, and these are generally paid out on a quarterly basis. Some distributions received by the Fund with respect to its investments in MLPs may, if distributed by the Fund, be treated as a return of capital because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of such MLPs and the MLPs’ distribution policies. Generally speaking, MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining/low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising. As an income vehicle, the unit price can be influenced by general interest rate trends independent of specific underlying fundamentals. In addition, most MLPs are fairly leveraged and typically carry a portion of “floating” rate debt. As such, a significant upward swing in interest rates would result in higher interest expense. Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to transact accretive acquisitions.
MLPs are generally engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources. To the extent that a MLP’s interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will, accordingly, be negatively impacted by economic events impacting that industry. The risks of investing in a MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a MLP than investors in a corporation. In addition, MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions which will have the effect of reducing the amount of income paid by the MLP to its investors.
For purposes of qualifying as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Fund is not permitted to invest more than 25% of its total assets in MLPs treated as “qualified publicly traded partnerships” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Additionally, while MLPs are typically treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, changes in U.S. tax laws could revoke the pass-through attributes that provide the tax efficiencies that make MLPs attractive investment structures and could have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP, resulting in a reduction of the value of the Fund’s investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund. Changes in the laws, regulations or related interpretations relating to the Fund’s investments in MLPs could increase the Fund’s expenses, reduce its cash distributions, negatively impact the value of an investment in an MLP, or otherwise impact the Fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy. See the “Tax Considerations” section of the SAI for more information about these and other special tax considerations that can arise in respect of the Fund’s investments in MLPs.
Models and Data Risk
The Adviser may utilize various proprietary quantitative models in connection with providing investment management services to the Fund. There is a possibility that one or all of the quantitative models may fail to identify profitable opportunities at any time. Furthermore, the models may incorrectly identify opportunities and these misidentified opportunities may lead to substantial loss. Data used in the construction of models may prove to be inaccurate or stale, which may result in losses for the Fund. Investments selected using the models may perform differently than expected as a result of, among other things, the market factors used in creating models, the weight given to each such market factor, changes from the market factors’ historical trends and technical issues in the construction and implementation of the models (e.g., data problems, and/or software issues). The Adviser’s judgments about the weightings among various models and strategies may be incorrect, adversely affecting performance.
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Options
The Fund may invest in covered put and covered call options and write covered put and covered call options on securities in which it may invest directly and that are traded on registered domestic securities exchanges. The writer of a call option, who receives a premium, has the obligation, upon exercise of the option, to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price during the option period. The writer of a put, who receives a premium, has the obligation to buy the underlying security, upon exercise, at the exercise price during the option period.
The Fund may write put and call options on securities only if they are “covered,” and such options must remain “covered” as long as the Fund is obligated as a writer. Transactions using options (other than options that the Fund has purchased) expose the Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (i) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities or other options or (ii) cash or liquid securities with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (i) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid securities in a segregated account with the Fund’s Custodian in the prescribed amount. Under current SEC guidelines, the Fund will segregate assets to cover transactions in which the Fund writes or sells options. Assets used as cover or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding option is open, unless they are replaced with similar assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of the Fund’s assets to cover or segregated accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the underlying security or its equivalent covered by the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration if such cash is segregated) upon conversion or exchange of other securities held in its portfolio. A call option is also covered if the Fund maintains appropriate liquid securities with a value equal to the strike price or holds on a share-for-share or equal principal amount basis a call on the same security as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written or greater than the exercise price of the call written if appropriate liquid assets representing the difference are segregated by the Fund. A put option is “covered” if the Fund maintains appropriate liquid securities with a value equal to the exercise price, or owns on a share-for-share or equal principal amount basis a put on the same security as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written.
There are numerous risks associated with transactions in options. The principal factors affecting the market value of an option include supply and demand, interest rates, current market price of the underlying index or security in relation to the exercise price of the option, the actual or perceived volatility of the underlying index or security and the time remaining until the expiration date. The premium received for an option written by the Fund is recorded as an asset of the Fund and its obligation under the option contract as an equivalent liability. The Fund then adjusts over time the liability as the market value of the option changes. The value of each written option will be marked to market daily.
A decision as to whether, when and how to write call options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. The Fund may write straddles (covered or uncovered) consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same underlying security. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund’s immediate obligations. The Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is “in the money.”
Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of securities at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the securities index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Unlike options on securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the securities market generally (or in a particular industry or segment of the market) rather than price movements in individual securities.
Because the exercise of index options is settled in cash, sellers of index call options cannot provide in advance for their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. When a call option sold by the Fund is exercised or closed out, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities or to deliver portfolio securities to the option purchaser to satisfy its obligations when it would not otherwise choose to do so, or the Fund may choose to sell portfolio securities to realize gains to offset the losses realized upon option exercise. Such sales or delivery would involve transaction costs borne by the Fund and may also result in realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains taxed to individuals at ordinary income tax rates, and may adversely impact the Fund’s after-tax returns.
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OTC Options Risks. The Fund may be required to treat as illiquid OTC options purchased and securities being used to cover certain written OTC options, and it will treat the amount by which such formula price exceeds the intrinsic value of the option (i.e., the amount, if any, by which the market price of the underlying security exceeds the exercise price of the option) as an illiquid investment. The Fund may also purchase and write so-called dealer options.
Participants in OTC options markets typically are not subject to the same level of credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets and therefore OTC derivatives generally expose the Fund to greater counterparty risk than exchange-traded derivatives.
Other Derivatives
The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to any over-the-counter derivatives contracts it purchases. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.
Options on securities, futures contracts, and options on currencies may be traded on foreign exchanges. Such transactions may not be regulated as effectively as similar transactions in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (1) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (2) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (3) delays in the Adviser’s ability to act upon
economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States, (4) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States, and (5) lesser trading volume.
Certain investment strategies of the Fund described above may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund which require the Fund to enter into offsetting transactions or to segregate assets in amounts that would cover the Fund’s potential liabilities consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.
The SEC recently finalized new Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of registered investment companies’ use of derivatives and certain related instruments. Compliance with Rule 18f-4 will not be required until approximately the middle of 2022. The new rule, among other things, limits derivatives exposure through one of two value-at-risk tests and eliminates the asset segregation framework for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments arising from the SEC’s Release 10666 and ensuing staff guidance. The rule also requires funds to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements) and subjects funds to certain reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. Limited derivatives users (as determined by Rule 18f-4) are not, however, subject to the full requirements under the rule. As the Funds come into compliance, the Funds’ approach to asset segregation and coverage requirements described in this SAI will be impacted.
The Adviser, on behalf of the Fund, has filed with the National Futures Association, a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (“CEA”), and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Fund’s operation. Accordingly, the Fund is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator.
Equity-Linked Instruments Risk. There is a risk that, in addition to market risk and other risks of the referenced equity security, the Fund may experience a return that is different from that of the referenced equity security. Equity-linked instruments also subject the Fund to counterparty risk, including the risk that the issuing entity may not be able to honor its financial commitment, which could result in a loss of all or part of the Fund’s investment
Participatory Notes. The Fund may also invest in participatory notes. Participatory notes issued by banks or broker-dealers are designed to replicate the performance of certain non-U.S. companies traded on a non-U.S. exchange. Participatory notes are a type of equity-linked derivative that generally are traded over-the-counter. Even though a participatory note is intended to reflect the performance of the underlying equity securities on a one-to-one basis so that investors will not normally gain or lose more in absolute terms than they would have made or lost had they invested in the underlying securities directly, the performance results of participatory notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the issuers or markets that the notes seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. Investments in participatory notes involve risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying securities. In addition, participatory notes are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the broker-dealer or bank that issues the notes will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund. Participatory notes constitute general unsecured, unsubordinated contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them, and the Fund is
10
relying on the creditworthiness of such banks or broker-dealers and has no rights under a participatory note against the issuers of the securities underlying such participatory notes. There can be no assurance that the trading price or value of participatory notes will equal the value of the underlying value of the equity securities they seek to replicate.
Leverage Risk. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. If the Fund uses derivatives for leverage, investments in the Fund will tend to be more volatile, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes. Other recent U.S. and non U.S. legislative and regulatory reforms, including those related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the 1940 Act restrictions with respect to “senior securities,” have resulted in, and may in the future result in, new regulation of derivative instruments and the Fund’s use of such instruments. New regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in derivative transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivative instruments or transactions no longer available to the Fund), establish new margin requirements and/or increase the costs of derivatives transactions, and the Fund may as a result be unable to execute its investment strategies in a manner its Adviser might otherwise choose.
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies, including shares of money market funds, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), open-end and closed-end investment companies, real estate investment trusts, and passive foreign investment companies.
ETFs may not be actively managed. Rather, an ETF’s objective may track the performance of a specified index. Therefore, securities may be purchased, retained and sold by ETFs at times when an actively managed trust would not do so. As a result, the Fund may have a greater risk of loss (and a correspondingly greater prospect of gain) from changes in the value of the securities that are heavily weighted in the index than would be the case if the ETF were not fully invested in such securities. Because of this, an ETF’s price can be volatile. In addition, the results of an ETF will not match the performance of the specified index due to reductions in the ETF’s performance attributable to transaction and other expenses, including fees paid by the ETF to service providers.
The value of commodity-linked ETFs may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, change in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The prices of commodity-related ETFs may fluctuate quickly and dramatically and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash
The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds that are trading at a discount to NAV or at a premium to NAV. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Fund may suffer realized or unrealized capital losses due to further decline in the market price of the securities of such closed-end funds, thereby adversely affecting the NAV of the Fund’s shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Fund at a premium will continue to trade at a premium or that the premium will not decrease subsequent to a purchase of such shares by the Fund. Also, there may be a limited secondary market for shares of closed-end funds.
Closed-end funds may issue senior securities (including preferred stock and debt obligations) for the purpose of leveraging the closed-end fund’s common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end fund’s common shareholders. The Fund’s investment in the common shares of closed-end funds that are financially leveraged may create an opportunity for greater total return on its investment, but at the same time may be expected to exhibit more volatility in market price and NAV than an investment in shares of investment companies without a leveraged capital structure.
Shares of closed-end funds and ETFs are not individually redeemable, but are traded on securities exchanges. The prices of such shares are based upon, but not necessarily identical to, the value of the securities held by the issuer. There is no assurance that the requirements of the securities exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any closed-end fund or ETF will continue to be met.
Real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses incurred by REITs in which the Fund invests in addition to the expenses incurred directly by the Fund.
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Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills and on cash flows, are not diversified, and are subject to default by borrowers and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Code and failing to maintain their exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.
REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investment in such loans will gradually align themselves to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.
Investment in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. These risks include limited financial resources, infrequent or limited trading, and more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. In addition, small capitalization stocks, such as certain REITs, historically have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500 Index.
Some of the countries in which the Fund may invest may not permit, or may place economic restrictions on, direct investment by outside investors. Investments in such countries may be permitted only through foreign government-approved or government-authorized investment vehicles, which may include other investment companies. These funds may also invest in other investment companies that invest in foreign securities. Investing through such vehicles may involve frequent or layered fees or expenses and may also be subject to limitation under the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. Those expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.
Preferred Stock
Preferred stocks, like some debt obligations, are generally fixed-income securities. Shareholders of preferred stocks normally have the right to receive dividends at a fixed rate when and as declared by the issuer’s board of directors, but do not participate in other amounts available for distribution by the issuing corporation. Dividends on the preferred stock may be cumulative, and all cumulative dividends usually must be paid prior to shareholders of common stock receiving any dividends. Because preferred stock dividends must be paid before common stock dividends, preferred stocks generally entail less risk than common stocks. Upon liquidation, preferred stocks are entitled to a specified liquidation preference, which is generally the same as the par or stated value, and are senior in right of payment to common stock. Preferred stocks are, however, equity securities in the sense that they do not represent a liability of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer as great a degree of protection of capital or assurance of continued income as investments in corporate debt securities. Preferred stock dividends are not guaranteed and management can elect to forego the preferred dividend, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Preferred stocks are generally subordinated in right of payment to all debt obligations and creditors of the issuer, and convertible preferred stocks may be subordinated to other preferred stock of the same issue. Preferred stocks lack voting rights and the Adviser may incorrectly analyze the security, resulting in a loss to the Fund.
Regulatory Risk
Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States or other countries, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund.
Repurchase Agreements
To maintain liquidity, the Fund may enter into repurchase agreements (agreements to purchase U.S. Treasury notes and bills, subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at a specified time and price) with well-established registered securities dealers or banks.
A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund purchases a security and, at the same time, the seller (normally a commercial bank or broker-dealer) agrees to repurchase the same security (and/or a security substituted for it under the repurchase agreement) at an agreed-upon price and date in the future. The resale price is in excess of the purchase price, as it reflects an agreed-upon market interest rate effective for the period of time during which the Fund holds the securities. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as a type of secured lending. The purchaser maintains custody of the underlying securities prior to their repurchase; thus the obligation of the bank or dealer to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to is, in effect, secured by such underlying securities. If the value of such securities is less than the repurchase price, the other party to the agreement is required to provide additional collateral so that all times the collateral is at least 102% of the repurchase price.
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The majority of these transactions run from day to day and not more than seven days from the original purchase. However, the maturities of the securities subject to repurchase agreements are not subject to any limits and may exceed one year. The securities will be marked to market every business day so that their value is at least equal to the amount due from the seller, including accrued interest. The Fund’s risk is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the delivery date.
Although repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, the Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with banks and dealers believed by the Adviser to present minimum credit risks in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Trustees.
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may invest in illiquid securities. The Fund will invest no more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements and time deposits of more than seven days’ duration. The absence of a regular trading market for illiquid securities imposes additional risks on investments in these securities. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value and may often be disposed of only after considerable expense and delay. The SEC has adopted a liquidity risk management rule (the “Liquidity Rule”) that requires the Fund to establish a liquidity risk management program (the “LRMP”). The Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees (defined infra), have designated the Adviser to administer the Fund’s LRMP. Under the LRMP, the Adviser assesses, manages, and periodically reviews the Fund’s liquidity risk. The Liquidity Rule defines “liquidity risk” as the risk that the Fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of remaining investors’ interests in the Fund. The liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments is determined based on relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations under the LRMP. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk. While the liquidity risk management program attempts to assess and manage liquidity risk, there is no guarantee it will be effective in its operations and may not reduce the liquidity risk inherent in the Fund’s investments.
Rights
Rights are usually granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued to the public. The right entitles its holder to buy common stock at a specified price. Rights have similar features to warrants, except that the life of a right is typically much shorter, usually a few weeks. The risk of investing in a right is that the right may expire prior to the market value of the common stock exceeding the price fixed by the right.
Securities Issued in PIPE Transactions
The Fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) transactions. Securities acquired by the Fund in such transactions are subject to resale restrictions under securities laws. While issuers in PIPE transactions typically agree that they will register the securities for resale by the Fund after the transaction closes (thereby removing resale restrictions), there is no guarantee that the securities will in fact be registered. In addition, a PIPE issuer may require the Fund to agree to other resale restrictions as a condition to the sale of such securities. Thus, the Fund’s ability to resell securities acquired in PIPE transactions may be limited, and even though a public market may exist for such securities, the securities held by the Fund may be deemed illiquid.
Structured Investments
A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security. This restructuring involves the deposit with or purchase by an entity, such as a corporation or trust, or specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans) and the issuance by that entity or one or more classes of securities (“structured securities”) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments. Because structured securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured securities are generally of a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured instruments include structured notes. In addition to the risks applicable to investments in structured investments and debt securities in general, structured notes bear the risk that the issuer may not be required to pay interest on the structured note if the index rate rises above or falls below a certain level. Structured
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securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Investments in government and government-related restructured debt instruments are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt and requests to extend additional loan amounts. Structured investments include a wide variety of instruments including, without limitation, collateralized debt obligations, credit linked notes, and participation notes and participatory notes.
Swaps Risk
The Fund, as the purchaser in a swap, bears the risk that the investment might expire worthless. It also would be subject to counterparty risk—the risk that the counterparty may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default (or similar event). In addition, as a purchaser in a credit default swap, the Fund’s investment would only generate income in the event of an actual default (or similar event) by the issuer of the underlying obligation.
As the seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If no event of default (or similar event) occurs, the Fund would keep the premium payments received from the counterparty and generally would have no payment obligations, with the exception of an initial payment made on the credit default swap or any margin requirements with the credit default swap counterparty. For credit default swap agreements, trigger events for payment under the agreement vary by the type of underlying investment (e.g., corporate and sovereign debt and asset-backed securities) and by jurisdiction (e.g., United States, Europe and Asia).
In connection with credit default swaps in which the Fund is the seller, the Fund will typically segregate or “earmark” cash or liquid assets, or enter into certain offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the swap (minus any amounts owed to the Fund).
If the Fund enters into a credit default swap agreement, the Fund will write insurance protection on the full notional amount of the agreement. Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements or swaptions will be successful in furthering its investment objectives will depend on the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. Like most other investments, swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to the Fund’s interest. The Fund bears the risk that the Adviser will not accurately forecast future market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for the Fund. Because swaps are two-party contracts that may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and because, they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. If a swap is not liquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
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. When a counterparty’s obligations are not fully secured by collateral, then the Fund is essentially an unsecured creditor of the counterparty. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there is no assurance that a counterparty will be able to meet its obligations pursuant to such contracts or that, in the event of default, the Fund will succeed in enforcing contractual remedies. Counterparty risk still exists even if a counterparty’s obligations are secured by collateral because the Fund’s interest in collateral may not be perfected or additional collateral may not be promptly posted as required. Counterparty risk also may be more pronounced if a counterparty’s obligations exceed the amount of collateral held by the Fund (if any), the Fund is unable to exercise its interest in collateral upon default by the counterparty, or the termination value of the instrument varies significantly from the marked-to-market value of the instrument.
U.S. Government Securities
The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. 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 Fannie Mae (“FNMA”), are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; still others, such as those of the Federal Farm Credit Banks or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, such as FNMA, or the FHLMC, since it is not obligated to do so by law. These agencies or instrumentalities are supported by the issuer’s right to borrow specific amounts from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations from such agencies or instrumentalities, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality. Whether backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury or not, U.S. government securities are not guaranteed against price movements due to fluctuating interest rates.
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Warrants
Warrants are securities that are usually issued with a bond or preferred stock but may trade separately in the market. A warrant allows its holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price for a specified time. The risk of investing in a warrant is that the warrant may expire prior to the market value of the common stock exceeding the price fixed by the warrant. The Fund does not invest in warrants but may receive them pursuant to a corporate event involving one of its portfolio holdings. In addition, the percentage increase or decrease in the market price of a warrant may tend to be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the optioned common stock.
When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Securities
The Fund may purchase securities on a “when-issued” or “delayed delivery” basis. Although the payment and interest terms of these securities are established at the time the Fund enters into the commitment, the securities may be delivered and paid for a month or more after the date of purchase, when their value may have changed. The Fund makes such commitments only with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell the securities before settlement date if the investment adviser deems it advisable for investment reasons.
At the time the Fund enters into a binding obligation to purchase securities on a when-issued basis, liquid assets of the Fund having a value at least as great as the purchase price of the securities to be purchased will be segregated or earmarked on the books of the Fund and held by the Custodian throughout the period of the obligation. The use of these investment strategies, as well as any borrowing by the Fund, may increase NAV fluctuation.
Securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis are recorded as assets on the day following the purchase and are marked-to-market daily. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its assets in when-issued or delayed delivery securities, does not intend to purchase such securities for speculative purposes and will make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities. However, the Fund reserves the right to sell acquired when-issued or delayed-delivery securities before their settlement dates if deemed advisable.
Temporary Defensive Position
From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Fund may hold all or a portion of its assets in money market instruments (high quality income securities with maturities of less than one year), securities of money market funds or U.S. government repurchase agreements. The Fund may also invest in such investments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies. As a result, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Fund Operations
Operational Risk. An investment in the Fund, like any fund, can involve operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors, human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel and errors caused by third-party service providers. The occurrence of any of these failures, errors or breaches could result in a loss of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage or other events, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. While the Fund seeks to minimize such events through controls and oversight, there may still be failures that could cause losses to the Fund.
Information Security Risk. The Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, Custodian, transfer agent, fund accounting agent, financial intermediaries, and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede security trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines, financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber-security risks are also present for issues or securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value.
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Investment Restrictions
Fundamental Investment Limitations. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are fundamental (“Fundamental”), i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As used in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of the Fund means the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. All other investment practices, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy, are considered non-fundamental. The Fund may:
1. Borrowing Money. Borrow money to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
2. Senior Securities. Issue senior securities to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
3. Underwriting. Act as underwriter of securities to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
4. Real Estate. Purchase, sell, or hold real estate or interests in real estate to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
5. Commodities. Invest in commodities to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
6. Loans. Make loans to others to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulation or order from time to time.
7. Concentration. Not purchase any securities which would cause more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that there shall be no limit on the purchase of U.S. government securities, including securities issued by any agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government, and related repurchase agreements.
In determining whether a transaction is permitted by applicable law, regulation, or order, the Fund currently construes fundamental policies (1) and (2) above not to prohibit any transaction that is permitted under Section 18 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, as interpreted or modified, or as may otherwise be permitted by regulators having jurisdiction from time to time. The Trust understands that the staff of the SEC deems certain transactions that the Fund may enter into to involve the issuance of a senior security unless certain cash, U.S. government securities or other high grade debt instruments are deposited in a segregated account or are otherwise covered. Such transactions include: short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, forward contracts, futures contracts and options thereon, options on securities and currencies, dollar rolls, and swaps, caps, floors and collars. Under the 1940 Act, a “senior security” does not include any promissory note or evidence of indebtedness when such loan is for temporary purposes only and in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the total assets of the issuer at the time the loan is made. A loan is presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within sixty days and is not extended or renewed. Provisions of the 1940 Act permit the Fund to borrow from a bank, provided that the Fund maintains continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with exceptions for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary administrative purposes.
For purposes of fundamental policy (5) above, all swap agreements and other derivative instruments that were not classified as commodity interests or commodity contracts prior to July 21, 2010 are not deemed to be commodities or commodity contracts.
Except as otherwise required by applicable law, with respect to the percentages adopted by the Trust as maximum limitations on its investment policies and limitations, an excess above the fixed percentage will not be a violation of the policy or limitation unless the excess results immediately and directly from the acquisition of any security or the action taken.
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Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions.
The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. This investment restriction may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be given 60 days’ advance notice of any change to this non-fundamental policy.
SHARES OF THE FUND
Shares in the Fund are offered in multiple classes. The Fund is currently authorized to Investor Shares, Advisor Shares, Institutional Shares and Class Z Shares. The differences among the share classes are summarized in the Prospectus under the heading “How to Purchase Shares – Share Classes.” The procedures for purchasing shares of the Fund are summarized in the Prospectus under “How to Purchase Shares,” and the procedures for redeeming shares of the Fund are summarized in the Prospectus under “How to Redeem Shares.”
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The Board of Trustees and Trust Officers
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust and appoints the officers. Each Trustee serves until the termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires, or is removed. The Board generally meets four times a year to review the progress and status of the Trust. The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (each an “Independent Trustee”).
Name, Address and Year of Birth1 |
Position(s)
|
Term of Office/
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of
Portfolios in the Trust Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Joseph P. Gennaco (1961) |
Trustee | Since inception | Sole Principal at JPG Consulting, LLC (April 2019 – present); Independent Non-Executive Director at BNY Mellon International Limited (January 2019 – present); Executive at BNY Mellon (July 2005 – December 2018). | 8 | None | |||||
Barbara A. McCann (1961) |
Trustee | Since inception | None | 8 | None | |||||
Kevin J. McKenna (1957) |
Trustee | Since inception | Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of BlackRock Global Allocation Fund Team at BlackRock, Inc. (January 2011 – September 2016). | 8 | None | |||||
Beth K. Werths (1968) |
Trustee | Since inception | Executive Vice President and International General Counsel at Natixis Investment Management (until November 2020). | 8 | None |
1 |
The mailing address of each Trustee is 53 State Street, 13th Floor Boston, MA, 02109. |
The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act and each officer of the Trust.
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Name, Address and Year of Birth1 |
Position(s)
|
Term of Office/
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of
Portfolios in the Trust Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Nicholas Good (1973) |
Trustee | Since inception | Chief Executive Officer of Pendal Group (March 2021 – present); Chief Executive Officer of JOHCM (USA) Inc. (December 2019 – March 2021); Executive Vice President and Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at State Street Global Advisors (April 2018 – November 2019); Co-Head of Global SPDR Business at State Street Global Advisors (May 2016 – April 2018). | 8 | None | |||||
Jonathan Weitz (1976) |
President and Chief Executive Officer | Since inception | Chief Operating Officer, US JOHCM (USA) Inc. (2020 to present); Senior Vice President—Business Manager JOHCM (USA) Inc. (2016 to 2020); Partner and Management Committee Member Century Capital Management (2003 to 2016). | N/A | N/A | |||||
Troy Sheets (1971) |
Treasurer | Since inception | Senior Director, Foreside Financial Group, LLC (2016 to present); Director, Beacon Hill Fund Services, Inc. (2009 to 2016). | N/A | N/A | |||||
David Lebisky (1972) |
Chief Compliance Officer | Since 2021 | Compliance Manager, US JOHCM (USA) Inc. (March 2021 to present); President, Lebisky Compliance Consulting LLC (2015 to 2020) | N/A | N/A | |||||
Mary Lomasney (1957) |
Secretary | Since inception | Head of Legal and Compliance, US, JOHCM (USA) Inc. (2016 to present); Managing Director BNY Mellon (2007 to 2015). | N/A | N/A | |||||
Matthew J. Broucek (1988) |
Assistant Secretary | Since inception | Vice President, Northern Trust Global Fund Services Fund Governance Solutions (2016 to present); Associate, RSM US LLP (2015 to 2016). | N/A | N/A |
1 |
The mailing address of each Trustee is 53 State Street, 13th Floor Boston, MA, 02109. |
As of December 31, 2020, none of the Trustees beneficially owned any of the equity securities of Trust
Trustee Compensation
Trustees who are deemed “interested persons” of the Trust and officers of the Trust receive no compensation from the Fund. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans. Because the Trust is newly formed, no compensation has yet been paid to the Trustees. The following table summarizes the compensation to be paid to the Independent Trustees for the Fund’s initial fiscal year ending September 30, 2021.1
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Fund |
Total
Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex |
||||||
Joseph P. Gennaco |
$ | 14 | $ | 98,250 | ||||
Barbara A. McCann |
$ | 13 | $ | 92,250 | ||||
Kevin J. McKenna |
$ | 13 | $ | 92,250 | ||||
Beth K. Werths |
$ | 14 | $ | 95,250 |
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1 |
Total compensation is based on estimated amounts to be paid for the Fund’s initial fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. For the initial fiscal year, the Fund expects to pay compensation to the Independent Trustees for one of the four fiscal quarters. At the Trust’s initial meeting in December 2020, the Board approved retainer fees for the Independent Trustees at the following annual rates: $105,000 for each Independent Trustee, in addition to $12,000 for each member of the Audit Committee (and $8,000 for the chair of the Audit Committee) and $6,000 for each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee (and $4,000 for the chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee). The Board additionally approved compensatory fees for special meetings at the following per-meeting rates: $3,000 for in-person special meetings of the Board, and $1,500 for in-person special meetings of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. |
Leadership Structure and Board of Trustees
The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to represent the interests of the shareholders of the Trust and to provide oversight of the management of the Trust. Four of the Trustees on the Board are independent of and not affiliated with the Adviser or its affiliates. The Chair of the Board of Trustees is Nicholas Good, who is an interested Trustee. The Board has adopted Fund Governance Guidelines to provide guidance for effective leadership. The guidance sets forth criteria for Board membership, trustee orientation and continuing education and annual trustee evaluations. The Board reviews quarterly reports from the investment advisers providing management services to the Fund, as well as quarterly reports from the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and other service providers. This process allows the Board to effectively evaluate issues that impact the Trust as a whole as well as issues that are unique to the Fund. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate to ensure that the regular business of the Board is conducted efficiently while still permitting the Trustees to effectively fulfill their fiduciary and oversight obligations. The Board reviews its structure and the structure of its committees annually.
The Trustees have delegated day-to-day operations to various service providers whose activities they oversee. The Trustees have also engaged legal counsel that is independent of the Adviser or its affiliates to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities in connection with the Trust. The Trustees meet separately in an executive session on an at least quarterly basis and meet separately in executive session with the Fund’s CCO at least annually. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-assessment and evaluates its structure and the structure of its committees. The Board has two standing committees, the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.
All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee’s function is to oversee the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, its internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; to oversee the quality and objectivity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; and to act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board of Trustees. The Audit Committee is able to focus Board time and attention to matters of interest to shareholders and, through its private sessions with the Trust’s auditor, CCO and legal counsel, stay fully informed regarding management decisions. Because the Fund is newly organized, the Audit Committee did not meet during the prior fiscal year.
All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee nominates candidates for election to the Board of Trustees, makes nominations for membership on all committees. The Nominating and Governance Committee also reviews as necessary the responsibilities of any committees of the Board and whether there is a continuing need for each committee, whether there is a need for additional committees of the Board, and whether committees should be combined or reorganized. The Nominating and Governance Committee makes recommendations for any such action to the full Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers candidates for trustees nominated by shareholders. Shareholders may recommend candidates for Board positions by forwarding their correspondence to the Secretary of the Trust at the Trust’s address and the shareholder communication will be forwarded to the Nominating and Governance Committee Chairperson for evaluation. Because the Fund is newly organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee did not meet during the prior fiscal year.
Board Oversight of Risk
The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and financial risks, among others. Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Fund and is addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Fund resides with the Adviser or other service providers, subject to supervision by Fund Management. The Audit Committee and the Board oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed. For example, the Board meets with portfolio managers and receives regular reports regarding investment and liquidity risks. The Board meets with the CCO and receives regular reports regarding compliance and regulatory risks. The Audit Committee meets with the Trust’s Treasurer and receives regular reports regarding fund operations and risks related to the valuation, and overall financial reporting of the Fund. From its review of these reports and discussions with management, the Board learns in detail about the material risks to which the Fund is exposed, enabling a dialogue about how management and service providers mitigate those risks.
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Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified nor can controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. It may not be practical or cost effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness, and some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the Fund or the Adviser, its affiliates, or other service providers. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Fund’s ability to manage risk is subject to substantial limitations. The Trustees believe that their current oversight approach is an appropriate way to manage risks facing the Fund, whether investment, compliance, financial, or otherwise. The Trustees may, at any time in their discretion, change the manner in which they conduct risk oversight of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Trustees
The Board believes each of the Trustees has demonstrated leadership abilities and possesses experience, qualifications, and skills valuable to the Trust. Each of the Trustees has substantial business and professional backgrounds that indicate they have the ability to critically review, evaluate and access information provided to them.
Below is additional information concerning each particular Trustee and his or her attributes. The information provided below, and in the chart above, is not all-inclusive. Many Trustee attributes involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, work ethic, the ability to work together, and the ability to communicate effectively, exercise judgment, ask incisive questions, manage people and problems or develop solutions.
Joseph P. Gennaco is a seasoned and results-driven business executive with impeccable integrity and strong leadership skills. He has close to 40 years’ worth of experience with various areas of business and finance including: Operations, Technology, Finance, Risk & Compliance, and all facets of Distribution (including Sales, Marketing, Relationship Management, and Product Development). Mr. Gennaco additionally possesses strong communications skills, as well as interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Barbara A. McCann is a senior financial services executive who is skilled at developing and implementing business strategies. Ms. McCann has a proven record of executing business initiatives through managing teams within and across business lines. She managed the BNY Mellon Institutional Funds Group, during which time she succeeded in growing the group’s assets under management from $1.5 billion to over $5.5 billion in the span of two years. Ms. McCann has worked closely with sales, compliance, legal investment managers and operational groups to ensure continued growth of the funds she has overseen, and she is familiar with many funds and investment boutiques. Ms. McCann also served as the Secretary of the Mellon Institutional Funds Group Board.
Kevin J. McKenna has over 30 years of experience in the investment management industry, and has an abiding respect for fiduciary duty. He has managed a wide variety of fixed income portfolios and supervised a large and complex fixed-income investment platform. Mr. McKenna has also served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for a large multi-asset team, where he served as the team’s primary point of contact with corporate Internal Audit and Risk Management groups. Separately, Mr. McKenna sat on the Regional and Global Management Committees of a leading global prime broker.
Beth K. Werths has senior executive level experience in business and management that provides her with an insightful perspective on strategic planning, risk oversight, operational matters and crisis management that is valuable to the Board. Her legal expertise and leadership on global governance, regulatory, product development, information technology and information security issues contribute to her skills in the areas of risk management, compliance, internal controls, legislative advocacy and cybersecurity. She provides the Board with considerable knowledge and insight regarding the financial services industry as well as governance, regulatory and investor relations issues that are relevant to large corporations. She has a record of demonstrated executive leadership and integrity and has served in roles where she counsels other senior executives and boards.
Nicholas Good is very closely connected to the Fund from a performance, risk and commercial perspective due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of Pendal Group. Mr. Good possesses over 20 years’ worth of experience in asset management.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, and the principal underwriter have each adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code”) under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. The personnel subject to the Code are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
DISTRIBUTION
The Fund has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, applicable to Advisor Shares and Investor Shares that permits the Fund to pay for certain distribution and promotion activities related to marketing its shares and other shareholder services (the “Plan”). Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund will pay its principal underwriter a fee for the principal underwriter’s services in connection with the sales and promotion of the Fund and the provision of shareholder services to Fund shareholders, including its expenses in connection therewith, at an annual rate of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to
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Advisor Shares, twenty-five basis points (0.25%) of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Investor Shares. Payments received by the principal underwriter pursuant to the Plan may be greater or less than distribution expenses incurred by the principal underwriter with respect to the applicable class and are in addition to fees paid by the Fund pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The principal underwriter may in turn pay others for distribution and shareholder servicing as described below.
The Plan has been approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or any related agreement. Continuation of the Plan and the related agreements must be approved by the Trustees annually, in the same manner, and a Plan or any related agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty by a majority of such Independent Trustees or by a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class. Any amendment increasing the maximum percentage payable under a Plan or other material change must be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class, and all other material amendments to a Plan or any related agreement must be approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees.
Financial Intermediaries
The Fund may authorize certain financial intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on its behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a financial intermediary or its designee accepts the order. These orders will be priced at the NAV next calculated after the order is accepted.
The Fund may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries under which the Fund pays the financial intermediaries for services, such as networking, sub-transfer agency and/or omnibus recordkeeping. The Fund may also reimburse the Adviser or JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) for amounts they pay to financial intermediaries for the provision of such services. The amount of such payments and/or reimbursements and the manner in which such amount is calculated are reviewed by the Trustees periodically. The amount of such payments permitted to be made outside the Plan is currently capped by resolution of the Board. Any payments made pursuant to agreements between the Fund and financial intermediaries are in addition to, rather than in lieu of, shareholder servicing fees that a financial intermediary may be receiving under an agreement with the Distributor. The Fund may enter into certain agreements with financial intermediaries that require payments for sub-transfer agency services in excess of the Board-approved cap on payments and/or reimbursements to financial intermediaries. In such instances the Adviser will pay, out of its own profits, the difference between the amount due under the agreement with the financial intermediary and the cap on such payments and/or reimbursements approved by the Board of Trustees.
Financial intermediaries are firms that sell shares of mutual funds, including the Fund, for compensation and/or provide certain administrative and account maintenance services to mutual fund investors. Financial intermediaries may include, among others, brokers, financial planners or advisers, banks, and insurance companies. In some cases, a financial intermediary may hold its clients’ Fund shares in nominee name. Shareholder services provided by a financial intermediary may (though they will not necessarily) include, among other things: processing and mailing trade confirmations, periodic statements, prospectuses, annual reports, semiannual reports, shareholder notices, and other SEC-required communications; capturing and processing tax data; issuing and mailing dividend checks to shareholders who have selected cash distributions; preparing record date shareholder lists for proxy solicitations; collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; and establishing and maintaining systematic withdrawals and automated investment plans and shareholder account registrations. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities issued by financial intermediaries that provide such services, or their affiliates; however, in selecting investments for the Fund, no preference will be shown for such securities.
The compensation paid by the Fund or the Adviser or its affiliates to a financial intermediary is typically paid continually over time, during the period when the financial intermediary’s clients hold investments in the Fund. The amount of continuing compensation paid by the Fund or the Adviser or its affiliates to different financial intermediaries for shareholder services varies. The compensation is typically a percentage of the value of the financial intermediary’s clients’ investments in the Fund or a per account fee. The variation in compensation may, but will not necessarily, reflect enhanced or additional services provided by the financial intermediary.
If payments to financial intermediaries by a mutual fund, distributor or adviser for a particular mutual fund complex exceed payments by other mutual fund complexes, a shareholder’s financial adviser and the financial intermediary employing him or her may have an incentive to recommend that fund complex over others. Please speak with a financial adviser to learn more about the total amounts paid to that financial adviser and his or her firm by the Distributor and its affiliates and by sponsors of other mutual funds he or she may recommend to you. You should also consult disclosures made by your financial intermediary at the time of purchase. You should ask your financial intermediary whether it receives additional cash compensation payments, as described below, from the Adviser or its affiliates.
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If you are purchasing, selling, exchanging or holding Fund shares through a program of services offered by a financial intermediary, you may be required by the financial intermediary to pay additional fees. You should contact the financial intermediary for information concerning what additional fees, if any, may be charged.
The Distributor, the Adviser and/or their affiliates may make payments to financial intermediaries for distribution, shareholder servicing, marketing and promotional activities and related expenses out of their profits and other available sources, including profits from their relationships with the Fund. These payments are not reflected as Fund expenses in the fee table contained in the Prospectus. The total amount of these payments may be substantial, may be substantial to any given recipient, and may exceed the costs and expenses incurred by the recipient for any fund-related marketing or shareholder servicing activities. The payments described in this paragraph are often referred to as “revenue sharing payments.” Revenue sharing arrangements are separately negotiated between the Distributor, the Adviser and/or their affiliates, and the recipients of these payments. Revenue sharing payments may also include non-cash compensation to financial intermediaries and their representatives in the form of (1) occasional gifts; (2) occasional meals, tickets or other entertainment; and/or (3) sponsorship support of regional or national conferences or seminars.
Revenue sharing payments create an incentive for a financial intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend or sell shares of the Fund to you. Contact your financial intermediary for details about revenue sharing payments it receives or may receive. Revenue sharing payments, as well as payments by the Fund under the Plan or for recordkeeping and/or shareholder services, also benefit the Adviser, the Distributor and their affiliates to the extent the payments result in more assets being invested in the Fund on which fees are being charged.
Because the Fund has not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, no revenue sharing payments have been made by the Adviser or Distributor in respect of the Fund.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Control Persons and Principal Holders
Shareholders who beneficially own more than 25% of the shares of the Fund are presumed to “control” the Fund as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Persons controlling the Fund can affect the outcome of proposals submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser. Pendal Group Limited, the parent company of JOHCM (USA) Inc., will contribute seed capital that may represent ownership of up to 100% of certain share classes of the Fund and shall be deemed a control person of the Fund. It is anticipated that over time this percentage of ownership will decrease. Pendal Group Limited is a publicly listed company incorporated in Australia, with its registered address at 2 Chifley Square, Level 14, The Chifley Tower, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 010.
Management Ownership
As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Fund, as a group, did not own any outstanding equity securities of the Fund.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
The Investment Adviser
JOHCM (USA) Inc. (the “Adviser” or “JOHCM USA”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser’s principal place of business is 53 State Street, 13th Floor Boston, MA, 02109. JOHCM USA is wholly owned by J O Hambro Capital Management Limited (“JOHCM.,” and, together with JOHCM USA, “The JOHCM Group”), which is organized under the laws of England and Wales. The Adviser is an investment adviser registered with the SEC in the U.S. under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Regnan is a brand name of JOHCM through which JOHCM offers responsible investing solutions. As Adviser to the Fund, JOHCM USA continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Fund’s investment program. JOHCM USA also ensures compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and guidelines. As of December 31, 2020, JOHCM USA had approximately $2.5 billion in assets under management.
JOHCM USA has entered into a personnel-sharing arrangement with its United Kingdom-based affiliate, JOHCM, and with its Australian-based affiliate, Pendal Group Limited (“Pendal”). Pursuant to these arrangements, certain employees of JOHCM and Pendal, as “participating affiliates,” serve as “associated persons” of JOHCM USA and, in this capacity, are subject to the oversight of JOHCM USA and its Chief Compliance Officer. These associated persons will, on behalf of JOHCM USA, provide discretionary investment management services (including acting as portfolio managers), research and related services to the Fund in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in the Prospectus and SAI. The personnel-sharing arrangement is based on no-action letters of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that permit SEC-registered investment advisers to rely on and use the resources of advisory affiliates, subject to certain conditions. While JOHCM is currently registered as an investment adviser with the SEC, while acting as a participating affiliate of JOHCM USA, its associated persons will be subject to the policies and procedures of JOHCM USA. JOHCM may in the future deregister as an investment adviser in the US, but such deregistration would not affect the participating affiliate arrangement through which it provides services to the Fund.
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In addition, trading personnel will be shared across the affiliates referenced above, and execution of trades may be done by personnel employed by these affiliated entities, in each case subject to the participating affiliate arrangements described above. JOHCM USA expects to execute a substantial portion of each JOHCM Fund’s trading orders through personnel and systems housed at JOHCM in the United Kingdom and expects to conduct a substantial portion of the research process for the Fund’s investment strategy through personnel and systems housed at Pendal in Australia.
Under the terms of the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser (“Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provides or arranges to be provided to the Fund such investment advice as its deems advisable and will furnish or arrange to be furnished a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. As compensation for advisory services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at the annual rate of 0.75%. Because the Trust is newly organized, no fees were paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement in any prior fiscal year.
The Advisory Agreement will continue for an initial term of two years, and on a year-to-year basis thereafter, provided that continuance is approved at least annually by specific approval of the Board of Trustees or by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In either event, it must also be approved by a majority of the Trustees who are neither parties to the Advisory Agreement nor interested persons, as defined in the 1940 Act, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on not more than 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. In the event of its assignment, the Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent that total annual operating expenses (excluding brokerage costs, interest, taxes, dividends, litigation and indemnification expenses, expenses associated with investments in underlying investment companies, and extraordinary expenses) to amounts specified in the Prospectus of the Fund until July 31, 2022. If it becomes unnecessary for the Adviser to waive fees or make reimbursements, the Adviser may recapture any of its prior waivers or reimbursements for a period not to exceed three years from the date on which the waiver or reimbursement was made to the extent that such a recapture does not cause the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding brokerage costs, interest, taxes, dividends, litigation and indemnification expenses, expenses associated with investments in underlying investment companies, and extraordinary expenses) to exceed the applicable expense limitation that was in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. The agreement to waive fees and reimburse expenses may be terminated by the Board of Trustees at any time and will terminate automatically upon termination of the Advisory Agreement.
Portfolio Manager Holdings
As of the date of this SAI, none of the portfolio managers of the Fund beneficially owned securities of the Fund.
Other Portfolio Manager Information
The portfolio managers are also responsible for managing other account portfolios in addition to the Fund.
A portfolio manager’s management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund investments on the one hand and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The side-by-side management of the Fund and other accounts presents a variety of potential conflicts of interests. For example, the portfolio manager may purchase or sell securities for one portfolio and not another. The performance of securities within one portfolio may differ from the performance of securities in another portfolio.
In some cases, another account managed by the same portfolio manager may compensate the Adviser based on performance of the portfolio held by that account. Performance-based fee arrangements may create an incentive for the Adviser to favor higher-fee-paying accounts over other accounts, including accounts that are charged no performance-based fees, in the allocation of investment opportunities. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures that seek to mitigate such conflicts and to ensure that all clients are treated fairly and equally.
Another potential conflict could arise in instances in which securities considered as investments for the Fund are also appropriate investments for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser. When a decision is made to buy or sell a security by the Fund and one or more of the other accounts, the adviser may aggregate the purchase or sale of the securities and will allocate the securities transactions in a manner it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. However, a variety of factors can determine whether a particular account may participate in a particular aggregated transaction. Because of such differences, there may be differences in invested positions and securities held in accounts managed according to similar strategies. When aggregating orders, the Adviser employs procedures designed to ensure accounts will be treated in a fair and equitable manner and no account will be favored over any other. The Adviser has implemented specific policies and procedures to address any potential conflicts.
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The following tables indicate the number of accounts and asset under management (in millions) for each type of account for each portfolio manager of the Fund as of June 30, 2021.
Tim Crockford, Senior Fund Manager
Number of Accounts |
Assets Under Management
(in millions) |
|||||||||||||||
Account Type |
Total |
Subject to a
Performance Fee |
Total |
Subject to a
Performance Fee |
||||||||||||
Registered Investment Companies |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 | 0 | 412 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Other Accounts |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Total |
3 | 0 | 412 | 0 |
Mohsin Ahmad, CFA, Senior Fund Manager
Number of Accounts |
Assets Under Management
(in millions) |
|||||||||||||||
Account Type |
Total |
Subject to a
Performance Fee |
Total |
Subject to a
Performance Fee |
||||||||||||
Registered Investment Companies |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 | 0 | 412 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Other Accounts |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Total |
3 | 0 | 412 | 0 |
Portfolio Manager Compensation
The Adviser compensates the portfolio managers for their management of the Fund. The portfolio managers’ compensation consists of a combination of some or all of the following: a base salary, a revenue share (proportion of the management fee generated as well as performance fees earned by the firm from the non-U.S. mutual fund portfolios they manage, and equity interest in the firm.
Fund Services
The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, serves as the Administrator (“Administrator”) for the Fund and serves as the Fund’s Transfer Agent, Custodian, and Fund Accounting Agent. The Custodian acts as the Trust’s depository, provides safekeeping of its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Trust’s request, and maintains records in connection with its duties. The Transfer Agent maintains the records of each shareholder’s account, answers shareholders’ inquiries concerning their accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, acts as dividend and distribution disbursing agent, and performs other accounting and shareholder service functions. The fees and certain expenses of the Transfer Agent, Custodian, Fund Accounting Agent, and Administrator are paid by the Fund.
As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet begun operations, and did not pay any administrative fees or expenses during the prior fiscal year.
Distributor
JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC, the Distributor, a subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC, located at 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, provides distribution services to the Fund pursuant to a distribution agreement with the Trust. Under its agreement with the Trust, the Distributor acts as an agent of the Trust in connection with the offering of the shares of the Fund on a continuous basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor, and its officers, have no role in determining the Fund’s investment policies or which securities to buy or sell.
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The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks, or other financial institutions for distribution of shares of the Fund. The Trust in its discretion also may from time to time, subject to applicable law, issue shares of the Fund other than through the Distributor.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has been selected as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the initial fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will perform an annual audit of the Fund’s financial statements and provides audit and tax services.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Subject to policies established by the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for the Fund’s portfolio decisions and the placing of the Fund’s portfolio transactions. In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks the best qualitative execution, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility, and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser generally seeks favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.
All decisions concerning the purchase and sale of securities and the allocation of brokerage commissions on behalf of the Fund are made by the Adviser. In selecting broker-dealers to use for such transactions, the Adviser will seek to achieve the best overall result for the Fund taking into consideration a range of factors that include not just price, but also the broker’s reliability, reputation in the industry, financial standing, infrastructure, research and execution services and ability to accommodate special transaction needs. The Adviser will use knowledge of the Fund’s circumstances and requirements to determine the factors that the Adviser takes into account for the purpose of providing the Fund with “best execution.”
Under a participating affiliate arrangement, JOHCM USA may borrow personnel and resources from its affiliates, JOH Ltd., to execute trades for the Fund. JOHCM USA may utilize this arrangement for both United Kingdom securities and non-United Kingdom securities for the Fund.
Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers, if the same or a better price, including commissions and executions, is available. Fixed income securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter, or a market maker. Purchases include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and the purchase price paid to a market maker may include the spread between the bid and asked prices.
Because the Fund is newly organized, they did not pay any brokerage commissions in a prior fiscal year.
The Fund is newly organized and did not acquire or hold any securities of its regular broker-dealers in a prior fiscal year.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund will not disclose (or authorize the Custodian or principal underwriter to disclose) portfolio holdings information to any person or entity except as follows:
• |
To persons providing services to the Fund who have a need to know such information in order to fulfill their obligations to the Fund, such as portfolio managers, administrators, custodians, pricing services, proxy voting services, accounting and auditing services, liquidity vendors, and research and trading services, and the Trust’s Board of Trustees; |
• |
In connection with periodic reports that are available to shareholders and the public; |
• |
To mutual fund rating or statistical agencies or persons performing similar functions; |
• |
Pursuant to a regulatory request or as otherwise required by law; or |
• |
To persons approved in writing by the CCO or President of the Trust. |
Monthly top ten holdings and active weightings for the Fund are available on its website (www.johcm.com/us/our-funds) 15 calendar days after each month-end. In addition to this monthly disclosure, the Fund may also make publicly available its portfolio holdings at other dates as may be determined from time to time. To find the top ten holdings and active weightings for the Fund, click on “Asset Allocation” in the right hand column next to the Fund. The same information is also available by calling the Trust at 866-260-9549 (toll free) or 312-557-5913.
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A complete listing of quarter-end portfolio holdings for the Fund is available on its website (www.johcm.com/us/our-funds) 10 calendar days after each quarter-end. To find the quarter end portfolio holdings for the Fund, click on “Overview” in the right hand column next to the Fund and then click on “Quarterly Holdings” next to “Fund Material”. The same information is also available by calling the Trust at 866-260-9549 (toll free) or 312-557-5913. The Fund will disclose portfolio holdings quarterly, in the annual and semi-annual Reports, as well as in filings with the SEC, in each case no later than 60 days after the end of the applicable fiscal period.
Pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees, the Fund has ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings information on a daily basis to the Adviser, Administrator, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, and Custodian and on an as needed basis to other third parties providing services to the Fund. The Adviser, Administrator, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent and Custodian receive portfolio holdings information daily in order to carry out the essential operations of the Fund. The Fund discloses portfolio holdings to its auditors, legal counsel, proxy voting services (if applicable), pricing services, printers, parties to merger and reorganization agreements and its agents, and prospective or newly hired investment advisers or sub-advisers. The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the identity of the party to whom the information is disclosed. For instance, the information may be provided to auditors within days of the end of an annual period, while the information may be given to legal counsel at any time. The Fund, the Adviser, the Transfer Agent, the Fund Accounting Agent, and the Custodian, are prohibited from entering into any special or ad hoc arrangements with any person to make available information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings without the specific approval of the Trust’s CCO or President. Any party wishing to release portfolio holdings information on an ad hoc or special basis must submit any proposed arrangement to the CCO, which will review the arrangement to determine (i) whether the arrangement is in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, (ii) whether the information will be kept confidential (based on the factors discussed below), (iii) whether sufficient protections are in place to guard against personal trading based on the information, and (iv) whether the disclosure presents a conflict of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Adviser, or any affiliated person of the Fund or the Adviser. The CCO will provide to the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis a report regarding all portfolio holdings information released on an ad hoc or special basis. Additionally, the Adviser and any affiliated persons of the Adviser, are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Trust’s CCO monitors compliance with these procedures, and reviews their effectiveness on an annual basis.
Information disclosed to third parties, whether on an ongoing or ad hoc basis, is disclosed under conditions of confidentiality. “Conditions of confidentiality” include (i) confidentiality clauses in written agreements, (ii) confidentiality implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g., attorney-client relationship), (iii) confidentiality required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody relationships) or (iv) understandings or expectations between the parties that the information will be kept confidential. The agreements with the Fund’s Adviser, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, and Custodian contain confidentiality clauses, which the Board and these parties have determined extend to the disclosure of nonpublic information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings and the duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Trust believes that these are reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and will provide sufficient protection against personal trading based on the information.
DETERMINATION OF SHARE PRICE
The price (NAV) of the shares of the Fund is determined at the close of trading of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT except for the following days on which the share price of the Fund is not calculated: Saturdays and Sundays; U.S. national holidays including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Security prices are generally provided by an independent third party pricing service approved by the Trustees as of the close of the NYSE, normally at 4:00 pm ET, each business day on which the share price of the Fund is calculated (as defined in the Fund’s prospectus).
Equity securities (including options, rights, warrants, futures, and options on futures) traded in the over-the-counter market or on a primary exchange shall be valued at the closing price or last trade price, as applicable, as determined by the primary exchange. If no sale occurred on the valuation date, the securities will be valued at the latest quotations available from the designated pricing vendor as of the closing of the primary exchange. Securities for which quotations are either (1) not readily available or (2) determined to not accurately reflect their value are valued at their fair value using procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Significant bid-ask spreads, or infrequent trading may indicate a lack of readily available market quotations. Securities traded on more than one exchange will first be valued at the last sale price on the principal exchange, and then the secondary exchange. The NASD National Market System is considered an exchange. Investments in other open-end registered investment companies are valued at their respective NAV as reported by such companies.
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Fixed-income securities will be valued at the latest quotations available from the designated pricing vendor. These quotations will be derived by an approved independent pricing service based on their proprietary calculation models. In the event that market quotations are not readily available for short-term debt instruments, securities with less than 61 days to maturity may be valued at amortized cost as long as there are no credit or other impairments of the issuer.
In the event an approved pricing service is unable to provide a readily available quotation, the security may be priced by an alternative source, such as a broker who covers the security and can provide a daily market quotation. The appropriateness of the alternative source, such as the continued use of the broker, will be reviewed and ratified quarterly by the Fund’s Fair Value Committee (“FVC”). Securities for which quotations are (1) not readily available, (2) not provided by an approved pricing service or broker, or (3) determined to not accurately reflect their value, are valued by the FVC using procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Foreign securities, currencies and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar, as of valuation time, as provided by an independent pricing service approved by the Board.
REDEMPTION IN-KIND
The Fund ordinarily does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. However, if the amount redeemed is over the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets, the Fund has the right to redeem shares by giving the redeeming shareholder the amount that exceeds the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets in securities instead of cash. In the event that an in-kind distribution is made, a shareholder may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Fund.
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following tax information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the tax information contained in the Fund’s Prospectus. The Prospectus generally describes the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Fund and its shareholders. This section of the SAI provides additional information concerning U.S. federal income taxes. It is based on the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations, judicial authority, and administrative rulings and practice, all as in effect as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change, including with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. There maybe other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state and local tax laws.
Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans or tax-advantaged arrangements. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of Fund shares as an investment through such plans and arrangements and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
The Fund has elected or will elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code and intends each year to qualify and to be eligible to be treated as such. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, the Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from: (i) 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 (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies; and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below); (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the fair market value of its total assets consists of: (A) cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other RICs; and (B) other securities (other than those described in clause (A)) limited in respect of any one issuer to a value that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (i)(A)), the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid—generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards) and its net tax-exempt income, for such year.
In general, for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized directly by the RIC. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly
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traded partnership” (generally defined as a partnership (x) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (y) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in paragraph (a)(i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes because they meet the passive income requirement under Code section 7704(c)(2). In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Certain of the Fund’s investments in MLPs and ETFs, if any, may qualify as interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.
For purposes of the diversification test in (b) above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership and in the case of the Fund’s investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat both the financial intermediary and the issuer of the underlying loan as an issuer. Also, for purposes of the diversification test in (b) above, the identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular Fund investment can depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In some cases, identification of the issuer (or issuers) is uncertain undercurrent law, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to issuer identification for a particular type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to meet the diversification test in (b) above. The qualifying income and diversification requirements described above may limit the extent to which the Fund can engage in certain derivative transactions, as well as the extent to which it can invest in MLPs and certain commodity-linked ETFs.
If the Fund qualifies as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss, determined with reference to any capital loss carryforwards) distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below).
If the Fund were to fail to meet the income, diversification or distribution test described above, the Fund could in some cases cure such failure, including by paying a Fund-level tax, paying interest, making additional distributions, or disposing of certain assets. If the Fund were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure for any year, or if the Fund were otherwise to fail to qualify as a RIC accorded special tax treatment for such year, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Some portions of such distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and may be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals, provided, in both cases, the shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the Fund’s shares (as described below). In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before re-qualifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.
The Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction), its net tax-exempt income (if any), and its net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss, in each case determined with reference to any loss carryforwards). However, no assurance can be given that the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation. Any taxable income, including any net capital gain retained by the Fund, will be subject to tax at the Fund level at regular corporate rates.
In the case of net capital gain, the Fund is permitted to designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gain in a timely notice to its shareholders who would then, in turn, be: (i) required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount; and (ii) entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly-filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If the Fund makes this designation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund would be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income under clause (i) of the preceding sentence and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The Fund is not required to, and there can be no assurance the Fund will, make this designation if it retains all or a portion of its net capital gain in a taxable year.
In determining its net capital gain, including in connection with determining the amount available to support a Capital Gain Dividend (as defined below), its taxable income, and its earnings and profits, a RIC generally may elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as any net capital loss attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31 or, if there is no such loss, the net long-term capital loss or net short-term capital loss attributable to any such portion of the taxable year) or late-year ordinary loss (generally, the sum of its: (i) net ordinary loss from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property, attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31, and (ii) other net ordinary loss attributable to the portion, if any, of the taxable year after December 31) as if incurred in the succeeding taxable year.
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In order to comply with the distribution requirements described above applicable to RICs, the Fund generally must make the distributions in the same taxable year that it realizes the income and gain, although in certain circumstances, the Fund may make the distributions in the following taxable year in respect of income and gains from the prior taxable year.
If the Fund declares a distribution to shareholders of record in October, November, or December of one calendar year and pays the distribution in January of the following calendar year, the Fund and its shareholders will be treated as if the Fund paid the distribution on December 31 of the earlier year.
Excise Tax
If the Fund were to fail to distribute in a calendar year at least an amount equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year (or December 31 of that year if the Fund is permitted to elect and so elects), plus any such amounts retained from the prior year, the Fund would be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts.
The Fund intends generally to make distributions sufficient to avoid the imposition of the 4% excise tax. However, no assurance can be given that the Fund will not be subject to the excise tax.
For purposes of the required excise tax distribution, a RIC’s ordinary gains and losses from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property that would otherwise be taken into account after October 31 of a calendar year generally are treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Also, for these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year.
Capital Loss Carryforwards
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against the Fund’s net investment income. Instead, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund is able to carry forward a net capital loss from any taxable year to offset its capital gains, if any, realized during a subsequent taxable year. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital loss carryforwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the Fund retains or distributes such gains.
If the Fund incurs or has incurred net capital losses, those losses will be carried forward to one or more subsequent taxable years without expiration; any such carryover losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term.
See the Fund’s most recent annual shareholder report for the Fund’s available capital loss carryforwards, if any, as of the end of its most recently ended fiscal year.
Fund Distributions
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income generally are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. In general, the Fund will recognize long-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for one year or less. Tax rules can alter the Fund’s holding period in investments and thereby affect the tax treatment of gain or loss on such investments. Distributions of net capital gain that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates relative to ordinary income. The IRS and the Department of the Treasury have issued proposed regulations that would impose special rules in respect of Capital Gain Dividends received through partnership interests constituting “applicable partnership interests” under Section 1061 of the Code. Distributions from capital gains generally are made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Distributions of net short-term capital gain (as reduced by any net long-term capital loss for the taxable year) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to net capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level.
The Code generally imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on the net investment income of certain individuals, trusts and estates to the extent their income exceeds certain threshold amounts. For these purposes, “net investment income” generally includes, among other things: (i) distributions paid by the Fund of net investment income and capital gains as described above; and (ii) any net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Fund shares. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this additional tax on their investment in the Fund.
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As required by federal law, detailed federal tax information with respect to each calendar year will be furnished to each shareholder early in the succeeding year.
If, in and with respect to any taxable year, the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of such shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. To the extent the Fund makes distributions of capital gains in excess of the Fund’s net capital gain for the taxable year (as reduced by any available capital loss carryforwards from prior taxable years), there is a possibility that the distributions will be taxable as ordinary dividend distributions, even though distributed excess amounts would not have been subject to tax if retained by the Fund.
Distributions are taxable as described herein whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.
A dividend paid to shareholders in January generally is deemed to have been paid by the Fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November or December of that preceding year.
Distributions on the Fund’s shares generally are subject to U.S. federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s NAV reflects either unrealized gains, or realized but undistributed income or gains, that were therefore included in the price the shareholder paid. Such distributions may reduce the fair market value of the Fund’s shares below the shareholder’s cost basis in those shares. As described above, the Fund is required to distribute realized income and gains regardless of whether the Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.
In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund shareholder to be “qualified dividend income” that is eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain rates, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. In general, a dividend is not treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level): (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date); (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property; (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest; or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is: (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States); or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.
In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income are treated as qualified dividend income in the hands of a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s shares.
If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during a taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than dividends properly reported as Capital Gain Dividends) are eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.
In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the Fund qualify for the dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the Fund will not be treated as a dividend eligible for the dividends-received deduction: (1) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock); or (2) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends received deduction may otherwise be disallowed or reduced: (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the Fund; or (2) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the dividends-received deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)).
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Any distribution of income that is attributable to: (i) income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction; or (ii) dividend income received by the Fund on securities it temporarily purchased from a counterparty pursuant to a repurchase agreement that is treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a loan by the Fund, will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Distributions by the Fund to its shareholders that the Fund properly reports as “section 199A dividends,” as defined and subject to certain conditions described below, are treated as qualified REIT dividends in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. Non-corporate shareholders are permitted a federal income tax deduction equal to 20% of qualified REIT dividends received by them, subject to certain limitations. Very generally, a “section 199A dividend” is any dividend or portion thereof that is attributable to certain dividends received by the Fund from REITs, to the extent such dividends are properly reported as such by the RIC in a written notice to its shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. The Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so.
Subject to future regulatory guidance to the contrary, distributions attributable to qualified publicly traded partnership income from the Fund’s investments in MLPs will ostensibly not qualify for the deduction available to non-corporate taxpayers in respect of such amounts received directly from an MLP.
Tax Implications of Certain Fund Investments
Special Rules for Debt Obligations. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance (and zero-coupon debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) will be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in the Fund’s income and required to be distributed by the Fund over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. In addition, payment-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.
Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance that are acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligation issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Subject to the discussion below regarding Section 451 of the Code: (i) generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security; (ii) alternatively, the Fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the Fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the Fund’s income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security; and (iii) the rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the Fund’s income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects. Notwithstanding the foregoing, effective for taxable years beginning after 2017, Section 451 of the Code generally requires any accrual method taxpayer to take into account items of gross income no later than the time at which such items are taken into account as revenue in the taxpayer’s financial statements. The Treasury Department and IRS have issued proposed regulations providing that Section 451 does not apply to the accrual of market discount. If Section 451 were to apply to the accrual of market discount, the Fund would be required to include in income any market discount as it takes the same into account on its financial statements.
Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance may be treated as having OID or, in certain cases, “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price). The Fund will be required to include the OID or acquisition discount in income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which OID or acquisition discount accrues, and thus is included in the Fund’s income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects.
If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of obligations, or other obligations subject to special rules under the Code, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or, if necessary, by disposition of portfolio securities including at a time when it may not be advantageous to do so. These dispositions may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) and, in the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger Capital Gain Dividend than if the Fund had not held such obligations.
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Securities Purchased at a Premium. Very generally, where the Fund purchases a bond at a price that exceeds the redemption price at maturity—that is, at a premium—the premium is amortizable over the remaining term of the bond. In the case of a taxable bond, if the Fund makes an election applicable to all such bonds it purchases, which election is irrevocable without consent of the IRS, the Fund reduces the current taxable income from the bond by the amortized premium and reduces its tax basis in the bond by the amount of such offset; upon the disposition or maturity of such bonds acquired on or after January 4, 2013, the Fund is permitted to deduct any remaining premium allocable to a prior period. In the case of a tax-exempt bond, tax rules require the Fund to reduce its tax basis by the amount of amortized premium.
A portion of the OID accrued on certain high yield discount obligations may not be deductible to the issuer and will instead be treated as a dividend paid by the issuer for purposes of the dividends received deduction. In such cases, if the issuer of the high-yield discount obligations is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by the Fund may be eligible for the dividends received deduction to the extent attributable to the deemed dividend portion of such OID.
At-risk or Defaulted Securities. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether or to what extent the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent the Fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how the Fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a RIC and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Certain Investments in REITs. Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of REITs qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Certain distributions made by the Fund attributable to dividends received by the Fund from REITs may qualify as “qualified REIT dividends” in the hands of non-corporate shareholders, as discussed above.
Foreign Currency Transactions. Any transaction by the Fund in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations or certain foreign currency options, futures contracts or forward contracts (or similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. Any such net gains could require a larger dividend toward the end of the calendar year. Any such net losses generally will reduce and potentially require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Such ordinary income treatment may accelerate Fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any net ordinary losses so created cannot be carried forward by the Fund to offset income or gains earned in subsequent taxable years.
Foreign currency gains generally are treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. There is a remote possibility that the Secretary of the Treasury will issue contrary tax regulations with respect to foreign currency gains that are not directly related to a RIC’s principal business of investing in stocks or securities (or options or futures with respect to stocks or securities), and such regulations could apply retroactively.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Equity investments by the Fund in certain “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) could potentially subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company. This tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (i.e., make a “QEF election”), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the PFIC’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC. The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings “to the market” as though it had sold (and, solely for purposes of this mark-to-market election, repurchased) its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.” A foreign issuer in which the Fund invests
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will not be treated as a PFIC with respect to the Fund if such issuer is a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the Fund holds (directly, indirectly, or constructively) 10% or more of the voting interests in or total value of such issuer. In such a case, the Fund generally would be required to include in gross income each year, as ordinary income, its share of certain amounts of a CFC’s income, whether or not the CFC distributes such amounts to the Fund.
Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC, the Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.
Options and Futures
In general, option premiums received by the Fund are not immediately included in the income of the Fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the Fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and the Fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the Fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the Fund minus (b) the Fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the Fund generally will subtract the premium received for purposes of computing its cost basis in the securities purchased. Gain or loss arising in respect of a termination of the Fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the Fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the Fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.
The Fund’s options activities may include transactions constituting straddles for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that is, that trigger the U.S. federal income tax straddle rules contained primarily in Section 1092 of the Code. Such straddles include, for example, positions in a particular security, or an index of securities, and one or more options that offset the former position, including options that are “covered” by the Fund’s long position in the subject security. Very generally, where applicable, Section 1092 requires: (i) that losses be deferred on positions deemed to be offsetting positions with respect to “substantially similar or related property,” to the extent of unrealized gain in the latter; and (ii) that the holding period of such a straddle position that has not already been held for the long-term holding period be terminated and begin anew once the position is no longer part of a straddle. Options on single stocks that are not “deep in the money” may constitute qualified covered calls, which generally are not subject to the straddle rules; the holding period on stock underlying qualified covered calls that are “in the money” although not “deep in the money” will be suspended during the period that such calls are outstanding. These straddle rules and the rules governing qualified covered calls could cause gains that would otherwise constitute long-term capital gains to be treated as short-term capital gains, and distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the holding period requirements and therefore to be taxed as ordinary income or to fail to qualify for the dividends-received deduction, as the case may be.
The tax treatment of certain positions entered into by the Fund (including regulated futures contracts, certain foreign currency positions and certain listed non-equity options) will be governed by section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable.
Other Derivatives, Hedging, and Related Transactions. In addition to the special rules described above in respect of futures and options transactions, the Fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (e.g., forward contracts and swap agreements), as well as any of its hedging, short sale, securities loan or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (e.g., notional principal contract, straddle, constructive sale, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, thereby affecting, among other things, whether capital gains and losses are treated as short-term or long-term. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders.
Because these and other tax rules applicable to these types of transactions are in some cases uncertain undercurrent law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a RIC and avoid a Fund-level tax.
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Commodity-Linked Instruments. The Fund’s investments in commodity-linked instruments can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a RIC, and can bear on the Fund’s ability to so qualify. Income and gains from certain commodity-linked instruments do not constitute qualifying income to a RIC for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. The tax treatment of some other commodity-linked instruments in which the Fund might invest is not certain, in particular with respect to whether income or gains from such instruments constitute qualifying income to a RIC. If the Fund were to treat income or gain from a particular instrument as qualifying income and the income or gain were later determined not to constitute qualifying income and, together with any other nonqualifying income, caused the Fund’s nonqualifying income to exceed 10% of its gross income in any taxable year, the Fund would fail to qualify as a RIC unless it is eligible to and does pay a tax at the Fund level.
Exchange-Traded Notes, Structured Notes. The tax rules are uncertain with respect to the treatment of income or gains arising in respect of commodity-linked ETNs and certain commodity-linked structured notes; also, the timing and character of income or gains arising from ETNs can be uncertain. An adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify for treatment as a RIC and to avoid a fund-level tax.
Book-Tax Differences. Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivative instruments and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and any of the Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, are likely to produce a difference between its book income and the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any). If such a difference arises, and the Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment and to avoid an entity-level tax. In the alternative, if the Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income (including realized capital gains) and net tax-exempt income, the distribution (if any) of such excess generally will be treated as: (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income); (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in its shares; and (iii) thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.
Investments in Other RICs. The Fund’s investments in shares of another mutual fund, an ETF or another company that qualifies as a RIC (each, an “investment company”) can cause the Fund to be required to distribute greater amounts of net investment income or net capital gain than the Fund would have distributed had it invested directly in the securities held by the investment company, rather than in shares of the investment company. Further, the amount or timing of distributions from the Fund qualifying for treatment as a particular character (e.g., long-term capital gain, exempt interest, eligibility for dividends-received deduction, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment company. If the Fund receives dividends from an investment company and the investment company reports such dividends as qualified dividend income, then the Fund is permitted in turn to report a portion of its distributions as qualified dividend income, provided the Fund meets holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the investment company.
If the Fund receives dividends from an investment company and the investment company reports such dividends as eligible for the dividends-received deduction, then the Fund is permitted in turn to report its distributions derived from those dividends as eligible for the dividends-received deduction as well, provided the Fund meets holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the investment company.
Investments in Master Limited Partnerships and Certain Non-U.S. Entities. The Fund’s ability to make direct and indirect investments in MLPs and certain non-U.S. entities is limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a RIC, and if the Fund does not appropriately limit such investments or if such investments are recharacterized for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund’s status as a RIC may be jeopardized. Among other limitations, the Fund is permitted to have no more than 25% of the value of its total assets invested in qualified publicly traded partnerships, including MLPs.
Subject to any future regulatory guidance to the contrary, any distribution of income attributable to qualified publicly traded partnership income from the Fund’s investment in a MLP will ostensibly not qualify for the deduction that would be available to a non-corporate shareholder were the shareholder to own such MLP directly.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders
Income of a RIC that would be UBTI if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not constitute UBTI when distributed to a tax-exempt shareholder of the RIC. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).
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A tax-exempt shareholder may also recognize UBTI if the Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income” derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs as described above, if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Fund’s investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the Fund).
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in RICs that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a CRT (as defined in section 664 of the Code) that realizes any UBTI for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI as a result of investing in the Fund that recognizes “excess inclusion income.” Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in the Fund that recognizes “excess inclusion income,” then the Fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its “excess inclusion income” for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund.
CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the Fund.
Sale, Exchange or Redemption of Shares
The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss.
In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares held by a shareholder for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares.
Further, all or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed under the Code’s “wash-sale” rule if other substantially identical shares are purchased, including by means of dividend reinvestment, within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations
Under U.S. Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Foreign Taxation
Income, proceeds and gains received by the Fund (or RICs in which the Fund has invested) from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. This will decrease the Fund’s yield on securities subject to such taxes. If more than 50% of the Fund’s assets at taxable year end consists of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes paid by the Fund. A shareholder’s ability to claim an offsetting foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund is subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder’s not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their U.S. federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but not a deduction) for such foreign taxes.
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Even if the Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in the Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through individual retirement accounts or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by the Fund.
Foreign Shareholders
Distributions by the Fund to shareholders that are not “U.S. persons” within the meaning of the Code (“foreign shareholders”) properly reported by the Fund as: (1) Capital Gain Dividends; (2) short-term capital gain dividends; and (3) interest-related dividends, each as defined below and subject to certain conditions described below, generally are not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax.
In general, the Code defines (1) “short-term capital gain dividends” as distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses and (2) “interest-related dividends” as distributions from U.S. source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign shareholder, in each case to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders. The exceptions to withholding for Capital Gain Dividends and short-term capital gain dividends do not apply to (A) distributions to an individual foreign shareholder who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (B) distributions attributable to gain that is treated as effectively connected with the conduct by the foreign shareholder of a trade or business within the United States under special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests as described below. The exception to withholding for interest-related dividends does not apply to distributions to a foreign shareholder (A) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (B) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (C) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (D) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign shareholder and the foreign shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation. If the Fund invests in a RIC that pays such distributions to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to foreign shareholders. The Fund may report such part of its dividends as interest-related and/or short-term capital gain dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as an interest-related or short-term capital gain dividend to shareholders.
Foreign shareholders should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions by the Fund to foreign shareholders other than Capital Gain Dividends, short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends (e.g., dividends attributable to dividend and foreign-source interest income or to short-term capital gains or U.S. source interest income to which the exception from withholding described above does not apply) are generally subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate).
A foreign shareholder is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund unless: (i) such gain is effectively connected with the conduct by the foreign shareholder of a trade or business within the United States; (ii) in the case of a foreign shareholder that is 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 and certain other conditions are met; or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) apply to the foreign shareholder’s sale of shares of the Fund (as described below).
Subject to certain exceptions (e.g., if the Fund were deemed a “United States real property holding corporation” as described below), the Fund is generally not required (and does not expect) to withhold on the amount of a non-dividend distribution (i.e., a distribution that is not paid out of the Fund’s current earnings and profits for the applicable taxable year or accumulated earnings and profits) when paid to its foreign shareholders.
Special rules would apply if the Fund were a qualified investment entity (“QIE”) because it is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition of USRPIs described below. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other trade or business assets. USRPIs generally are defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or, very generally, an entity that has been a USRPHC in the last five years. If the Fund that holds, directly or indirectly, significant interests in REITs may be a USRPHC. Interests in domestically controlled QIEs, including REITs and RICs that are QIEs, not-greater-than-10% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in REITs and not-greater-than-5% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in RICs generally are not USRPIs, but these exceptions do not apply for purposes of determining whether the Fund is a QIE.
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If an interest in the Fund were a USRPI, the Fund would be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.
Moreover, if the Fund were a USRPHC or, very generally, had been one in the last five years, it would be required to withhold on amounts distributed to a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder to the extent such amounts would not be treated as a dividend, i.e., are in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated “earnings and profits” for the applicable taxable year. Such withholding generally is not required if the Fund is a domestically controlled QIE.
If the Fund were a QIE, under a special “look-through” rule, any distributions by the Fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) attributable directly or indirectly to: (i) distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands; and (ii) gains realized on the disposition of USRPIs by the Fund would retain their character as gains realized from USRPIs in the hands of the Fund’s foreign shareholders and would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholder’s current and past ownership of the Fund.
Foreign shareholders of the Fund also maybe subject to “wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the tax-filing and -payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of Fund shares.
Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers and, if holding shares through intermediaries, their intermediaries, concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the Fund.
Foreign shareholders with respect to whom income from the Fund is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the foreign shareholder within the United States will in general be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the income derived from the Fund at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations, whether such income is received in cash or reinvested in shares of the Fund and, in the case of a foreign corporation, may also be subject to a branch profits tax. If a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States. More generally, foreign shareholders who are residents in a country with an income tax treaty with the United States may obtain different tax results than those described herein, and are urged to consult their tax advisors.
In order to qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or substitute form). Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers in this regard.
Special rules (including withholding and reporting requirements) apply to foreign partnerships and those holding Fund shares through foreign partnerships. Additional considerations may apply to foreign trusts and estates. Investors holding Fund shares through foreign entities should consult their tax advisers about their particular situation.
A foreign shareholder may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax referred to above.
Backup Withholding
The Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
Shareholder Reporting Obligations With Respect to Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts
Shareholders that are U.S. persons and own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the Fund could be required to report annually their “financial interest” in the Fund’s “foreign financial accounts,” if any, on FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (“FBAR”). Shareholders should consult a tax advisor, and persons investing in the Fund through an intermediary should contact their intermediary, regarding the applicability to them of this reporting requirement.
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Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements
Sections 1471-1474 of the Code and the U.S. Treasury and IRS guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “FATCA”) generally require the Fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders under FATCA or under an applicable intergovernmental agreement (an “IGA”) between the United States and a foreign government. If a shareholder fails to provide the requested information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA or an IGA, the Fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on ordinary dividends it pays. The IRS and the Department of Treasury have issued proposed regulations providing that these withholding rules will not apply to the gross proceeds of share redemptions or Capital Gain Dividends the Fund pays. If a payment by the Fund is subject to FATCA withholding, the Fund is required to withhold even if such payment would otherwise be exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to foreign shareholders described above (e.g., interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends).
Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax adviser regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.
General Considerations
The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of shares of the Fund, as well as the effects of state, local, foreign, and other tax law and any proposed tax law changes.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board of Trustees has delegated responsibilities for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser, subject to the general oversight of the Board. The Adviser has adopted written proxy voting policies and procedures (“Proxy Policy”) as required by Rule 206(4)-6 under the 1940 Act, as amended, consistent with its fiduciary obligations. The Proxy Policy has been approved by the Board of Trustees. The Proxy Policy is designed and implemented in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised prudently and solely in the best economic interests of the Fund and its shareholders considering all relevant factors and without undue influence from individuals or groups who may have an economic interest in the outcome of a proxy vote. Any conflict between the best economic interests of the Fund and the Adviser’s interests will be resolved in the Fund’s favor pursuant to the Proxy Policy.
The Adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures are attached as Appendix A.
Investors may obtain a copy of the proxy voting policies and procedures by writing to the Trust in the name of the Fund c/o The Northern Trust Company, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, Illinois 60680-4766 or by calling the Trust at 866-260-9549 (toll free) or 312-557-5913. Information about how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust at 866-260-9549 (toll free) or 312-557-5913 and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Financial information about the Fund is not provided because the Fund is newly organized.
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APPENDIX A
JOHCM (USA) INC.
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES SUMMARY
JOHCM USA has established procedures to ensure that all proxies that are received are properly distributed and voted on a timely basis in the best interest of the client. JOHCM USA uses Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) as its proxy research and proxy voting service provider. All proxies that are received are properly distributed and voted on a timely basis. The investment teams have discretion to make a voting decision based upon their analysis of the proposals, their engagement with the company and any available ISS research or based upon established voting guidelines. Should a conflict of interest arise between JOHCM USA’s interests and those of a client, JOHCM USA will arrange a discussion with such client to review the proxy voting materials and the conflict and will obtain the client’s consent before voting. If JOHCM USA is not able to obtain the client’s consent, JOHCM USA shall take reasonable steps to ensure, and must be able to demonstrate that those steps resulted in, a decision to vote the proxies in the best interests of the client.
Once the proxy has been voted, it is recorded and stored on the ISS ProxyExchange system. These records contain the proxy statements received on behalf of the client and the record of votes cast on behalf of the client. JOHCM USA also retains any documents that it has prepared which were material to making a decision on how to vote, or that memorialized the basis for the decision, and records of the client’s requests for proxy voting information and any written response.
Clients may request a copy of our proxy voting policy or information regarding this proxy voting policy, including how JOHCM USA voted on specific proxies.
A-1
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits.
1 |
Previously filed as an Exhibit to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 26, 2021. |
2 |
Previously filed as an Exhibit to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 12, 2021. |
3 |
Previously filed as Exhibit to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2021. |
Item 29. Control Persons. Not applicable.
Item 30. Indemnification.
Reference is made to Article VIII, sections 1 through 3, of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”), which is incorporated by reference herein. In addition, the Registrant maintains a trustees and officers liability insurance policy under which the Registrant and its trustees and officers are named insureds. Certain service providers to the Registrant also have contractually agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the trustees against liability arising in connection with the service provider’s performance of services under the relevant agreement.
The Registrant also agreed to contractually indemnify each trustee. The agreement between the Registrant and each trustee, in addition to delineating certain procedural aspects relating to indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted by the Declaration of Trust and Amended and Bylaws and the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as now or hereafter in force, provides that the Registrant shall indemnify and hold harmless a trustee against any and all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the trustee’s service to the Trust, unless the trustee has been adjudicated in a final adjudication on the merits to have engaged in certain disabling conduct.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser.
JOHCM (USA) Inc., 53 State Street, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02109, is registered as an investment adviser and is a wholly owned subsidiary of J O Hambro Capital Management Limited. Additional information about the adviser and its officers is incorporated by reference to the Statement of Additional Information filed herewith, and the adviser’s Form ADV, file number 801-78083. Neither the adviser, nor its officers or directors, have engaged in another business of a substantial nature during the last two years.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter.
(a) |
Not applicable. |
(b) |
The following are the Officers and Manager of Foreside Fund Partners LLC (the “Distributor”). The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. |
Name |
Address |
Position with Underwriter |
Position with Registrant |
|||
Richard J. Berthy |
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
President, Treasurer and Manager | None | |||
Mark A. Fairbanks |
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President | None | |||
Jennifer K. DiValerio |
899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 |
Vice President | None | |||
Nanette K. Chern |
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | None | |||
Jennifer E. Hoopes |
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Secretary | None |
(c) |
Not applicable. |
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
Accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules promulgated thereunder will be maintained by the Registrant at 53 State Street, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02109 and/or by the Registrant’s administrator, transfer agent, fund accounting agent and custodian, The Northern Trust Company, 50 LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60603; the Registrant’s compliance and financial control services service provider, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC, 690 Taylor Road, Suite 210, Gahanna, Ohio 43230; the Registrant’s distributor, JOHCM Funds Distributors, 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101; JOHCM (USA) Inc., 53 State Street, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02109, and J O Hambro Capital Management Limited, Ryder Court, Ground Floor, 14 Ryder Street, London SW1Y6QB, United Kingdom for certain records.
Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings. None.
NOTICE
A copy of the Declaration of JOHCM Funds Trust, together with all amendments thereto, is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Trust by an officer or Trustee of the Trust in his or her capacity as an officer or Trustee of the Trust and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or officers of the Trust or shareholders of any series of the Trust individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust or the respective series.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 16 day of July, 2021.
JOHCM Funds Trust | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Name: | Jonathan Weitz | |
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
President and Chief Executive Officer | July 16, 2021 | ||
Jonathan Weitz | ||||
/s/ Troy Sheets* |
Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, and | July 16, 2021 | ||
Troy Sheets | Principal Accounting Officer | |||
/s/ Joseph P. Gennaco* |
Trustee | July 16, 2021 | ||
Joseph P. Gennaco | ||||
/s/ Barbara A. McCann* |
Trustee | July 16, 2021 | ||
Barbara A. McCann | ||||
/s/ Kevin J. McKenna* |
Trustee | July 16, 2021 | ||
Kevin J. McKenna | ||||
/s/ Beth K. Werths* |
Trustee | July 16, 2021 | ||
Beth K. Werths | ||||
/s/ Nicholas Good* |
Trustee | July 16, 2021 | ||
Nicholas Good |
*By: /s/ Jonathan Weitz |
Jonathan Weitz, as Attorney-in-Fact |
Date: July 16, 2021 |
Exhibit Index
(i) | Amended and Restated Schedules A and B to the Investment Advisory agreement for the JOHCM Funds, adding Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions | Exhibit (d)(ii) | ||
(ii) | Distribution Agreement between JOHCM Funds Trust and JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC | Exhibit (e) | ||
(iii) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Expense Limitation Agreement adding Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions. | Exhibit (h)(iv) | ||
(iv) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Shareholder Services, Recordkeeping and Sub-Transfer Agency Services Agreement – adding Regnan Global Equity Impacts Solutions. | Exhibit (h)(vi) | ||
(v) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Administration and Compliance Services Agreement adding Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions. | Exhibit (h)(viii) | ||
(vi) | Legal Opinion and consent of Ropes & Gray LLP as to Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions. | Exhibit (i)(ii) | ||
(vii) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 adding Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions. | Exhibit (m)(ii) |
Exhibit (d)(ii)
SCHEDULE A
Amended as of June 21, 2021
to
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST
Investment Advisory Agreement
Dated as of January 8, 2021
Funds subject to this Agreement
Fund |
Effective Date |
|
JOHCM Credit Income Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM Global Select Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
JOHCM International Select Fund | January 8, 2021 | |
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions | June 21, 2021 |
AGREED AND ACKNOWLEDGED: | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of itself and each of its series as set forth on this Schedule A | ||
By: |
/s/ David Lebisky |
|
Name: | David Lebisky | |
Title: | Chief Compliance Officer | |
JOHCM (USA) INC. | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Name: | Jonathan Weitz | |
Title: | Chief Operating Officer |
[Signature Page to Schedule A to Investment Advisory Agreement]
SCHEDULE B
Amended as of June 21, 2021
to
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST
Investment Advisory Agreement
Dated as of January 8, 2021
Fund |
Investment Advisory Fee
Annual rate as a percentage of daily net assets |
|||
JOHCM Credit Income Fund |
0.55 | % | ||
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund |
0.90 | % | ||
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund |
1.30 | % | ||
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund |
0.67 | % | ||
JOHCM Global Select Fund |
0.89 | % | ||
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund |
0.75 | % | ||
JOHCM International Select Fund |
0.89 | % | ||
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions |
0.75 | % |
AGREED AND ACKNOWLEDGED: | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of itself and each of its series as set forth on this Schedule A | ||
By: |
/s/ David Lebisky |
|
Name: | David Lebisky | |
Title: | Chief Compliance Officer | |
JOHCM (USA) INC. | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Name: | Jonathan Weitz | |
Title: | Chief Operating Officer |
[Signature Page to Schedule B to Investment Advisory Agreement]
Exhibit (e)
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of July 19, 2021 by and between JOHCM Funds Trust, a Massachusetts business trust, on behalf of each series thereof listed on Exhibit A hereto, separately and not jointly (the Client) and JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC, a New York limited liability company (the Distributor).
WHEREAS, the Client is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as an open-end management investment company, and is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest (Shares) in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, the Client desires to retain the Distributor as principal underwriter in connection with the offering of the Shares of each series of the Client listed on Exhibit A hereto (as amended from time to time) (each a Fund and collectively the Funds);
WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA);
WHEREAS, this Agreement has been approved by a vote of the Clients board of trustees (the Board) and a majority of its trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) in conformity with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is willing to act as principal underwriter for the Client on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Distributor. The Client hereby appoints the Distributor as its principal underwriter for the distribution of Shares of the Funds, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Distributor hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement.
2. Services and Duties of the Distributor.
A. The Distributor agrees to act as the principal underwriter of the Client for the distribution of the Shares of the Funds, upon the terms and at the current offering price (plus sales charge, if any) described in the Prospectus. As used in this Agreement, the term Prospectus shall mean the current prospectus, summary prospectus and the statement of additional information, as may be amended or supplemented, relating to any of the Funds and included in the currently effective registration statement(s) or post-effective amendment(s) thereto (the Registration Statement) of the Client under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and the 1940 Act. In performing its duties under this Agreement, the Distributor will comply with all requirements of the Clients Registration Statement as applicable, acknowledging its limited purpose broker-dealer role with respect to the Funds as contemplated in this Agreement.
B. During the continuous public offering of Shares of the Funds, the Distributor shall use best efforts to distribute the Shares. All orders for Shares shall be made through financial intermediaries or submitted directly to the applicable Fund or its designated agent. Such purchase orders shall be deemed effective at the time and in the manner set forth in the Prospectus. The Client or its designated agent will confirm orders and subscriptions upon receipt, will make appropriate book entries and, upon receipt of payment therefor, will issue the appropriate number of Shares in uncertificated form.
C. The Distributor shall maintain membership with the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and any other similar successor organization to sponsor a participant number for the Funds so as to enable the Shares to be traded through NSCCs Fund/SERV System (FundSERV). The Client acknowledges and agrees that the Distributor shall not be responsible for any operational matters associated with FundSERV or Networking transactions, including but not limited to taking orders from financial intermediaries.
D. The Distributor acknowledges and agrees that it is not authorized to provide any information or make any representations regarding the Funds other than as contained in the Prospectus and any marketing materials specifically approved in writing by the Client or the investment adviser to the Fund(s).
E. The Distributor agrees to review all proposed marketing materials provided by the Client for compliance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA advertising rules and regulations, and shall timely file with FINRA those marketing materials it reasonably believes are in compliance with such applicable laws and regulations. The Distributor agrees to furnish to the Client any comments provided by regulators with respect to such marketing materials promptly upon receipt by the Distributor.
F. At the request of the Client, the Distributor shall enter into the Standard Dealer Agreement (as defined below), and may, in its discretion, enter into non-standard dealer agreements with financial intermediaries as the Client may select, in order that such broker-dealers and other intermediaries may sell Shares of the Funds. The Funds form of dealer agreement and/or selling agreement shall be in a form similar to that attached at Exhibit C. Such form, including without limitation, material changes to the form, and any compensation proposed to be paid pursuant to a dealer agreement shall be approved by the Clients Board (Standard Dealer Agreement).
G. The Client acknowledges and agrees that the Distributor shall not be obligated to make any payments to any broker-dealers, other financial intermediaries or other third parties, unless (i) the Distributor has received an authorized corresponding payment from the applicable Funds plan of distribution duly adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (Plan) and (ii) such Plan was approved by the Clients Board.
2
H. The Distributor shall devote its best efforts to effect sales of Shares of the Funds in accordance with this Agreement but shall not be obligated to sell any certain number of Shares.
I. The Distributor shall prepare reports for, and deliver such reports to, the Board regarding its activities under this Agreement at least quarterly and more frequently as may be reasonably requested by the Board, including reports regarding the use of 12b-1 payments received by the Distributor, if any.
J. The Distributor may enter into agreements (Subcontracts) with qualified third parties to carry out some or all of the Distributors obligations under this Agreement, with the prior written consent of the Client, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld; provided that execution of a Subcontract shall not relieve the Distributor of any of its responsibilities hereunder.
K. The services furnished by the Distributor hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and the Distributor shall be free to furnish similar services to others so long as its services under this Agreement are not impaired thereby.
L. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Distributor shall not be required to register as a broker or dealer in any specific jurisdiction or to maintain its registration in any jurisdiction in which it is now registered.
M. The Distributor undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are expressly set forth herein, or expressly incorporated herein by reference, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Distributor.
3. Duties of the Client.
A. The Client agrees to redeem or repurchase Shares tendered by shareholders of the Funds in accordance with the Clients obligations in the Prospectus and the Registration Statement. The Client reserves the right to suspend such redemption or repurchase right upon written notice to the Distributor or to refuse at any time or times to sell Shares or Shares of any class.
B. The Client shall take, or cause to be taken, all necessary action to register the Shares under the federal and all applicable state securities laws and to maintain an effective Registration Statement for such Shares in order to permit the sale of Shares as herein contemplated. The Client authorizes the Distributor to use the Prospectus, in the form furnished to the Distributor by the Client from time to time, in connection with the sale of Shares.
C. The Client agrees to advise the Distributor promptly in writing:
(i) |
of material actions, correspondence, or other communications by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or its staff relating to the Funds, other than any SEC correspondence or other communications resulting from a routine review by the SEC staff of disclosures in the Funds Registration Statement; |
3
(ii) |
in the event of the issuance by the SEC of any stop-order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect or the initiation of any proceeding for that purpose; |
(iii) |
of the happening of any event which makes untrue any statement of a material fact made in the Prospectus or which requires the making of a change in such Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading and any supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; |
(iv) |
in the event that it determines to suspend the sale of Shares at any time in response to conditions in the securities markets or otherwise or to suspend the redemption of Shares of any Fund at any time as permitted by the 1940 Act or the rules of the SEC; and |
(v) |
of the commencement of any material litigation or proceedings against the Client or any of its officers or trustees in connection with the issue and sale of any of the Shares. |
D. The Client shall file or cause to be filed such reports and other documents as may be required under applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including state blue sky laws, and shall notify the Distributor in writing of the states in which the Shares may be sold and of any changes to such information.
E. The Client agrees to file or cause to be filed from time to time such amendments to its Registration Statement and Prospectus as may be necessary in order that its Registration Statement and Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
F. The Client shall reasonably cooperate in the efforts of the Distributor to distribute the Shares. In addition, the Client shall keep the Distributor reasonably informed of its affairs related to the activities contemplated by this Agreement and shall provide to the Distributor from time to time all information with supporting material regarding the Funds that the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with the distribution of Shares, including, without limitation, certified copies of any annual and semi-annual shareholder reports (which shall include the financial statements prepared for the Funds by its independent public accountants) and such reasonable number of copies of the most current Prospectus, statement of additional information, annual and interim reports to shareholders, and any supplements thereto as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Client shall forward a copy of any SEC filings relating to the Registration Statement or Prospectus to the Distributor within one business day after filing. The Client represents that it will not use or authorize the use of any marketing materials unless and until such marketing materials have been approved and authorized for use by the Distributor.
4
G. The Client shall provide or direct each other agent or service provider to the Client, including the Clients transfer agent, administrator and investment adviser, to provide, to Distributor in a timely and accurate manner all such information (and in such reasonable medium) that the Distributor may reasonably request that may be necessary for the Distributor to perform its duties under this Agreement.
H. The Client shall not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that materially amends any provision therein which pertains to Distributor, the distribution of the Shares or the applicable sales loads or public offering price without giving Distributor reasonable advance notice thereof; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Clients right to file at any time such amendments to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, of whatever character, as the Client may deem advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and unconditional.
I. The Client shall not list the Distributor as the principal underwriter or distributor in any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, which is filed for the purpose of creating a new Fund, without receiving prior written permission from the Distributor. At or before such time as a new Fund becomes effective, Client and Distributor agree to amend this Agreement for purposes of updating Exhibit A.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Client.
A. |
The Client hereby represents and warrants to the Distributor, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement unless otherwise notified in writing to the Distributor, that: |
(i) |
it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is registered as an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act; |
(ii) |
this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Client and, when executed and delivered, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of the Client, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; |
(iii) |
it is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its Declaration of Trust, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement; |
(iv) |
the Shares are validly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the description in the Prospectus, will be fully paid and nonassessable; |
5
(v) |
the Registration Statement and Prospectus included therein have been prepared in conformity with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; |
(vi) |
the Registration Statement and Prospectus and any marketing materials prepared by the Client or its agent do not and shall not contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and that all statements or information furnished to the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects; |
(vii) |
Client owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks and service marks, trademark and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, Intellectual Property) necessary for or used in the conduct of the Clients business and for the offer, issuance, distribution and sale of the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus and this Agreement, and such Intellectual Property does not and will not breach or infringe the terms of any Intellectual Property owned, held or licensed by any third party. |
B. |
The Client has adopted policies and procedures as, and to the extent, required by Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. In this regard, the Client (and relevant agents) shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent the unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Client and the owners of the Shares. |
5. Representations and Warranties of the Distributor.
A. The Distributor hereby represents and warrants to the Client, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement unless otherwise notified in writing to the Client, that:
(i) |
it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(ii) |
this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Distributor and, when executed and delivered, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of the Distributor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; |
6
(iii) |
it is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all registrations and regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, operating agreement or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement; and |
(iv) |
it is registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and is a member in good standing of FINRA; and |
(v) |
it has in place and maintains business continuity and disaster recovery policies and procedures, to the extent required by law. |
B. In connection with all matters relating to this Agreement, the Distributor will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, the regulations of FINRA and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations to the extent such laws, rules, and regulations relate to Distributors role as the principal underwriter of the Funds.
C. The Distributor shall promptly notify the Client of (i) the commencement of any material litigation or proceedings against the Distributor or any of its affiliates, managers, officers or directors and (ii) any correspondence or other communication from the SEC or its staff, FINRA or a state securities regulator in connection with the issue and sale of any of the Shares, unless prohibited by law.
6. Compensation.
A. In consideration of the Distributors services in connection with the distribution of Shares of each Fund and Class thereof, the Distributor shall receive the compensation set forth in Exhibit B.
B. Except as specified in Section 5A, the Distributor shall be entitled to no compensation or reimbursement of expenses from the Client for the services provided by the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement. Any such compensation or reimbursement of expenses shall be paid or reimbursed by the Funds investment adviser pursuant to an agreement between the investment adviser and the Distributor.
7. Expenses.
A. The Client shall bear all costs and expenses in connection with registration of the Shares with the SEC and the applicable states, as well as all costs and expenses in connection with the offering of the Shares and communications with shareholders of its Funds, including but not limited to (i) fees and disbursements of its counsel and independent public accountants; (ii) costs and expenses of the preparation, filing, printing and mailing of Registration Statements and Prospectuses and amendments thereto, as well as related marketing material, (iii) costs and expenses of the preparation, printing and mailing of annual and interim reports, proxy materials and other communications to shareholders of the Funds; and (iv) fees required in connection with the offer and sale of Shares in such jurisdictions as shall be selected by the Client pursuant to Section 3(D) hereof.
7
B. The Distributor shall only bear the expenses of registration or qualification of the Distributor as a dealer or broker under federal or state laws and the expenses of continuing such registration or qualification. The Distributor does not assume responsibility for any expenses not expressly assumed hereunder.
8. |
Standard of Care. The Distributor shall be obligated to act in good faith and to exercise commercially reasonable care and diligence in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. |
9. |
Limitation of Liability. |
A. The Distributor shall be under no duty to take any action except as specifically set forth herein or as may be specifically agreed to by the Distributor in writing.
B. In the absence of bad faith, negligence, willful misfeasance or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action taken, or failure to act, based on reasonable reliance upon:
i. |
the advice of the Trust, or counsel to the Trust; |
ii. |
any oral instruction which it receives and which it reasonably believes in good faith was transmitted by the person or persons authorized by the Board to give such oral instruction (the Distributor shall have no duty or obligation to make any inquiry or effort of certification of such oral instruction); |
iii. |
any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board, and the Distributor may rely upon the genuineness of any such document or copy thereof reasonably believed in good faith by the Distributor to have been validly executed; or |
iv. |
any signature, instruction, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, statement, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or other document reasonably believed in good faith by the Distributor to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the Trust or other proper party or parties; and the Distributor shall not be under any duty or obligation to inquire into the validity or invalidity or authority or lack thereof of any statement, oral or written instruction, resolution, signature, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or any other document or instrument which the Distributor reasonably believes in good faith to be genuine. |
8
10. Indemnification.
A. The Client shall indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor, its affiliates and each of their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the Distributor Indemnitees), free and harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses (including the reasonable costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages or expenses and any reasonable and documented counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively, Losses) that any Distributor Indemnitee may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or relating to (i) the Distributor serving as distributor of the Funds pursuant to this Agreement and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement; (ii) the Clients material breach of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants contained in this Agreement; (iii) the Clients material failure to comply in all material respects with any applicable securities laws or regulations; (iv) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, shareholder reports, marketing materials or other information filed or made public by the Client (as from time to time amended) include or included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law or any rule of FINRA or of the SEC or any other jurisdiction wherein Shares of the Funds are sold; or (v) any liability to which the Distributor becomes subject by reason of Clients willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties (or failure to perform such duties) under this Agreement or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement, provided, however, that (i) the Clients obligation to indemnify any of the Distributor Indemnitees shall not be deemed to cover any Losses arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, Prospectus, annual or interim report, or any such marketing material in reasonable reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Client or its counsel by the Distributor or its affiliates in writing for use in the Registration Statement, Prospectus, annual or interim report, or any marketing materials and (ii) in no event shall Client be liable to any Distributor Indemnitee for any Losses resulting from such Distributor Indemnitees willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of such Distributor Indemnitees obligations under this Agreement.
B. The Distributor shall indemnify, defend and hold the Client, its affiliates, and each of their respective directors, trustees, members, managers, officers, employees, representatives, and any person who controls or previously controlled the Client within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the Client Indemnitees), free and harmless from and against any and all Losses that any Client Indemnitee may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or relating to (i) the Distributors material breach of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants contained in this Agreement; (ii) the Distributors failure to comply in all material respects with any applicable securities laws or regulations; (iii) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, shareholder reports, marketing materials or other information filed or made public by the Client (as from time to time amended) include or included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law or any violation of any rule of FINRA or of the SEC or any other jurisdiction wherein Shares of the Funds are sold, insofar
9
as such statement or omission was made in reasonable reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Client or its counsel by the Distributor in writing for use in such Registration Statement, Prospectus, shareholder report, marketing materials or other information filed or made public by the Client; or (iv) any other liability to which the Client becomes subject by reason of the Distributors willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in its performance of its duties (or failure to perform such duties) under this Agreement or by reason of the Distributors reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
C. In no case (i) is the indemnification provided by an indemnifying party to be deemed to protect against any liability the indemnified party would otherwise be subject to by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the indemnifying party to be liable under this Section with respect to any claim made against any indemnified party unless the indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the indemnified party (or after the indemnified party shall have received notice of service on any designated agent).
D. Failure by the indemnified party to notify the indemnifying party of any claim shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to the indemnified party against whom such action is brought, on account of this Section, unless failure or delay to so notify the indemnifying party prejudices the indemnifying partys ability to defend against such claim. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if the indemnifying party elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the indemnified party. In the event that indemnifying party elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the indemnifying party does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.
E. No indemnified party shall settle any claim against it for which it intends to seek indemnification from the indemnifying party, under the terms of Section 10(a) or 10(b) above, without prior written notice to and consent from the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnified or indemnifying party shall settle any claim unless the settlement contains a full release of liability with respect to the other party in respect of such action.
F. No person shall be obligated to provide indemnification under this Section 10 if such indemnification would be impermissible under the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or the rules of the FINRA; provided, however, in such event indemnification shall be provided under this Section 10 to the maximum extent so permissible.
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11. Conversions; Dealer Agreement Indemnification.
A. Conversions. The Client acknowledges and agrees that the Distributor may enter into, assume, or become a party to, certain dealer and/or selling agreements (Conversion Agreement) as the result of the conversion of the Client to Distributor from another principal underwriter or distributor. The Distributor will provide the Client with a copy of any Conversion Agreements. Such Conversion Agreements may contain obligations or duties that are not required to be performed by the Distributor under the Standard Dealer Agreement and are more appropriately allocated to the Funds transfer agent, the Funds adviser, or one of the Funds other service providers (Non-Standard Duties). The Client agrees to perform or use reasonable efforts to cause the Funds service providers to perform the Non-Standard Duties.
B. Non-Standard Dealer Agreements. The Client acknowledges and agrees that the Distributor may, at the request of Client, enter into dealer and/or selling agreements (Non-Standard Dealer Agreements) that contain certain representations, duties, undertakings and indemnification that are not included in the Standard Dealer Agreement, or lack certain representations, duties, and indemnification included in the Standard Dealer Agreement (Non-Standard Obligations, and collectively with Non-Standard Duties, Non-Standard Obligations). The Distributor will provide the Client with a copy of any Non-Standard Dealer Agreements. The Client agrees to perform or use reasonable efforts to cause the Funds service providers to perform the Non-Standard Obligations.
C. Indemnification. To the extent that the Distributor (i) assumes, or becomes a party to, any Conversion Agreement, or (ii) after the review and approval by the Client, enters into any Non-Standard Dealer Agreement, the Client shall indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor Indemnitees free and harmless from and against any and all Losses that any Distributor Indemnitee may incur arising out of or relating to (a) any failure to perform any Non-Standard Obligations under any Conversion Agreement or Non-Standard Dealer Agreement; (b) any representations made by the Distributor in any Non-Standard Dealer Agreement or Conversion Agreement to the extent that the Distributor is not required to make such representations in the Standard Dealer Agreement; (c) any indemnification provided by the Distributor under a Conversion Agreement or Non-Standard Dealer Agreement to the extent that such indemnification is beyond the indemnification that the Distributor provides to intermediaries in the Standard Dealer Agreement except to the extent such Losses arising out of or relating to each of (a), (b) or (c) result from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence of the Distributor in the performance of its duties or its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Non-Standard Dealer Agreement. In no event shall anything contained herein be so construed as to protect the Distributor Indemnitee against any liability to the Client or its shareholders to which such Distributor Indemnitee would otherwise be subject by reason of its willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance or reckless disregard of its obligations or duties under the Non-Standard Dealer Agreement.
12. Limitations on Damages. Neither party shall be liable for any consequential, special or indirect losses or damages suffered by the other party, whether or not the likelihood of such losses or damages was known by the party.
13. Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable for losses, delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of nature (including fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane or other natural disaster); action or inaction of civil or military authority; acts of foreign enemies; war; terrorism; riot; insurrection; sabotage; epidemics; labor disputes; civil commotion; or interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities, transportation, computer or communications capabilities; provided, however, that in each specific case such circumstance shall be beyond the reasonable control of the party seeking to apply this force majeure clause.
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14. Duration and Termination.
A. This Agreement shall become effective with respect to each Fund listed on Exhibit A hereof as of the date hereof and, with respect to each Fund not in existence on that date, on the date an amendment to Exhibit A to this Agreement relating to that Fund is executed. Unless sooner terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall continue in effect for two years from the date hereof. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement shall continue automatically in effect as to each Fund for successive one-year periods, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Clients Board or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, in accordance with Section 15 of the 1940 Act, provided that in either event the continuance is also approved by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to this Agreement and who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to this Agreement and who have no direct or implied financial interest in the operation of this Agreement, by vote cast in accordance with the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act.
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated, without the payment of any penalty, with respect to a particular Fund (i) through a failure to renew this Agreement at the end of a term or (ii) upon mutual consent of the parties. Further, this Agreement may be terminated upon no less than 60 days written notice, by either the Client through a vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not interested persons, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Agreement or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, or by the Distributor.
C. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder).
D. This Agreement automatically and immediately terminates in the event of the Distributors expulsion or suspension by FINRA.
15. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance.
A. Each of Distributor and Client acknowledges that it is a financial institution subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Bank Secrecy Act (collectively, the AML Acts), which require, among other things, that financial institutions adopt compliance programs to guard against money laundering. Each represents and warrants to the other that it is in compliance with and will continue to comply with the AML Acts and applicable regulations in all relevant respects to the extent applicable to it.
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B. Each of Distributor and Client agrees that it will take such further steps, and cooperate with the other as may be reasonably necessary, to facilitate compliance with the AML Acts, including but not limited to the provision of copies of its written procedures, policies and controls related thereto (AML Operations). Distributor undertakes that it will grant to the Client, the Clients anti-money laundering compliance officer and appropriate regulatory agencies, reasonable access to copies of Distributors AML Operations, and related books and records to the extent they pertain to the Distributors services hereunder. It is expressly understood and agreed that the Client and the Clients compliance officers shall have no access to any of Distributors AML Operations, books or records pertaining to other clients or services of Distributor.
16. Privacy. In accordance with Regulation S-P, the Distributor will not disclose any non-public personal information, as defined in Regulation S-P, received from the Client or any Fund regarding any Fund shareholder; provided, however, that the Distributor may disclose such information to any party as necessary in the ordinary course of business to carry out the purposes for which such information was disclosed to the Distributor. The Distributor shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Funds.
The Client has implemented or otherwise taken reasonable steps to cause its agents and service providers to implement safeguards pursuant to Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. In this regard, the Client and such relevant agents and service providers, as appropriate, shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent the unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Client and the owners of the Shares. The Distributor agrees to use reasonable precautions to protect, and prevent the unintentional disclosure of, such non-public personal information.
17. Confidentiality. During the term of this Agreement, the Distributor and the Client may have access to confidential information relating to such matters as either partys business, trade secrets, systems, procedures, manuals, products, contracts, personnel, and clients. As used in this Agreement, Confidential Information means information belonging to the Distributor or the Client which is of value to such party and the disclosure of which could result in a competitive or other disadvantage to either party, including, without limitation, financial information, business practices and policies, know-how, trade secrets, market or sales information or plans, customer lists, business plans, and all provisions of this Agreement. Confidential Information does not include: (i) information that was known to the receiving party before receipt thereof from or on behalf of the disclosing party; (ii) information that is disclosed to the receiving party by a third person who has a right to make such disclosure without any obligation of confidentiality to the party seeking to enforce its rights under this Section; (iii) information that is or becomes generally known in the trade without violation of this Agreement by the receiving party; or (iv) information that is independently developed by the receiving party or its employees or affiliates without reference to the disclosing partys information.
Each party will protect the others Confidential Information with at least the same degree of care it uses with respect to its own Confidential Information, and will not use the other partys Confidential Information other than in connection with its obligations hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a party may disclose the others Confidential Information if (i) required by law, regulation or legal process or if requested by any Agency; (ii) it is advised by
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counsel that it may incur liability for failure to make such disclosure; (iii) requested to by the other party; provided that in the event of (i) or (ii) the disclosing party shall give the other party reasonable prior notice of such disclosure to the extent reasonably practicable and unless otherwise prohibited by law and will cooperate with the other party (at such other partys expense) in any efforts to prevent such disclosure. The parties agree that the procedures and restrictions set forth herein shall not apply to disclosures of Confidential Information to Distributors applicable regulatory authorities in connection with routine regulatory examinations or requests for information with respect to which Distributor shall be permitted to disclose such Confidential Information necessary to respond to such examinations or requests. The Distributor will advise such regulatory authorities of the confidential nature of such information.
18. Notices. Any notice or other communication authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to either party shall be in writing and deemed to have been given when delivered in person or by confirmed facsimile, email, or posted by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the following address (or such other address as a party may specify by written notice to the other):
(i) To Distributor: | (ii) If to the Client: | |
JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC Attn: Legal Department Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101 Telephone: (207) 553-7110 Email: legal@foreside.com
With a copy to: dealerservices@foreside.com |
JOHCM Funds Trust Attn: Jonathan Weitz 53 State Street, 13th Floor Boston, MA 02109 Telephone: (866) 260-9549 Email: jweitz@johcm.com |
19. Modifications. The terms of this Agreement shall not be waived, altered, modified, amended or supplemented in any manner whatsoever except by a written instrument signed by the Distributor and the Client. If required under the 1940 Act, any such amendment must be approved by the Clients Board, including a majority of the Clients Board who are not interested persons, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting for the purpose of voting on such amendment.
20. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Delaware, without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof.
21. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior communications, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written.
22. Survival. The provisions of Sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 21 of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
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23. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors. This Agreement has been negotiated and executed by the parties in English. In the event any translation of this Agreement is prepared for convenience or any other purpose, the provisions of the English version shall prevail.
24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same document.
25. Massachusetts Business Trust Matters. A copy of the Declaration of Trust of the Client is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of Clients trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders individually, but are binding solely upon the assets and property of the Client or upon the assets belonging to the series or class of the Client for the benefit of which the Client has entered into this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above written.
JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC | ||
By: |
/s/ Mark Fairbanks |
|
Mark Fairbanks, Vice President | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Jonathan Weitz, President |
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EXHIBIT A
Fund Names
JOHCM Credit Income Fund |
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund |
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund |
JOHCM Global Select Fund |
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund |
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund |
JOHCM International Select Fund |
JOHCM International Small Cap Equity Fund |
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions |
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EXHIBIT B
Compensation
SALES LOADS*:
1. |
With respect to Institutional Shares, the Distributor shall not be entitled to any compensation. |
2. |
With respect to Advisor Shares, the Distributor shall not be entitled to any compensation. |
3. |
With respect to Investor Shares, the Distributor shall not be entitled to any compensation. |
4. |
With respect to Class Z Shares, the Distributor shall not be entitled to any compensation. |
5. |
With respect to any future Class of Shares, the Distributor shall be entitled to such consideration as the Fund and the Distributor shall agree at the time such Class of Shares is established. |
* |
All Sales Loads received by the Distributor shall be held to be used solely for distribution-related expenses and shall not be retained as profit. |
12b-1 PAYMENTS:
The Distributor shall be obligated to make 12b-1 payments only after, for so long as, and to the extent that the Distributor receives such payments from the applicable Fund.
* All 12b-1 payments received by the Distributor shall be held to be used solely for distribution-related expenses and shall not be retained as profit by the Distributor.
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EXHIBIT C
JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
DEALER AGREEMENT
Re: [Funds] | Date: ____________________ |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As the distributor of the shares (Shares) of the investment company referenced above (collectively, Company) and series thereof (each, a Fund) which may be amended by us from time to time, JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC (Distributor) hereby invites you to participate in the selling group with respect to the Company on the following terms and conditions. In this agreement, the terms we, us, and similar words refer to the Distributor, and the terms you, your, and similar words and Dealer refer to the dealer executing this agreement, including its associated persons.
1. Dealer. You hereby represent that you are a broker-dealer properly registered and qualified under all applicable federal, state and local laws to engage in the business and transactions described in this agreement, and that you are a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You agree that it is your responsibility to determine the suitability of any Fund Shares as investments for your customers, and that we have no responsibility for such determination. You further agree to maintain all records required by Applicable Laws (as defined below) or that are otherwise reasonably requested by us relating to your transactions in Fund Shares. In addition, you agree to notify us immediately in the event your status as a member of FINRA or SIPC changes. You agree that you will at all times comply with (i) the provisions of this agreement related to compliance with all applicable rules and regulations; and (ii) the terms of each registration statement and prospectus for the Funds.
2. Qualification of Shares. The Fund will make available to you a list of the states or other jurisdictions in which Fund Shares are registered for sale or are otherwise qualified for sale, which may be revised by the Fund from time to time. You will make offers of Shares to your customers only in those states, and you will ensure that you (including your associated persons) are appropriately licensed and qualified to offer and sell Shares in any state or other jurisdiction that requires such licensing or qualification in connection with your activities.
3. Orders. All orders you submit for transactions in Fund Shares shall reflect orders received from your customers or shall be for your account for your own bona fide investment, and you will date and time-stamp your customer orders and forward them promptly each day and in any event prior to the time required by the applicable Fund prospectus (the Prospectus, which for purposes of this agreement includes the Statement of Additional Information incorporated therein). As agent for your customers, you shall not withhold placing customers orders for any Shares so as to profit yourself or your customer as a result of such withholding. You are hereby authorized to: (i) place your orders directly with the Company for the purchase of Shares and (ii) tender Shares directly to the Company for redemption, in each case subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus and any operating procedures and policies established by us or the Fund (directly or through its Transfer Agent) from time to time. All purchase orders you submit are subject to acceptance or rejection, and we reserve the right to suspend or limit the sale of Shares. You are not authorized to make any representations concerning Shares of any Fund except such representations
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as are contained in the Prospectus and in such supplemental written information that the Fund or the Distributor (acting on behalf of the Fund) may provide to you with respect to a Fund. All orders that are accepted for the purchase of Shares shall be executed at the next determined public offering price per share (i.e., the net asset value per share plus the applicable sales load, if any) and all orders for the redemption of Shares shall be executed at the next determined net asset value per share and subject to any applicable redemption fee or contingent deferred sales load, in each case as described in the Prospectus.
4. Compliance with Applicable Laws; Distribution of Prospectus and Reports; Confirmations. In connection with its respective activities hereunder, each party agrees to abide by the Conduct Rules of FINRA and all other rules of self-regulatory organizations of which the relevant party is a member, as well as all laws, rules and regulations, including federal and state securities laws, that are applicable to the relevant party (and its associated persons) from time to time in connection with its activities hereunder (Applicable Laws). You are authorized to distribute to your customers the current Prospectus, as well as any supplemental sales material received from the Fund or the Distributor (acting on behalf of the Fund) (on the terms and for the period specified by us or stated in such material). You are not authorized to distribute, furnish or display any other sales or promotional material relating to a Fund without our prior written approval, but you may identify the Funds in a listing of mutual funds available through you to your customers. Unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing, you shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each customer who purchases shares of any Funds from or through you, copies of all annual and interim reports, proxy solicitation materials, and any other information and materials relating to such Funds and prepared by or on behalf of the Funds or us. If required by Rule 10b-10 under the Securities Exchange Act or other Applicable Laws, you shall send or cause to be sent confirmations or other reports to your customers containing such information as may be required by Applicable Laws.
5. Sales Charges and Concessions. On each purchase of Shares by you (but not including the reinvestment of any dividends or distributions), you shall be entitled to receive such dealer allowances, concessions, sales charges or other compensation, if any, as may be set forth in the Prospectus. Sales charge reductions and discounts may be available as provided in the Prospectus. To obtain any such reductions, the Company or its transfer agent must be notified promptly when a transaction or transactions would qualify for the reduced charge and you must submit information that is sufficient (in the discretion of the Company) to substantiate qualification therefor. The foregoing shall include advising us of any Letter of Intent signed by your customer or of any Right of Accumulation available to such customer. If you fail to so advise the Fund, you will be liable for the return of any commissions plus interest thereon. Rights of Accumulation (including rights under a Letter of Intent) are available, if at all, only as set forth in the Prospectus, and you authorize any adjustment to your account (and will be liable for any refund) to the extent any allowance, discount or concession is made and the conditions therefor are not fulfilled. Each price is always subject to confirmation, and will be based upon the net asset value next determined after receipt of an order that is in good form. If any Shares purchased are tendered for redemption or repurchased by the Fund for any reason within seven business days after confirmation of the purchase order for such Shares, you agree to promptly refund the full sales load or other concession and you will forfeit the right to receive any compensation allowable or payable to you on such Shares. The Fund reserves the right to waive sales charges. You represent that you are eligible to receive any such sales charges and concessions paid to you under this section.
6. Transactions in Fund Shares. With respect to all orders you place for the purchase of Fund Shares, unless otherwise agreed, settlement shall be made with the Company within three (3) business days after acceptance of the order. If payment is not so received or made, the transaction may be cancelled. In this event or in the event that you cancel the trade for any reason, you agree to be responsible for any loss resulting to the Funds or to us from your failure to make payments as aforesaid. You shall not be entitled to any gains generated thereby. You also assume responsibility for any loss to a Fund caused by any order placed by you on an as-of basis subsequent to the trade date for the order, and will immediately pay such loss to the Fund upon notification or demand. Such orders shall be acceptable only as permitted by the Company and shall be subject to the Companys policies pertaining thereto, which may include receipt of an executed Letter of Indemnity in a form acceptable to the Fund and /or to us prior to the Companys acceptance of any such order.
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7. Accuracy of Orders; Customer Signatures. You shall be responsible for the accuracy, timeliness and completeness of any orders transmitted by you on behalf of your customers by any means, including wire or telephone. In addition, you agree to guarantee the signatures of your customers when such guarantee is required by the Company and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless all persons, including us and the Funds transfer agent, from and against any and all loss, cost, damage or expense suffered or incurred in reliance upon such signature guarantee.
8. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and our officers, directors, agents and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) and losses resulting from (i) any failure by you to comply with Applicable Laws in connection with activities performed under this agreement, or (ii) any unauthorized representation made by you concerning an investment in Fund Shares.
We agree to indemnify and hold harmless you and your officers, directors, agents and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) and losses resulting from (i) any failure by us to comply with Applicable Laws in connection with our activities as Distributor under this agreement, or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact set forth in a Funds Prospectus or supplemental sales material provided to you by us (and used by you on the terms and for the period specified by us or stated in such material), or omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein to make the statements therein not misleading.
9. Multi-Class Distribution Arrangements. You understand and acknowledge that the Funds may offer Shares in multiple classes, and you represent and warrant that you have established compliance procedures designed to ensure that your customers are made aware of the terms of each available class of Fund Shares, to ensure that each customer is offered only Shares that are suitable investments for him or her, to ensure that each customer is availed of the opportunity to obtain sales charge break points as detailed in the Prospectus, and to ensure proper supervision of your representatives in recommending and offering the Shares of multiple classes to your customers.
10. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance. Each party to this agreement acknowledges that it is a financial institution subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Bank Secrecy Act (collectively, the AML Acts), which require, among other things, that financial institutions adopt compliance programs to guard against money laundering. Each party represents and warrants that it is in compliance and will continue to comply with the AML Acts and applicable rules thereunder (AML Laws), including FINRA Rule 3310, in all relevant respects. You agree to cooperate with us to satisfy AML due diligence policies of the Company and Distributor, which may include annual compliance certifications and periodic due diligence reviews and/or other requests deemed necessary or appropriate by us or the Company to ensure compliance with AML Laws. Dealer also agrees to provide for screening its own new and existing customers against the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list and any other government list that is or becomes required under the AML Acts.
11. Privacy. The parties agree that any Non-Public Personal Information, as the term is defined in Regulation S-P (Reg S-P) of the Securities and Exchange Commission, that may be disclosed hereunder is disclosed for the specific purpose of permitting the other party to perform the services set forth in this agreement. Each party agrees that, with respect to such information, it will comply with Reg S-P and that it will not disclose any Non-Public Personal Information received in connection with this agreement to any other party, except to the extent required to carry out the services set forth in this agreement or as otherwise permitted by law.
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12. Distribution and/or Service Fees. Subject to and in accordance with the terms of each Prospectus and the Distribution Plan and/or Service Plan, if any, adopted by resolution of the Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), we may pay financial institutions with which we have entered into an agreement in substantially the form annexed hereto as Appendix A or such other form as may be approved from time to time by the Funds Board (the Fee Agreement) such fees as may be determined in accordance with such Fee Agreement, for distribution, shareholder or administrative services, as described therein.
13. Order Processing. In accordance with NASD Notice to Members 03-50 (reminding members of their responsibility to ensure that they have in place policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent the occurrence of mutual fund transactions that would violate Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act, FINRA Rule 2010 and other applicable rules and regulations), you represent that you have reviewed your policies and procedures to ensure that they are adequate with respect to preventing violations of law and prospectus requirements related to timely order-taking and market timing activity, in that such policies and procedures (i) prevent the submission of any order received after the deadline for submission of orders in each day that are eligible for pricing at that days net asset value per share (NAV); and (ii) prevent the purchase of Fund Shares by an individual or entity whose stated objectives are not consistent with the stated policies of a Fund in protecting the best interests of longer-term investors, particularly where such investor may be seeking market timing or arbitrage opportunities through such purchase. You represent that you will be responsible for the collection and payment to the Company of any Redemption Fees based upon the terms outlined in the Companys prospectus.
14. Amendments. This agreement may be amended from time to time by the following procedure. We will mail a copy of the amendment to you at your address shown below or as registered as your main office from time to time with FINRA. If you do not object to the amendment within fifteen (15) days after its receipt, the amendment will become a part of this agreement. Your objection must be in writing and be received by us within such fifteen (15) days. All amendments shall be in writing and except as provided above shall be executed by both parties.
15. Termination. This agreement may be terminated by either party, without penalty, upon ten days prior written notice to the other party. Dealers expulsion from FINRA will automatically terminate this agreement without notice. Dealers suspension from FINRA or Dealers violation of Applicable Laws will terminate this agreement effective upon the date of Distributors mailing notice to Dealer of such termination. Any unfulfilled obligations hereunder, and all obligations of indemnification, shall survive the termination of this agreement.
16. Assignment. This agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No party may assign this agreement nor any rights, privileges, duties or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties, except that we may assign or transfer this agreement to any broker-dealer which becomes the underwriter of the Company without obtaining your written consent. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that a change of control of the Distributor shall not constitute an assignment of this agreement.
17. Notices. All notices and communications to us shall be sent to us at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, Attn: Legal Dept., or at such other address as we may designate in writing. All notices and other communication to you shall be sent to you at the address set forth below or at such other address as you may designate in writing. All notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by personal delivery, by postage prepaid mail, electronic mail, or by facsimile or similar means of same-day delivery, with a confirming copy by mail.
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18. Authorization. Each party represents to the other that all requisite corporate proceedings have been undertaken to authorize it to enter into and perform under this agreement as contemplated herein, and that the individual that has signed this agreement below on its behalf is a duly elected officer that has been empowered to act for and on behalf of such party with respect to the execution of this agreement.
19. Directed Brokerage Prohibitions. The Distributor and Dealer agree that neither of them shall direct Fund portfolio securities transactions or related remuneration to satisfy any compensation obligations under this agreement. The Distributor also agrees that it will not directly or indirectly compensate the Dealer executing this agreement in contravention of Rule 12b-1(h) of the 1940 Act.
20. Shareholder Information. The Dealer executing this agreement agrees to comply with the requirements set forth on Appendix B attached hereto regarding the provision of shareholder information pursuant to Rule 22c-2 of the 1940 Act.
21. Miscellaneous. This agreement supersedes any other agreement between the parties with respect to the offer and sale of Fund Shares and other matters covered herein. The invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other term or provision hereof. This agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of laws principles, and shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This agreement has been negotiated and executed by the parties in English. In the event any translation of this agreement is prepared for convenience or any other purpose, the provisions of the English version shall prevail.
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If the foregoing corresponds with your understanding of our agreement, please sign this document and the accompanying copies thereof in the appropriate space below and return the same to us, whereupon this agreement shall be binding upon each of us.
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APPENDIX A
JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
DISTRIBUTION/SERVICE FEE AGREEMENT
Re: [Funds] | Date: ________________________ |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This Fee Agreement (Agreement) confirms our understanding and agreement with respect to Rule 12b-1 payments to be made to you in accordance with the Dealer Agreement between you and us (the Dealer Agreement), which entitles you to serve as a selected dealer of certain Funds for which we serve as Distributor. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Dealer Agreement.
1. From time to time during the term of this Agreement, we may make payments to you pursuant to one or more distribution and service plans (the Plans) adopted by certain of the Funds pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). You agree to furnish sales and marketing services and/or shareholder services to your customers who invest in and own Fund Shares, including, but not limited to, answering routine inquiries regarding the Funds, processing shareholder transactions, and providing any other shareholder services not otherwise provided by a Funds transfer agent. With respect to such payments to you, we shall have only the obligation to make payments to you after, for as long as, and to the extent that, we receive from the Fund an amount equivalent to the amount payable to you. The Fund reserves the right, without prior notice, to suspend or eliminate the payment of such Rule 12b-1 Plan payments or other dealer compensation by amendment, sticker or supplement to the then-current Prospectus of the Fund or other written notice to you.
2. Any such fee payments shall reflect the amounts described in the Funds prospectus. Payments will be based on the average daily net assets of Fund Shares which are owned by those customers of yours whose records, as maintained by the Funds or the transfer agent, designate your firm as the customers dealer of record. No such fee payments will be payable to you with respect to shares purchased by or through you and redeemed by the Funds within seven business days after the date of confirmation of such purchase. You represent that you are eligible to receive any such payments made to you under the Plans.
3. You agree that all activities conducted under this Agreement will be conducted in accordance with the Plans, as well as all applicable state and federal laws, including the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933 and any applicable rules of FINRA.
4. Upon request, on a quarterly basis, you shall furnish us with a written report describing the amounts payable to you pursuant to this Agreement and the purpose for which such amounts were expended. We shall provide quarterly reports to the Funds Board of amounts expended pursuant to the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. You shall furnish us with such other information as shall reasonably be requested by us in connection with our reports to the Board with respect to the fees paid to you pursuant to this Agreement.
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5. This Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated in the manner prescribed below or as provided in the Plans or in Rule 12b-1. This Agreement may be terminated, with respect to one or more Funds, without penalty, by either of us, upon ten days prior written notice to the other party. In addition, this Agreement will be terminated with respect to any Fund upon a termination of the relevant Plan or the Dealer Agreement, if a Fund closes to new investments, or if our Distribution Agreement with the Funds terminates.
6. This Agreement may be amended by us from time to time by the following procedure. We will mail a copy of the amendment to you at your address shown below or as registered from time to time with FINRA. If you do not object to the amendment within fifteen (15) days after its receipt, the amendment will become a part of this Agreement. Your objection must be in writing and be received by us within such fifteen days.
7. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date when it is executed and dated by us below. This Agreement and all the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of laws principles.
8. All notices and other communications shall be given as provided in the Dealer Agreement.
If the foregoing is acceptable to you, please sign this Agreement in the space provided below and return the same to us.
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APPENDIX B
Information Regarding the Provision of Shareholder Information Pursuant to Rule 22c-2
(a). Agreement to Provide Information. Dealer agrees to provide the Fund, upon request, the taxpayer identification number (TIN), if known, (or in the case of a non U.S. shareholder, if the TIN is unavailable, the International Taxpayer Identification Number or other government issued identifier) of any or all Shareholder(s) who have purchased, redeemed, transferred, or exchanged fund shares held through an account with Dealer and the amount, date, name or other identifier of any investment professional(s) associated with the Shareholder(s) or account (if known), and transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange of Shares held through an account maintained by the Dealer during the period covered by the request.
i. Period Covered by Request. Requests must set forth a specific period, not to exceed 90 days from the date of the request, for which transaction information is sought. The Fund may request transaction information older than 90 days from the date of the request as it deems necessary to investigate compliance with policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding shares issued by the Fund.
ii. Form and Timing of Response. Dealer agrees to transmit the requested information that is on its books and records to the Fund or its designee promptly, but in any event not later than five business days, after receipt of a request. If the requested information is not on the Dealers books and records, Dealer agrees to use best efforts to: (x) provide or arrange to provide to the Fund the requested information from shareholders who hold an account with an indirect intermediary, including a determination on whether any specific person about whom Dealer has received information, is itself a financial intermediary; or (y) if directed by the Fund, restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares by a shareholder who has been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions of Fund shares (directly or indirectly) that violate policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding securities issued by the Fund. In such instance, Dealer agrees to inform the Fund whether it plans to perform (x) or (y). Responses required by this paragraph must be communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent practicable, the format for any transaction information provided to the Fund should be consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format. For purposes of this provision, an indirect intermediary has the same meaning as in SEC Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act.
iii. Limitations on Use of Information. The Fund agrees not to use the information received for marketing or any other similar purpose without the prior written consent of the Dealer.
(b) Agreement to Restrict Trading. Dealer agrees to execute written instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Fund shares by a Shareholder who has been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions of the Funds Shares (directly or indirectly through the Dealers account) that violate policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Fund.
i. Form of Instructions. Instructions must include the TIN, if known, and the specific restriction(s) to be executed. If the TIN is not known, the instructions must include an equivalent identifying number of the Shareholder(s) or account(s) or other agreed upon information to which the instruction relates.
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ii. Timing of Response. Dealer agrees to execute instructions as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five business days after receipt of the instructions by the Dealer.
iii. Confirmation by Dealer. Dealer must provide written confirmation to the Fund that instructions have been executed. Dealer agrees to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than ten business days after the instructions have been executed.
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Definitions. For purposes of this Appendix B: |
i. The term Fund includes the funds investment adviser, principal underwriter and transfer agent. The term does not include any excepted funds as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940.1
ii. The term Shares means the interests of Shareholders corresponding to the redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that are held by the Dealer.
iii. The term Shareholder means the beneficial owner of Shares, whether the Shares are held directly or by the Dealer in nominee name or, alternatively, for use with retirement plan recordkeepers, the term means the Plan participant notwithstanding that the Plan may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of Shares.
iv. The term written includes electronic writings and facsimile transmissions.
v. The term Dealer shall mean a financial intermediary as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2.
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As defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b), the term excepted fund means any: (1) money market fund; (2) fund that issues securities that are listed on a national exchange; and (3) fund that affirmatively permits short-term trading of its securities, if its prospectus clearly and prominently discloses that the fund permits short-term trading of its securities and that such trading may result in additional costs for the fund. |
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JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
SELLING GROUP MEMBER AGREEMENT
Re: [Funds] | Date: ____________________ |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As the distributor of the shares (Shares) of each series (each, a Fund and collectively, the Funds) of the investment company referenced above (collectively, Company), JOHCM Funds Distributors, LLC (Distributor) hereby invites you to participate in the selling group on the following terms and conditions. In this agreement, the terms we, us, and similar words refer to the Distributor, and the terms you, your, and similar words, Selling Group Member and Intermediary refer to the intermediary executing this agreement, including its associated persons.
1. Selling Group Member. You hereby represent that you are properly qualified under all applicable federal, state and local laws to engage in the business and transactions described in this agreement. In addition, you agree to comply with the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as if they were applicable to you in connection with your activities under this agreement. You agree that it is your responsibility to determine the suitability of any Fund Shares as investments for your customers, and that we have no responsibility for such determination. You further agree to maintain all records required by Applicable Laws (as defined below) or that are otherwise reasonably requested by us relating to your transactions in Fund Shares and agree, upon the request of a Fund or its designated agent, to make available such records promptly. You agree that you will at all times comply with (i) the provisions of this agreement related to compliance with all applicable rules and regulations; and (ii) the terms of each registration statement and prospectus for the Funds; and (iii) Applicable Laws.
2. Qualification of Shares. The Fund will make available to you a list of the states or other jurisdictions in which Fund Shares are registered for sale or are otherwise qualified for sale, which may be revised by the Fund from time to time. You will make offers of Shares to your customers only in those states, and you will ensure that you (including your associated persons) are appropriately licensed and qualified to offer and sell Shares in any state or other jurisdiction that requires such licensing or qualification in connection with your activities. Neither we nor the Funds shall have any obligation or responsibility to make Fund Shares available for sale in any jurisdiction (or to maintain such availability).
3. Orders. All orders you submit for transactions in Fund Shares shall reflect orders received from your customers or shall be for your account for your own bona fide investment, and you will date and time-stamp your customer orders and forward them promptly each day and in any event prior to the time required by the applicable Fund prospectus (the Prospectus, which for purposes of this agreement includes the Statement of Additional Information incorporated therein). As agent for your customers, you shall not withhold placing customers orders for any Shares so as to profit yourself or your customer as a result of such withholding. You are hereby authorized to: (i) place your orders directly with the Company for the purchase of Shares and (ii) tender Shares directly to the Company for redemption, in each case subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus and any operating procedures and policies established by us or the Fund (directly or through its Transfer Agent) from time to time. All purchase orders you submit are subject to acceptance or rejection, and we reserve the right to suspend or limit the sale of Shares. You
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are not authorized to make any representations concerning Shares of any Fund except such representations as are contained in the Prospectus and in such supplemental written information that the Fund or the Distributor (acting on behalf of the Fund) may provide to you with respect to a Fund. All orders that are accepted for the purchase of Shares shall be executed at the next determined public offering price per share (i.e., the net asset value per share plus the applicable sales load, if any) and all orders for the redemption of Shares provided timely and in good order shall be executed at the next determined net asset value per share and subject to any applicable redemption fee, in each case as described in the Prospectus.
4. Compliance with Applicable Laws; Distribution of Prospectus and Reports; Confirmations. In connection with its respective activities hereunder, each party agrees to abide by the Conduct Rules of FINRA and all other rules of self-regulatory organizations of which the relevant party is a member, as well as all laws, rules and regulations, including federal and state securities laws, that are applicable to the relevant party (and its associated persons) from time to time in connection with its activities hereunder (Applicable Laws). You are authorized to distribute to your customers the current Prospectus, as well as any supplemental sales material received from the Fund or the Distributor (acting on behalf of the Fund) (on the terms and for the period specified by us or stated in such material). You are not authorized to distribute, furnish or display any other sales or promotional material relating to a Fund without our prior written approval, but you may identify the Funds in a listing of mutual funds available through you to your customers. Unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing, you shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each customer who purchases shares of any Funds from or through you, copies of all annual and interim reports, proxy solicitation materials, and any other information and materials relating to such Funds and prepared by or on behalf of the Funds or us. If required by Rule 10b-10 under the Securities Exchange Act or other Applicable Laws, you shall send or cause to be sent confirmations or other reports to your customers containing such information as may be required by Applicable Laws.
5. Sales Charges and Concessions. [not applicable].
6. Transactions in Fund Shares. With respect to all orders you place for the purchase of Fund Shares, unless otherwise agreed, settlement shall be made with the Company within three (3) business days after acceptance of the order. If payment is not so received or made, the transaction may be cancelled. In this event or in the event that you cancel the trade for any reason, you agree to be responsible for any loss, including loss of profit, resulting to the Funds, your clients or to us from your failure to make payments or provide documents as aforesaid. You shall not be entitled to any gains generated thereby. You also assume responsibility for any loss to a Fund caused by any order placed by you on an as-of basis subsequent to the trade date for the order, and will immediately pay such loss to the Fund upon notification or demand. Such orders shall be acceptable only as permitted by the Company and shall be subject to the Companys policies pertaining thereto, which may include receipt of an executed Letter of Indemnity in a form acceptable to the Fund and /or to us prior to the Companys acceptance of any such order.
7. Accuracy of Orders; Customer Signatures. You shall be responsible for the accuracy, timeliness and completeness of any orders transmitted by you on behalf of your customers by any means, including wire or telephone. You agree that neither the Funds, the Distributor, nor any of their affiliates will have any responsibility or liability to review any purchase or redemption request that is presented by you to determine whether such request is accurate, genuine or authorized by your customer. You agree to be responsible for any orders transmitted by you on behalf of your customers that are not delivered to the Funds timely. In addition, you agree to guarantee the signatures of your customers when such guarantee is required by the Company and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless all persons, including us and the Funds transfer agent, from and against any and all loss, cost, damage or expense suffered or incurred in reliance upon such signature guarantee.
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8. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and our officers, directors, agents and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) and losses resulting from (i) any failure by you to comply with Applicable Laws in connection with activities performed under this agreement, or (ii) any unauthorized representation made by you concerning an investment in Fund Shares.
We agree to indemnify and hold harmless you and your officers, directors, agents and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) and losses resulting from (i) any failure by us to comply with Applicable Laws in connection with our activities as Distributor under this agreement, or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact set forth in a Funds Prospectus or supplemental sales material provided to you by us (and used by you on the terms and for the period specified by us or stated in such material), or omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein to make the statements therein not misleading.
9. Multi-Class Distribution Arrangements. You understand and acknowledge that the Funds may offer Shares in multiple classes, and you represent and warrant that you have established compliance procedures designed to ensure that your customers are made aware of the terms of each available class of Fund Shares, to ensure that each customer is offered only Shares that are suitable investments for him or her, and to ensure proper supervision of your representatives in recommending and offering the Shares of multiple classes to your customers.
10. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance. Each party to this agreement acknowledges that it is a financial institution subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Bank Secrecy Act (collectively, the AML Acts), which require, among other things, that financial institutions adopt compliance programs to guard against money laundering. Each party represents and warrants that it is in compliance and will continue to comply with the AML Acts and applicable rules thereunder (AML Laws), including FINRA Rule 3310, in all relevant respects. You agree to cooperate with us to satisfy AML due diligence policies of the Company and Distributor, which may include annual compliance certifications and periodic due diligence reviews and/or other requests deemed necessary or appropriate by us or the Company to ensure compliance with AML Laws. You also agree to provide for screening its own new and existing customers against the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list and any other government list that is or becomes required under the AML Acts.
11. Privacy. The parties agree that any Non-Public Personal Information, as the term is defined in Regulation S-P (Reg S-P) of the Securities and Exchange Commission, that may be disclosed hereunder is disclosed for the specific purpose of permitting the other party to perform the services set forth in this agreement. Each party agrees that, with respect to such information, it will comply with Reg S-P and that it will not disclose any Non-Public Personal Information received in connection with this agreement to any other party, except to the extent required to carry out the services set forth in this agreement or as otherwise permitted by law.
12. Service Fees. Subject to and in accordance with the terms of each Prospectus and the Distribution Plan and/or Service Plan, if any, adopted by resolution of the Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), we may pay financial institutions with which we have entered into an agreement in substantially the form annexed hereto as Appendix A or such other form as may be approved from time to time by the Funds Board (the Fee Agreement) such fees as may be determined in accordance with such Fee Agreement, for shareholder or administrative services, as described therein. You hereby represent that you are permitted under applicable laws to receive all payments for shareholder services contemplated herein.
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13. Order Processing. You represent that you have reviewed your policies and procedures to ensure that they are adequate with respect to preventing violations of law and Prospectus requirements related to timely order-taking and market timing activity, in that such policies and procedures (i) prevent the submission of any order received after the deadline for submission of orders in each day that are eligible for pricing at that days net asset value per share (NAV); and (ii) prevent the purchase of Fund Shares by an individual or entity whose stated objectives are not consistent with the stated policies of a Fund in protecting the best interests of longer-term investors, particularly where such investor may be seeking market timing or arbitrage opportunities through such purchase. You represent that you will be responsible for the collection and payment to the Company of any Redemption Fees based upon the terms outlined in the Companys Prospectus.
14. Amendments. This agreement may be amended from time to time by the following procedure. We will mail a copy of the amendment to you at your address shown below. If you do not object to the amendment within fifteen (15) days after its receipt, the amendment will become a part of this agreement. Your objection must be in writing and be received by us within such fifteen (15) days. All amendments shall be in writing and except as provided above shall be executed by both parties.
15. Termination. This agreement may be terminated by either party, without penalty, upon ten days prior written notice to the other party. Any unfulfilled obligations hereunder, and all obligations of indemnification, shall survive the termination of this agreement.
16. Assignment. This agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No party may assign this agreement nor any rights, privileges, duties or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties, except that we may assign or transfer this Agreement to any broker-dealer which becomes the underwriter of the Company without obtaining your written consent. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that a change of control of the Distributor shall not constitute an assignment of this agreement.
17. Notices. All notices and communications to us shall be sent to us at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, Attn: Legal Dept., or at such other address as we may designate in writing. All notices and other communication to you shall be sent to you at the address set forth below or at such other address as you may designate in writing. All notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by personal delivery, by postage prepaid mail, electronic mail, or by facsimile or similar means of same-day delivery, with a confirming copy by mail.
18. Authorization. Each party represents to the other that all requisite corporate proceedings have been undertaken to authorize it to enter into and perform under this agreement as contemplated herein, and that the individual that has signed this agreement below on its behalf is a duly elected officer that has been empowered to act for and on behalf of such party with respect to the execution of this agreement.
19. Directed Brokerage Prohibitions. The Distributor and Selling Group Member agree that neither of them shall direct Fund portfolio securities transactions or related remuneration to satisfy any compensation obligations under this agreement. The Distributor also agrees that it will not directly or indirectly compensate the Selling Group Member executing this agreement in contravention of Rule 12b-1(h) of the 1940 Act.
20. Shareholder Information. The Selling Group Member executing this agreement agrees to comply with the requirements set forth on Appendix B attached hereto regarding the provision of shareholder information pursuant to Rule 22c-2 of the 1940 Act.
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21. Miscellaneous. This agreement supersedes any other agreement between the parties with respect to the offer and sale of Fund Shares and other matters covered herein. The invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other term or provision hereof. This agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of laws principles, and shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This agreement has been negotiated and executed by the parties in English. In the event any translation of this agreement is prepared for convenience or any other purpose, the provisions of the English version shall prevail.
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If the foregoing corresponds with your understanding of our agreement, please sign this document and the accompanying copies thereof in the appropriate space below and return the same to us, whereupon this agreement shall be binding upon each of us.
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APPENDIX A
JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
SERVICE FEE AGREEMENT
Re: [Funds] | Date: |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This Fee Agreement (Agreement) confirms our understanding and agreement with respect to Rule 12b-1 payments to be made to you in accordance with the Selling Group Member Agreement between you and us (the Selling Group Member Agreement), which entitles you to serve as a selling group member of certain Funds for which we serve as Distributor. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Selling Group Member Agreement.
1. From time to time during the term of this Agreement, we may make payments to you pursuant to one or more distribution and service plans (the Plans) adopted by certain of the Funds pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). You agree to furnish sales and marketing services and/or shareholder services to your customers who invest in and own Fund Shares, including, but not limited to, answering routine inquiries regarding the Funds, processing shareholder transactions, and providing any other shareholder services not otherwise provided by a Funds transfer agent. With respect to such payments to you, we shall have only the obligation to make payments to you after, for as long as, and to the extent that, we receive from the Fund an amount equivalent to the amount payable to you. The Fund reserves the right, without prior notice, to suspend or eliminate the payment of such Rule 12b-1 Plan payments or other compensation by amendment, sticker or supplement to the then-current Prospectus of the Fund or other written notice to you.
2. Any such fee payments shall reflect the amounts described in the Funds Prospectus. Payments will be based on the average daily net assets of Fund Shares which are owned by those customers of yours whose records, as maintained by the Funds or the transfer agent, designate your firm as the customers intermediary of record. No such fee payments will be payable to you with respect to shares purchased by or through you and redeemed by the Funds within seven business days after the date of confirmation of such purchase. You represent that you are eligible to receive any such payments made to you under the Plans.
3. You agree that all activities conducted under this Agreement will be conducted in accordance with the Plans, as well as all applicable state and federal laws, including the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933 and any applicable rules of FINRA.
4. Upon request, on a quarterly basis, you shall furnish us with a written report describing the amounts payable to you pursuant to this Agreement and the purpose for which such amounts were expended. We shall provide quarterly reports to the Funds Board of amounts expended pursuant to the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. You shall furnish us with such other information as shall reasonably be requested by us in connection with our reports to the Board with respect to the fees paid to you pursuant to this Agreement.
5. This Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated in the manner prescribed below or as provided in the Plans or in Rule 12b-1. This Agreement may be terminated, with respect to one or more Funds, without penalty, by either of us, upon ten days prior written notice to the other party. In addition, this Agreement will be terminated with respect to any Fund upon a termination of the relevant Plan or the Selling Group Member Agreement, if a Fund closes to new investments, or if our Distribution Agreement with the Funds terminates.
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6. This Agreement may be amended by us from time to time by the following procedure. We will mail a copy of the amendment to you at your address shown below. If you do not object to the amendment within fifteen (15) days after its receipt, the amendment will become a part of this Agreement. Your objection must be in writing and be received by us within such fifteen days.
7. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date when it is executed and dated by us below. This Agreement and all the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of laws principles.
8. All notices and other communications shall be given as provided in the Selling Group Member Agreement.
If the foregoing is acceptable to you, please sign this Agreement in the space provided below and return the same to us.
JOHCM FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC |
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C-7
APPENDIX B
Information Regarding the Provision of Shareholder Information Pursuant to Rule 22c-2
(a). Agreement to Provide Information. Intermediary agrees to provide the Fund, upon request, the taxpayer identification number (TIN), if known, (or in the case of a non U.S. shareholder, if the TIN is unavailable, the International Taxpayer Identification Number or other government issued identifier) of any or all Shareholder(s) who have purchased, redeemed, transferred, or exchanged fund shares held through an account with Intermediary and the amount, date, name or other identifier of any investment professional(s) associated with the Shareholder(s) or account (if known), and transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange of Shares held through an account maintained by the Intermediary during the period covered by the request.
i. Period Covered by Request. Requests must set forth a specific period, not to exceed 90 days from the date of the request, for which transaction information is sought. The Fund may request transaction information older than 90 days from the date of the request as it deems necessary to investigate compliance with policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding shares issued by the Fund.
ii. Form and Timing of Response. Intermediary agrees to transmit the requested information that is on its books and records to the Fund or its designee promptly, but in any event not later than five business days, after receipt of a request. If the requested information is not on the Intermediarys books and records, Intermediary agrees to use best efforts to: (x) provide or arrange to provide to the Fund the requested information from shareholders who hold an account with an indirect intermediary, including a determination on whether any specific person about whom Intermediary has received information, is itself a financial intermediary; or (y) if directed by the Fund, restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares by a shareholder who has been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions of Fund shares (directly or indirectly) that violate policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding securities issued by the Fund. In such instance, Intermediary agrees to inform the Fund whether it plans to perform (x) or (y). Responses required by this paragraph must be communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent practicable, the format for any transaction information provided to the Fund should be consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format. For purposes of this provision, an indirect intermediary has the same meaning as in SEC Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act.
iii. Limitations on Use of Information. The Fund agrees not to use the information received for marketing or any other similar purpose without the prior written consent of the Intermediary.
(b) Agreement to Restrict Trading. Intermediary agrees to execute written instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Fund shares by a Shareholder who has been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions of the Funds Shares (directly or indirectly through the Intermediarys account) that violate policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Fund.
i. Form of Instructions. Instructions must include the TIN, if known, and the specific restriction(s) to be executed. If the TIN is not known, the instructions must include an equivalent identifying number of the Shareholder(s) or account(s) or other agreed upon information to which the instruction relates.
C-8
ii. Timing of Response. Intermediary agrees to execute instructions as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five business days after receipt of the instructions by the Intermediary.
iii. Confirmation by Intermediary. Intermediary must provide written confirmation to the Fund that instructions have been executed. Intermediary agrees to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than ten business days after the instructions have been executed.
(c) Definitions. For purposes of this Appendix B:
i. The term Fund includes the funds investment adviser, principal underwriter and transfer agent. The term does not include any excepted funds as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940.2
ii. The term Shares means the interests of Shareholders corresponding to the redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that are held by the Intermediary.
iii. The term Shareholder means the beneficial owner of Shares, whether the Shares are held directly or by the Intermediary in nominee name or, alternatively, for use with retirement plan recordkeepers, the term means the Plan participant notwithstanding that the Plan may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of Shares.
iv. The term written includes electronic writings and facsimile transmissions.
v. The term Intermediary shall mean a financial intermediary as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2.
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As defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b), the term excepted fund means any: (1) money market fund; (2) fund that issues securities that are listed on a national exchange; and (3) fund that affirmatively permits short-term trading of its securities, if its prospectus clearly and prominently discloses that the fund permits short-term trading of its securities and that such trading may result in additional costs for the fund. |
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Exhibit (h)(iv)
SCHEDULE A
to the
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
Dated as of July 19, 2021
MAXIMUM OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
Fund Name |
Class of Shares |
Maximum
Operating Expense
|
Commencement
|
Expiration
|
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Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions |
Institutional Shares | 89bps | July 19, 2021 | July 31, 2022 | ||||
Advisor Shares | 99bps | July 19, 2021 | July 31, 2022 | |||||
Investor Shares | 114bps | July 19, 2021 | July 31, 2022 | |||||
Class Z Shares | 89bps | July 19, 2021 | July 31, 2022 |
AGREED AND ACKNOWLEDGED: | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of itself and each of its series as set forth on this Schedule A | ||
By: |
/s/ David Lebisky |
|
Name: David Lebisky | ||
Title: Chief Compliance Officer |
JOHCM (USA) INC. | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Name: Jonathan Weitz | ||
Title: Chief Operating Officer |
1 |
Expressed as a percentage of a Funds average daily net assets. |
Exhibit (h)(vi)
SCHEDULE A
Amended as of June 21, 2021
to
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST
Shareholder Services, Recordkeeping and Sub-Transfer Agency Services Agreement
Dated as of January 8, 2021
Funds subject to this Agreement
JOHCM Credit Income Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund
JOHCM Global Select Fund
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund
JOHCM International Select Fund
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions
AGREED AND ACKNOWLEDGED: | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of itself and each of its series as set forth on this Schedule A | ||
By: |
/s/ David Lebisky |
|
Name: David Lebisky | ||
Title: Chief Compliance Officer | ||
JOHCM (USA) INC. | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
|
Name: Jonathan Weitz | ||
Title: Chief Operating Officer |
A-1
Exhibit (h)(viii)
SCHEDULE A
Amended as of June 21, 2021
to
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST
Administration and Compliance Services Agreement
Dated as of January 8, 2021
Funds subject to this Agreement
JOHCM Credit Income Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund
JOHCM Global Select Fund
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund
JOHCM International Select Fund
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions
AGREED AND ACKNOWLEDGED: | ||
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of itself and each of its series as set forth on Schedule A | ||
By: |
/s/ David Lebisky |
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Name: David Lebisky | ||
Title: Chief Compliance Officer |
JOHCM (USA) INC. | ||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Weitz |
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Name: Jonathan Weitz | ||
Title: Chief Operating Officer |
A-1
Exhibit (i)(ii)
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ROPES & GRAY LLP PRUDENTIAL TOWER 800 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02199-3600 WWW.ROPESGRAY.COM |
July 16, 2021
JOHCM Funds Trust
53 State Street, 13th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Re: Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are furnishing this opinion in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Amendment No. 4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (the Registration Statement) of JOHCM Funds Trust (the Trust) for registering Institutional Shares, Advisor Shares, Investor Shares, and Class Z Shares (the Shares) of Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions (the Fund), a new series of the Trust.
We have acted as counsel for the Trust since its organization. We are familiar with the action taken by its Trustees to authorize this issuance of the Shares. We have examined its records of Trustee actions, its Amended and Restated Bylaws, and its Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust, as amended, on file at the office of the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have examined copies of the Registration Statement, in the form filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and such other documents as we deem necessary for the purpose of this opinion. This opinion is given with respect to Massachusetts law, which governs the organization of, and issuance of shares by, the Trust.
We assume that upon sale of the Shares the Trust will receive the net asset value thereof.
We are of the opinion, with respect to the Fund, that the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Shares of the Fund; and that when the Shares are issued and sold in accordance with the Registration Statement, they will be validly issued, fully paid and, except as described in the following paragraph, nonassessable by the Trust.
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a Massachusetts business trust. Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust, as amended, disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that a notice of such disclaimer be given in each note, bond, contract, instrument,
JOHCM Funds Trust | July 16, 2021 |
certificate or undertaking executed on behalf of the Trust by any Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust. The Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust, as amended, provides for indemnification out of the property of a portfolio series of the Trust for all loss and expense of any shareholder of the portfolio series held personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the portfolio series itself would be unable to meet its obligations.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Very truly yours, |
/s/ Ropes & Gray LLP |
Ropes & Gray LLP |
2
Exhibit (m)(ii)
SCHEDULE A
Amended as of June 21, 2021
to
JOHCM FUNDS TRUST
Distribution Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1
Dated as of January 8, 2021
Funds subject to this Plan
JOHCM Credit Income Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund
JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund
JOHCM Global Income Builder Fund
JOHCM Global Select Fund
JOHCM International Opportunities Fund
JOHCM International Select Fund
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions
A-1